The little winter pleasure of skiing becomes, with global warming, a little riskier year after year. But technological developments offer innovative solutions to protect skiers.
As global warming intensifies the threat of avalanches, skiers in the Alps are adopting advanced technologies to ensure their safety. A concrete example to give you? The pioneering drone program of the famous Savoyard resort Val Thorens. Landslides, increasingly difficult to predict, require innovative approaches. Drones and advanced simulation models are able to provide this, helping to predict and locate landslides.
Drones, simulations and safety on the slopes: technology is revolutionizing skiing in the face of avalanches
Let’s talk a little about the DJI Matrice 210 drone, a beautiful 4 kg baby capable of flying for tens of minutes, even in rain or snow. In Val Thorens, it is now part of the arsenal of the rapid rescue mission after an avalanche. Piloted by Olivier Gardet, for example, it enabled reconnaissance in less than a minute at an altitude of more than 2,800 meters, considerably reducing the response time of the trackers, who were dispatched twice as quickly and only less than seven minutes later. having raised the alarm, saving a Belgian skier just in his seventies.
It’s no secret the climate crisis is disrupting winter weather patterns, making avalanche forecasting more complex. The increase in off-piste skiers also increases the risk. But despite this, statistics from EAWS (European Avalanche Forecasting Services) show that the number of avalanche victims in Europe remains stable.
And it must be said: technological advances such as sophisticated snowpack simulation models have nothing to do with it. Thanks to them, we can obtain a general forecast of avalanches for the next 24 hours. Advances in avalanche forecasting, based on sophisticated simulation models and real-time data, improve understanding of risks, help with prevention, and contribute to more effective rescue.
The new wave of technology is redefining the backcountry skiing experience
The evolution of avalanche safety also extends to personal equipment. Devices like transceivers, probes and shovels remain essential if you risk venturing into more dangerous and less monitored areas. Your iPhone can help you by detecting accidents and alerting emergency services. Innovations such as emergency airbags have also improved the protection of backcountry skiers in recent years.
Norwegian start-up Safeback is launching this winter a revolutionary device, worn in a backpack, that extracts air from the snow around a buried skier by delivering it through shoulder-mounted tubes to to the area around the face. When we know that 3 out of 4 avalanche victims die from asphyxiation or lack of oxygen, we can speak of a serious benefit, especially since it increases the survival window from 15 to 90 minutes, which rescuers welcome with great interest.
What we remember is that technological innovations offer a glimmer of hope for mountain safety. From drones to simulation models to innovative rescue equipment, these advances enable a faster and more effective response to emergency situations. Skiers, armed with these modern tools, can enjoy the mountains while minimizing the risks associated with the constant threat of avalanches. However, stay careful this winter, it’s not about playing the hero.
Source : Wired
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