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Avalanche transceivers/beacons

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RAFFY
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Hi NS,
This winter I'll be spending a whole season in Verbier, a resort famous for its ridiculous off-piste and avalanches. Not having skied an extensive amount of pow/big mountain I haven't found the need to purchase an avalanche beacon/transceiver, this year however, I will buy all the necessary accessories. I just wanted to understand a bit how they worked...(I already know the big idea, how to search and how they work) but I never understood a few things such as if you get caught in that avalanche, do you have to turn it on for your friend to find you, or is it simply always on. Or also if a friend has already skied down the slope and an avalanche happens at the top which buries you, would a bystander on the top of the mountain be able to find you if he had a transceiver (in other words do you have to sync yours with your friends or will yours and conversely the bystander on top of the mountain be able to find anybody who gets buried in an avalanche with a beacon regardless if the person is part of your group?)
These might be massively stupid questions, but I'd rather ask here on a thread than panic on top of the mountain in case something bad happens. ;)
thx for any comments/advice!
Jun 19 2011 12:08AM
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RAFFY
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Thx so much for the info. I'll look into an avalanche class, but i dont think i'll need too much of that since I'll be mostly skiing with a group of local freerider avids that I've befriended last year who know the area very well.
Jun 19 2011 12:25AM
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RAFFY
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Thx so much for the info. I'll look into an avalanche class, but i dont think i'll need too much of that since I'll be mostly skiing with a group of local freerider avids that I've befriended last year who know the area very well.
Jun 19 2011 12:25AM
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RAFFY
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Thx so much for the info. I'll look into an avalanche class, but i dont think i'll need too much of that since I'll be mostly skiing with a group of local freerider avids that I've befriended last year who know the area very well.
Jun 19 2011 12:25AM
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RAFFY
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
haha sry about triple reply, comp is mad slow!! ;)
Jun 19 2011 12:25AM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
A beacon is no good unless you've practiced how to use it and how to search.  And it is also useless unless you have a probe and shovel to dig with.

Like it was said, take an avy course, and make sure your ski partners do as well
Jun 19 2011 12:41AM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
If you were one of my friends I wouldn't ski with you. That's a terrible attitude.
Jun 19 2011 4:40AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
meh, i dunno dude, i have some friends like that as well, and the times i've been out with them i know i did the stupidest, most irresponsible descents i've done so far... good times however, just they don't mind avy safety and group dynamics as much as a guide would.....

My advice would be to at least take a 1 day course with a guide so you get the basics of searching and avalanche danger.....

otherwise make sure to tell your friends it's your very first time and have them explain the beacon to you and practice on a "victim" like a backpack buried in the snow or something...

a good thing to give you an idea of how "safe" your freeride friends are, would be to see if they do a beacon check at the beginning of each session.... Most don't while they actually should...

Jun 19 2011 6:44AM
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sagaRIP
Posts: 287 - Karma: 12
I just did a season in Verbs, hopefulyl you will get more snow than we did - none! Definately get a beacon, a shovel and a probe and a good backpack to carry them all in. Look around now for the end of season deals, there should be a few still going. I personally have the Ortovox 3+ which is a 3 antennae transciever, can do multi burials and has a ridiculous battery life. Go and talk to someone in a shop to get one that is specific to your needs.

Verbier isn't actually that dangerous - the reason it has a reputation for such good off piste is because it doesnt slide. The famous off pistes are all REALLY steep and if the snow manages to stay on it then its normally quite well bonded. Definately do a course though, and there is actually a place to practice in resort if you ski to the Le Chaux express, there are beacons in the ground that you can locate.

Make sure you do Stairway, backside of mont fort (a few times, there are quite a few routes down), the off piste over at Savoleyre and while its still cold do mont vallon. Later in the season it can get slushy down there so earlier in the season and the day always reward you. I'm sure you will make buddies in resort to show you around - make sure to get to the pub mont fort at 4 each dya for happy hour :).

have an awesome season, mine was good but if there was more snow it would have been amazing.
Jun 19 2011 9:35AM
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jon@wh2o
Posts: 314 - Karma: 158
Beacons have a pretty good success rate, but they're only there for when you fck up. There is a certain percentage (higher in north america than in europe, but still high enough) of people caught in avalaches that die of trauma, which a beacon can do nothing about.
The surest way to survive an avalanche is by not being in it. Taking a course-even the most basic one- it will help you understand what your working with before you go to ski.

Jun 19 2011 10:44PM
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AOTEAROA
Posts: 2216 - Karma: 15
Bump! Coz I'm heading to Gulmarg and actually quite nervous/scared and need as much education on avalanche and avalanche trannsceivers. What are some quality beacons? Any other help would be great, dont really have anywhere to do a course right now but bought the Sherpas Avalanche Education DVD "Fine Line".
Sep 22 2011 5:56PM
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