Safer in the mountains in winter with proper equipment and knowledge

Snow has already whitened the mountains this year, so we must be adequately prepared and set out into the mountains in a planned, prepared, and responsible manner. The Alpine Association of Slovenia, the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia, and the Association of Mountain Guides of Slovenia have joined forces and at a press conference on December 6, 2017, at Krvavec presented an analysis of this year's rescue operations, the benefits of membership in the mountaineering organization, tips for safer winter mountain visits, and a practical demonstration of equipment and skills for winter mountaineering.



The analysis of rescue operations in 2017 also shows an increase in the number of rescues, said Igor Potočnik, president of the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia, and presented the statistics so far. This year, GRZS carried out 481 rescue operations (483 for the whole of last year), of which 26 had fatal outcomes, one third fewer than last year. The most rescues were in the summer months, most frequently in the Triglav mountain range and Kamnik-Savinja Alps area, with mountain rescuers assisting domestic mountain visitors in less than two-thirds of cases, and foreigners in the rest. Slips still cause the most accidents, the second most common cause by number of accidents is lack of terrain knowledge, followed by physical and mental unpreparedness and problems during paragliding flights. Most accidents occurred among individuals (over half) and unorganized groups, with the most injuries to lower limbs, followed by head, upper limbs, spine, and hypothermia injuries. "Certain cases must be highlighted where mountain rescuers received a call for help that could be called unjustified, either because the individual ran out of water or couldn't explain the call, despite being on a well-marked and equipped hiking trail, without injuries or other signs indicating they couldn't continue the path," emphasized Potočnik.



The fact that there are very few incidents on organized mountaineering activities among mountain rescuers' interventions can be an invitation to mountain visitors to join one of the 287 mountaineering societies and clubs. Matej Planko, General Secretary of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, presented the benefits of membership in the mountaineering organization, which includes discounts on purchases and services from PZS and its partners, as well as accident insurance for rescue and treatment costs abroad with 24-hour assistance included. PZS has signed a new contract for member insurance with the Adriatic Slovenica insurance company. "For the new insurance period, we have more precisely defined the mountaineering activities covered by the insurance. This year's novelty is the reduction of insurance sums for membership A to 15,000 € in case of death and 50,000 € in case of permanent disability, and we have added insurance for fractures, burns, loss of vision, hearing, and death due to fire in the amount of 1,000 €. Additionally, transitional care insurance is included. For all types of membership, the altitude limit for alpinism and sport climbing has been raised from 5,000 to 6,000 meters," listed Planko the changes and once again warned about the importance of arranging appropriate insurance when engaging in mountaineering activities abroad: "Even this year, there were several cases of rescues abroad where members had to pay several thousand euros extra because they did not have appropriate insurance; for example, B members have an insurance sum of 3000 euros, while total rescue costs exceeded 7000 euros. One option is already included in membership A, and we can add the special AS foreign tourist insurance package, tailored specifically for mountaineers and valid also for tourist and business trips abroad."



Winter mountain visits are characterized by lower temperatures, shorter days, closed mountain huts, and specific snow conditions. "In recent days, a larger amount of snow has fallen in the mid-mountains and high mountains. The snow is still not consolidated, the snow cover is soft. Due to moderate to strong winds, some parts are wind-packed and icy, and quite a bit of wind slab has formed. The avalanche danger level on the five-level European scale is level two - moderate," described the current conditions by GRZS instructor and PZS expert collaborator Matjaž Šerkezi and presented the necessary equipment: "For mountain visits, we recommend complete winter equipment - avalanche transceiver, ice axe, crampons, and helmet. Before each trip, check the condition of the equipment, snow conditions in the area we're heading to, and the opening of mountain huts. In addition to special equipment for winter mountain walking, we need all the equipment as for summer dry conditions, plus good winter mountaineering boots, gaiters to protect against snow entering the boots, quality clothing that protects against wind, cold, and moisture and has good insulation properties. Sun protection is also needed, don't forget spare clothing, and the fact that most mountain huts are closed, so we need more hot fluids and food in the backpack." For more frequent winter mountain visitors and enthusiastic ski tourers, he recommends using a backpack with an airbag, "a device we hope never to use. If caught in an avalanche, however, it is very welcome, as its structure ensures we stay on top of the debris. But it should never be an excuse to take more risks or go beyond our limits."



Among the technical equipment needed for safer high-mountain visits in winter are crampons, ice axe, and helmet. "For high-mountain visits, the only correct choice is 10- or 12-point mountaineering crampons. Many people are not aware of what good crampons need. Various chains and rubber variants that have appeared in recent years belong in the city and mid-mountains, as they lack front points and are not suitable for serious mountaineering tours," warned Mitja Šorn, president of the Association of Mountain Guides of Slovenia, and together with mountain guide Miha Habjan, they demonstrated the correct use of crampons and ice axe, emphasizing that as soon as crampons are put on the feet, poles should be replaced by the ice axe - only then can we successfully self-arrest in case of a fall. "We must realize that in the mountains it is essential to have appropriate equipment that must be used correctly. But for ensuring sufficient personal safety and the safety of other trip participants, that alone is not enough. For every trip, the individual or group must be appropriately experienced, and experience is gained through mileage of completed tours, which at least at the beginning must be done under the watchful eye of qualified mountaineers - guides within mountaineering societies, mountain guides, alpinists... Various mountaineering schools, courses on movement in the mountains, and similar programs are very helpful in acquiring knowledge," the mountain guides also emphasize.



The avalanche transceiver set is also an obligatory part of every mountaineer's technical equipment, consisting of an avalanche transceiver for rough location of the victim, an avalanche probe for precise location of the victim, and an avalanche shovel for quick and effective digging, as the chance of survival in an avalanche is highest in the first 15 minutes after burial. "The avalanche transceiver set must always be used as a complete kit, because if one element is missing, the search time for the buried person is drastically extended," highlighted GRZS instructor Klemen Volontar, who also urges mountain visitors to appreciate the decisive role of equipment and knowledge: "Warm clothing is a matter of course on cold winter days. Let proper equipment also become a matter of course when heading into snowy nature. Equipment is now practically accessible to everyone, but with purchase we are only halfway there. Despite quality and advanced equipment for performing skills that allow us to find and dig out the buried person from under the snow in the shortest time, knowledge is indispensable. We want to raise the general level of awareness of companion rescue in avalanche accidents." The president of the GRZS Avalanche Rescue Commission presented with practical exercises the basic and at the same time essential elements that every individual who finds themselves in the mountains in winter should know, namely the transceiver three-antenna test, searching for the buried with the transceiver, and digging out the buried.



Heading into the mountains in winter requires careful planning, gathering field information, and considering personal psychophysical characteristics, experience, and knowledge, so let's go to the mountains planned, prepared, and responsibly. Good luck and safe steps!