Is the deadliest winter of all time upon us? That chance is there, because since November 2022, 13 people have died on the Austrian ski slopes, eleven of them in Tyrol. A sad record in the ski world, because there have never been so many deaths.
“So far we have twice as many deaths on the slopes as in previous years,” says Chief Inspector of Innsbruck Stefan Eder (50) to the German newspaper BILD, “Since November 1, 2022, there have been 200 aid interventions on the slopes in Austria, including 100 serious injuries and 13 deaths”.
Look! Images show the moment when people are buried under snow.
The first reason for the large number of fatalities is the bad weather conditions that cause avalanche danger. “In an ideal scenario, a lot of snow falls during a few times of the year, which temporarily increases the avalanche risk, but creates a snow cover with good layers in the long term. But a snowless start to the year, and a relatively cold start to the winter season, makes for bad ‘glue’,” Rolf Westerhof, founder of the Dutch Snow Safety Center, told Het Laatste Nieuws earlier.
“That is now the case in large parts of Austria, Switzerland and part of France. The valleys are green, and the snow that fell above 2,000 meters has been insufficient for months to ensure a good snow cover. So bad snow quality is not about how nice it is for a skier to descend or not. Due to the rising temperature, the snow and the wind of the last few days, the bottom layer can break. As a result, the avalanches can become larger than might be expected.
The Austrian Alpine Safety Authority (ÖKAS) says that in addition to the bad weather conditions, there is also a personal responsibility for the skiers. “Many people have become less good at winter sports after the Corona years than before,” says ÖKAS chairman Peter Paal to BILD, “There is the danger of overconfidence. The best Formula 1 car is of no use if the driver is bad. And in terms of skiing you have to say: the pilots have become worse.”
Look! This is what you should do if you get caught in an avalanche
Andreas Falkeis (59), head of the Alpine Police in Landeck (Austria) advises skiers to be extra careful this year. “Adjust your speed and also your willingness to take risks. With such poor conditions on the ski slopes, caution is your main protection.
In some places in the Alps, temperatures are currently rising to 20.2 degrees and ski slopes are being closed en masse. Fortunately, Europe offers a number of good alternatives for avid skiers. For example, our travel expert Johan Lambrechts recommended six destinations where skiing is still possible: Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Norway. These are places with a lot of snow and in most cases therefore safer this year.
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