Alagna is one of the best ski resorts to challenge your abilities, whether you telemark, downhill or snowboard, thanks to the variety and vastness of the terrain.
It’s the untamed beauty of this terrain that is so mesmerizing for riders, but you must always remember that the mountain is also full of dangers hidden underneath the surface that may cause serious injury or perhaps even be fatal to those who practice their alpine sport recklessly.
the rule is: don’t forget your safety.
1.CHECK YOUR FITNESS
Off-piste skl-ing (freeriding) is very energetic, tiring and demanding; freeriders must be fully aware of what they’re doing, and must be on the top of their form to go off-piste.
2.CAUTIONS
Off-piste skl-ing (freeriding) is very energetic, tiring and demanding; freeriders must be fully aware of what they’re doing, and must be on the top of their form to go off-piste.
3. HOW TO READ AN AVALANCHE RISK REPORT
Hazard scale for zones without winter sports supervision.
1 Low risk – Conditions generally favourable. Do not undertake steep extreme slopes in groups. On the most extreme slopes, avoid fresh accumulations of wind-blown snow! Watch out for falls!
2 Moderate risk – Conditions mainly favourable. Avoid all steep extreme slopes and altitudes exceeding those mentioned in The risk report, as well as accumulations of wind-blown snow! Watch out for falls
3 Considerable risk – Conditions unfavourable in parts. Experience needed to assess the avalanche hazard inexperienced skiers should not leave the pistes, or should join a professionally-guided group! Avoid steep extreme slopes!
4 High risk – Conditions unfavourable. Keep to areas of moderate slope; avoid steep slopes. Take care in avalanche deposit zones (avalanches may be set 0ff remotely or detach spontaneously). Off-piste ski-ing not recommended.
5 Very high risk – Opportunities for ski-ing excursions highly restricted; great ability to judge local conditions required.
4.EQUIPMENT
Make sure you have the proper equipment LOW-TEMPERATURE CLOTHING, ARVA avalanche victim’s transmitter, SNOW SHOVEL, PROBE, MOBILE PHONE, HELMET, SKIRAMA.
5.NEVER GO ALONE
Never venture off-piste on your own: if anything should happen to you there’d be no-one to help or report your position. Even when you go in a group, be sure to keep track of one another
6.WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET INTO DIFFICULTIES OR THERE’S AN ACCIDENT
If you get into difficulty, never take off your equipment: you could fall further or slip and make things worse. Stay where you are and wait for help. If there’s an accident, give what help you can and call 118 as quickly as possible, or report it to staff at The facilities
7.PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF AN AVALANCHE ACCIDENT
A. Get the situation clear in your mind — Notice how The accident happened. Assess your own safety and avoid further accidents
B. Give the alarm – Cali 118 immediately and say who you are, where you’re calling from (give your mobile number), what has happened and when, how many people are involved in the accident, what steps have been taken at the scene, whether a helicopter landing is possible (weather, landing space, obstacles).
C. Start the search without delay. If you have the means, start searching immediately with ARVA, turning off all unnecessary ARVA transmitters.Search at the same time by listening and looking in the avalanche’s deposit zone downhill from where the buried person disappeared.
D. When you find someone, free their head, chest and airways of snow. If their heart has stopped, give cardiac massage and artificial respiration.
8.READ YOUR SURROUNDINGS CAREFULLY
Keep looking around you; don’t press on blindly.
Take care with your route, and do not follow unknown tracks.
Remember when you go off-piste you will find no signposts or boundary markers showing where you are.
9.LOOK OUT FOR OTHERS
Never put anyone else in danger with hazardous or careless manoeuvres!
10.SKI-ING INSTRUCTORS AND ALPINE GUIDES
If you don’t feel safe, or are not familiar with the locality, put yourself in the hands of a professional who knows the mountain. Ski- instructors and ski guides can take you off-piste with complete safety
Clothes should be warm and water proof. Goggles with a plastic lens are safer than sunglasses with crystal lenses.
Regular ski equipment will do when skiing off piste, but it’s preferable to wear softer and wider tipped skis which will help you float on powder and also enable you to ski better on crust.<br>
Any snowboard is fine. A pair of telescope ski-poles can be very useful.
Regular ski and snowboards boots are fine but their plastic soles can be very slippery.
For walking on hard or icy terrains, ski-randonnée boots with vibram soles are safer in both cases.
