Tignes Spirit were lucky enough to spend a day this week with Roddy from Henry's Avalanche Talks. As competent riders and skiers, it is essential that we are fully aware of the dangers of the mountain environment so that we can stay as safe as possible when venturing off-piste.
The HAT team have been equipping people with the skills to make decisions about the safety of their off-piste adventures for many years, and we all learned a great deal. They ran through a check list of what to do in an avalanche situation, point by point, which made us realise what our priorities should be if one of our friends were to be buried.
Roddy then explained how to make a time-effective search using our transceivers, followed by probing and digging for under the snow, emphasizing the importance of communication between the group. He then allowed us time to practise this method so that we all felt comfortable with the process.
The HAT 'Beeper' training courses are focused on allowing participants to get a maximum number of searches (both single and multiple) in the time available, and can be booked online at any time throughout the winter season.
