Avalanche
is one of the things skiiers should watch out for when engaging in this
sport. Avid skiiers should not only equip themselves with the best
safety gears from Best ski shops in Vancouver but should also acquire knowledge on how to test the snow for potential avalanche.
Here are some tests and tips:
- The Snow Pit Test
Dig
a pit on a slope. Make sure the slope has the same position and angle
that you intend to ski on. Dig up to 5 feet or until you reach the
ground. Check if there are layers. Use a flat object like a card and
scrape it on the wall of the hole you dug. If it catches, these are the
hard layers. For the soft layers, run your gloved hands up and down the
layer. If the layers are crusty or if there are significantly soft
layers, don’t ski. Proceed in doing other tests.
- The Rutschblock Test
This
uses force to determine the strength of a slope. Do this test after you
have dug a snow pit. Widen the pit to fit the size of your ski. With
the length of a ski pole and using a snow saw, cut the snow pit up the
slope. While doing so, keep checking if the block breaks or if there are
layers sliding off. Perform the R1 to R7 procedure. If the block breaks
before you managed to do R5, you are skiing on unstable snow.
It’s
also important to equip yourself with avalanche safety gear. Go to ski
shops in Vancouver BC such as The Destination to get all the gear and
equipment you need for skiing.
For more details please visit our website: http://www.thedestination.ca/
