If you get caught in an avalanche, your chances are bad. Figures from the Austrian Board of Alpine Safety from 2024 say that a long-term average of 16 people die from avalanches per winter season. Many of them are ski tourers, who travel off-piste in the mountains. Specialist knowledge, experience, the right equipment and taking current avalanche warnings into account are essential to minimize the risk of burial. Nevertheless, the risk cannot be completely eliminated – even if aids such as avalanche airbags, which are used to float accident victims on the masses of snow, can help in some cases.
