SKI TOURING Bruce Goodlad
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SKI TOURING Bruce Goodlad A PRACTICAL MANUAL ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE FOR OFF-PISTE, BACKCOUNTRY, SKI TOURERS AND SKI MOUNTAINEERS Audincourt Liestal Gossau St Gallen Olten Wohlen Zurich Dornbirn Delémont Wattwil Zofingen Säntis Feldkirch Imst Grenchen Cham Bludenz Arlberg Landeck Herzogenbuchsee Vaduz Tunnel La Chaux-de-Fonds Lyss Luzern Glarus Le Locle Schwyz Ischgl Sumiswald Glärnisch Galtur Bern tel Pilatus â Piz Sardona Wildspitze Münsingen Sarnen Chur Lac de Neuch Tödi Piz Buin Vent Davos Fribourg Titlis Yverdon- Thunersee les-Bains Brienzersee Piz Medel Niesen Schlanders-Silandro Bulle Eiger Ste Gotthard Lausanne Tunnel Jungfrau Rheinwaldhorn Lac Lé Montreux Aletschhorn San man Lötschberg Tunnel Bernardino Wildstrubel Tunnel Brig Wildhorn Cles Sierre Visp Les Diablerets Sion M Disgrazia Monthey Bellinzona Locarno Sondrio Cima Brenta Adamello Martigny Verbier Weisshorn Morbegno Domodóssola Cluses Bruson Dom Mt Buet Arolla Lugano Zermatt Lago Lago di Como Matterhorn Maggiore Sallanches Intra Gd St Bernard Monte Rosa Campo Riva del Garda Rovereto Chamonix Monastery Dei Fiori Megève Tunnel du Lecco Mont Blanc Darfo Les Mont Blanc Arona Contamines Aosta Lago d’lseo Bergamo Borgosésia Gallarate Seregno Merate Gattinara Gavardo Rhêmes-Notre-Dame Biella Pont Brescia Lago di Garda Gran Paradiso Treviglio Ivréa Milano Verona Novara Magenta Orzinuovi Santhià Melegnano Villafranca di Verona Cuorgnè Vercelli Vigévano Rivarolo Canavese Castelleone SKI TOURING Bruce Goodlad First published 2015 Published in Great Britain 2015 by Pesda Press Tan y Coed Canol Ceunant Caernarfon Gwynedd LL55 4RN © Copyright 2015 Bruce Goodlad ISBN: 978-1-906095-47-5 The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Maps by Bute Cartographic Illustrations by George Manley Printed and bound in Poland, www.hussarbooks.pl ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The techniques, skills and routes in this book have been gleaned from years of sharing days out on skis in the mountains with friends and clients. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my wife Kate who took most of the technical photographs and toiled late into the night battling with my terrible grammar and spelling. I would also like to thank Mike Austin who has helped review drafts, made valuable suggestions, then hung a rope to be photographed. Mike and I first skied together over 20 years ago in Antarctica and have been sharing great days out ever since. We have also been developing and delivering American Avalanche Association courses to the public in the Alps and Scotland. Brian O’Connor has been a huge help with advice, suggestions and comments. I felt a chapter on ski technique was essential, and there was only one person I wanted to work with; Alison Culshaw. The avalanche chapter was one of the most difficult to write and I took advice from many people. Mike and Brian were a massive help but I would also like to thank Mark Charlton, who also helped with some of the photography. Mark Diggins and Steve Jones, who I have had the honour to work with at the European Avalanche School, have been very helpful with advice. 4 Brian Lazar and Tom Murphy from AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) have generously allowed us to use some of their descriptions of avalanche types and borrow some of their concepts and ideas. They also very generously reviewed the avalanche chapter. When it came to the photography Mike and Mark gave their time freely to get in front of the camera, James Thacker very kindly spent time dangling on a rope and Andy Perkins got behind the lens when Kate was unable to do so as we had just had our son Finn. I have to thank Franco at Pesda Press who has been as supportive and understanding as I could ever dream was possible. A final thinks to everyone not mentioned who contributed ideas and who have shared great days in the mountain. Photographs Most of the photographs in the book have been taken by the author or Kate Scott unless otherwise credited in the book. I would also like to thank the following who have generously donated pictures. Mark Charlton, Mike Austin, Alan Scowcroft, Bruce Duncan, Andy Perkins, Neil Stevenson, Andy Teasdale, Rob Jarvis and John Dallinson. 5 Bruce Goodlad ABOUT THE AUTHORS Bruce Goodlad has been an IFMGA guide since 2001 and worked as a mountaineering instructor in the UK prior to that. He has guided on skis and foot all over the world working from Antarctica in the south, to Greenland in the north. He spends about 100 days a year guiding on skis. There is nothing Bruce loves more than sharing his time in the mountains with like- minded people. Bruce has a special interest in avalanche education and works each year on a number of avalanche courses for professional and recreational skiers. This is the second book Bruce has written. The first wasAlpine Mountaineering – an introduction to alpine mountaineering techniques and the routes to develop them on, also by Pesda Press. As the Technical Director for the British Mountain Guides Bruce organises training for guides and works on avalanche education as well as the ski and alpine courses. Bruce is a professional member of the American Avalanche Association. Alison Culshaw is a BASI level 4 ski instructor; she is also a BASI trainer which involves teaching ski instructors. Alison comes from a background in Scottish skiing and has raced at international level representing Scotland. She is now based full time in the Alps where she runs her off-piste instruction and coaching. As well as coaching and instructing Alison is a passionate ski tourer and has explored mountains all over the world on skis. Alison has spent many hours trying to iron out all of Bruce’s bad skiing habits! 6 Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 Avalanches 107 ABOUT THE AUTHORS 6 AVALANCHE TYPES 109 CONTENTS 7 HOW DO WE CREATE AN AVALANCHE? 114 SNOW PACK 116 Going Ski Touring 9 HUMAN FACTORS IN AVALANCHE DECISION MAKING 119 THE SCOPE OF SKI TOURING 11 NEGOTIATING AVALANCHE TERRAIN 123 Ski touring – ski mountAINEERING, THE AVALANCHE FORECASTS 125 DIFFERENCE? 13 HOW TO READ AN AVALANCHE FORECAST 128 HOW GOOD A SKIER DO I NEED TO BE TO TOUR? 15 Avalanche Rescue 139 Ski Touring Kit 17 TRANSCEIVERS 140 THE ESSENTIALS 17 COMPANION RESCUE 142 AVALANCHE SAFETY KIT 30 SHOVELLING 146 MOUNTAIN KIT 35 MANAGING A RESCUE 149 PERSONAL KIT 40 MULTIPLE BURIALS 150 ALTERNATIVE SKI/BOARD KIT 50 WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE THE VICTIM 152 PACKING YOUR KIT 52 Glacier Skiing 153 Downhill Skills by Alison Culshaw 53 SKIING DOWNHILL ON A GLACIER 156 INTRODUCTION 53 SKIING IN ASCENT ON A GLACIER 157 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 54 USING A ROPE ON A GLACIER 157 HOW TO COPE WITH DIFFERENT SNOW CREVASSE RESCUE 163 CONDITIONS IN THE OFF-PISTE ENVIRONMENT 61 Uphill Skills 69 Navigation on Skis 181 NAVIGATION TOOLS 182 SKINNING 69 NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS 184 SKI CRAMPONS 77 NAVIGATION TACTICS 185 TRANSITIONS 84 USING GPS ON SKIS 188 MOVING UPHILL ON FOOT 90 SKIING IN BAD VISIBILITY 189 Winter Weather 97 Planning a Ski Tour 191 SOURCES OF WEATHER INFORMATION 98 SKI TOURS THROUGH THE SEASON 192 BEFORE YOU GO 99 INFORMATION GATHERING 193 READING A WEATHER FORECAST 100 PLANNING THE TOUR 197 HOW TO FIND THE GOOD SNOW 101 FOOD AND DRINK ON TOUR 203 ADDITIONAL WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS 105 ALTITUDE 204 7 On Tour 207 Guidebook 227 THE FIRST DAY TOUR 208 DAY TOURS 229 YOUR FIRST HUT-TO-HUT TOUR 210 MONT BLANC MASSIF 229 VERBIER VAL DE BAGNES, GRAND ST BERNARD HOSPICE 240 When it All Goes Wrong 215 HUT-TO-HUT TOURS 245 CALLING FOR HELP IN THE MOUNTAINS 217 SILVRETTa Tour – AUSTRIA 245 HELP THE RESCUE TEAM TO FIND YOU 220 ÖTZTAL Tour – AUSTRIA 252 WORKING CLOSE TO A HELICOPTER 220 HAUTE ROUTe – The HIGH LEVEL ROUTe – CHAMONIX TO ZERMATT 256 WAITING FOR RESCUE 221 GRAN Paradiso – Benevolo 264 SELF EVACUATION 223 EXTRA EMERGENCY KIT 223 Appendices 270 appendix 1 – VARIATIONS ON THE MANUEL GENSWEIN TRAINING MODULE 270 Appendix 2 – KIT LIST 271 Appendix 3 – FIRST AID KIT 274 Appendix 4 – spares kiT 275 appendix 5 – index 276 The Author and Publisher of this book would remind the reader that: Ski touring and ski mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. People participating in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions. Every effort has been made to ensure that the content and instructions in this book cover all aspects of personal safety skills and techniques required in ski touring at beginner and up to intermediate level. The Author and Publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any accident, injury, loss or damage sustained whilst following any of the techniques described within. If you feel that you need additional instruction in order to use this book then it is advised that you employ a suitably qualified and experienced mountain guide. 8 Downhill Skills Downhill Skills Alison Culshaw Introduction Alison Culshaw The key to skiing off-piste is to understand that it involves many different demonstrates ways of skiing. Variable conditions mean that a variety of different techniques great technique are needed. Off-piste can be anything from knee-deep powder to rock-hard skiing in Bruson. ice and everything in between. They all require different techniques. Sadly the vision of off-piste skiing always being light, fluffy powder is not a realistic one.