Practice makes perfect

Richmond Park, London: the unlikely scene for a group of skiers & snowboarders to gather – no snow for hundreds of miles – but a great chance to practise transceiver search skills. Soggy undergrowth hides beacons well, so single and multiple burial situations are easily simulated. Only deep burial can’t be mimicked – a big omission that people could address this season with a visit to one of the growing number of avalanche training centres to be found in alpine ski resorts.

Even without snow, there were several lessons, some of them expected: that the Tracker DTS is good, and particularly appreciated by novices; that earphones help audio-searchers focus on the signals that matter; that the new Barryvox Pulse might be the new one to beat for multiple burials, though it showed some erratic behaviour; and finally it seemed that the (old technology) Ortovox F1 got found first, suggesting it’s a good one to wear. More generally, complete beginners learnt the essentials of transceiver searching while the more experienced got a useful recap, as well as a chance to remind themselves how difficult multiple burials are to deal with and, in consequence, the impression that we should all seriously consider strategies:

• not to get avalanched in the first place (after all, it’s not totally random);
• or if that’s too much to ask, only to have to search for one victim i.e. descend suspect slopes one at a time
  

Some of the best reading around this subject is at www.beaconreviews.com Much more than the name suggests, with in-depth info on different transceiver models, how to use them and the technical issues surrounding the business of finding avalanche victims. Essential reading. Also good is the Tracker DTS online demo of search techniques. Useful for novices and more experienced users, even if you use a different make of transceiver.

Thanks to the Snowheads responsible for organising the session and to Mark, of www.anatom.co.uk (suppliers of the BCA Tracker) for the tutorial.

Last of all practice - it makes perfect.