Next, avalanches. Though rare, especially in England, they’re possible. Around 150 are reported in the UK every year. Being caught in one is no joke. Poulton lost a friend in an avalanche when the falling snow swept them over a cliff-edge, and he has experienced one while cross-country skiing in Sweden, breaking several bones.
Seventy per cent of surviving an avalanche is what happens before your hike begins: checking the weather and avalanche risk before setting off and planning a safe route. “That sounds easy but most people rescued on mountains convince themselves they’ll be okay,” says Poulton. “If you’ve booked time off work, travelled somewhere, paid for an expensive hotel, it’s easy to convince yourself it’s now or never and keep going.”
The next 25 per cent is what you do on your climb – avoiding fresh snow, staying away from ridges and convex slopes where the snow can move more easily.
The final 5 per cent is doing whatever you can while an avalanche is happening.
Though the day I attended the course wasn’t particularly snowy, we found a patch of powder near Helvellyn’s summit where Poulton showed us how to walk in hard metal crampons (trickier than it looks) and use an ice axe.
The latter can be a mini walking stick to scramble up a slope, or, when the gradient is steep enough, one can slam it into the snow and use it to haul themselves up. But at a pinch, it can also be used to prevent you sliding down a hill during an avalanche.
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/cumbria/lake-district/helvellyn-lake-district-hiking-winter-walking-skills-course/
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Publish date : 2024-02-29 03:00:00
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