The 1st workshop took place in the debris of a full depth avalanche that occurred in February in Mousthwaite Comb (see earlier post). Large blocks the size of a chest-freezer and the vegetation combed and caught up in the debris were testament to the forces involved in a relatively small avalanche. Larger-scale release with obvious crown wall was visible on the same aspect north of Sharp Edge. We covered:
- Avalanche risk factors - topography, convex slopes, slope angle, nature of surface, terrain traps,
- Risk management - planning, weather/snowpack history, route choice, group management, islands of safety
- Action if caught - delay departure, swimming, rolling, air pocket
- Action if witness to avalanche - golden hour, priorities, mortality factors
- Organising probe party - lookout, probe team, shovel party, coarse probe, fine probe, preserving scene, marking scene, use of dogs, use of mobile phone
- Emergency shelter - choice of site, construction of one-person shelter (no sleeping bag so sitting upright), marking the site, reducing heat loss, alternatives in the absence of suitable drift
