Danger of avalanches in the Tölzer mountains: "Some are very careless on the road"

Created: 02/11/2022, 06:30

By: Patrick Staar

Knows about avalanches and hiking in the snow: Michael Haugeneder, head of training at the Tölz mountain rescue service.

The “The avalanche doesn't know that you're an expert” Never be alone in the mountains Ski touring: Emergency equipment is a must © was created during a ski tour in Norway.

photo: private

Avalanches: Even at the lowest warning level, it can be dangerous.

You should pay particular attention to this when you are out and about in the mountains in winter:

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen

– The Seekar, the Schönberg and the Schafreuter are mountains that every ski tourer can master if they are in the right condition.

However, Hanspeter Mair from the German Alpine Association warns that some underestimate the avalanche danger on supposedly harmless mountains: "There are many very well-trained ski tourers out there, but some are also very carefree."

Mair, specialist trainer for alpine ski tours, refers to three avalanche accidents that have recently occurred in the region.

A 61-year-old ski tourer from Austria died this week when he was swept away by an avalanche in Berchtesgadener Land.

There was an avalanche accident with five dead in Spiess in Tyrol (Landeck district).

A ski tourer on the Prinzenkopf near Lenggries was lucky in misfortune: the man was buried by an avalanche on Saturday afternoon, but was uninjured.

"The avalanche doesn't know you're an expert"

Mair has little sympathy for so much carelessness.

“The terrain on the Prinzenkopf is very steep.

In such an avalanche situation you don't drive there - of course.

That was carelessness.” In his opinion, the accident in Spiess was also a catastrophe with an announcement: “I took a close look at how the accident happened.

The terrain wasn't steep, but the avalanche warning level was four.

There was a remote triggering of an avalanche, and then they couldn't get out.” Mair can only speculate why people voluntarily put their lives in danger.

Television and the internet would probably also play their part: “Of course it's great when you watch freeriders.

But to be able to drive like that, you have to know a lot.” And even then you are not immune to misjudgments.

What stuck in his mind was the sentence from an avalanche warning service employee: "The avalanche doesn't know that you're an expert." He recommends all winter sports enthusiasts to act defensively, think about tours carefully and, if necessary, turn around as soon as possible.

He has already done this himself on Schafreuter: "We heard the sound of settlement on the snow cover, and then it was said: Let's go.

Even if the Schafreuter is called the mountain for Hinz and Kunz ski tourers.” Extreme caution is also required on many tours in Hinterriss.

Even the Schönberg is "not without".

“We heard the sound of settlement on the snow cover, and then we said: Let's go.

Even if the Schafreuter is called the mountain for Hinz and Kunz ski tourers.” Extreme caution is also required on many tours in Hinterriss.

Even the Schönberg is "not without".

“We heard the sound of settlement on the snow cover, and then we said: Let's go.

Even if the Schafreuter is called the mountain for Hinz and Kunz ski tourers.” Extreme caution is also required on many tours in Hinterriss.

Even the Schönberg is "not without".

Never be alone in the mountains

When you're off the beaten track, you have to follow a lot of safety rules, says Michael Haugeneder, head of training at the Tölzer Bergwacht and student at the avalanche research institute in Davos (Switzerland).

The day before the tour you have to look at the situation report of the Bavarian avalanche warning service.

The danger scale ranges from one (low) to five (very high).

Then you have to be able to transfer this information to the respective site: “A single newspaper report is not enough to get you familiar with it.” Haugeneder recommends that beginners never go out alone, but only with guided groups like the ones at the Alpine Club offers: "You can gain experience there and see how others do it." Alternatively, you have to be "at least two people" on the go.

You must always carry safety equipment with you.

This includes an avalanche transceiver that must be worn on the body when switched on, a shovel and a probe, i.e. a long stick made of aluminum or carbon.

You have to practice dealing with it regularly: “When an avalanche comes down, you have a lot of stress.

Under such circumstances, you cannot assume that you will read the operating instructions once – and then it will work.” Many mountain schools and the Alpine Club offer training courses: “You can then slowly approach the topic.” To understand how a If an avalanche occurs, you need “an incredible amount of background knowledge” and training.

Among other things, the wind direction and the time of day should be taken into account.

Even with the lowest avalanche warning level, you should never be too sure, Haugeneder recommends:

“For example, you walk on a steep slope that has snow on it.

Even if only five centimeters of snow slide away, it pulls your feet away.

And 50 meters further down there is possibly a rock face – and you are dead.”

Ski tours: emergency equipment is mandatory

Away from the groomed pistes, one is not even safe on the Brauneck: "I had an avalanche rescue mission there when it was snowing a lot." Therefore, in his opinion, one should definitely have emergency equipment with one.

Mair agrees: “Avalanche rescue has to happen quickly.

A buried person must be found within a quarter of an hour, otherwise the probability of survival drops enormously.”

More current news from the region around Bad Tölz can be found here.