PHOTO
ALF ALDERSON
if buried, while the probe allows for a more accurate
location once you’ve homed in on a victim. There are
several transceivers buried in Avalanche Park – our job is
to find them as quickly as possible.
This is easy with a modern transceiver, but it’s not a
cheery activity. However, things lighten up considerably
with the arrival of Max Ortodossi, our guide for the
afternoon’s off-piste action. Along the way, he points out
features that may be dangerous: breaks of slope, sun-
warmed slopes, terrain traps – where it’s impossible to
escape an avalanche, such as confined gullies – and areas
on pistes that are closed after heavy snowfalls. He does it
all with the measured ease that only years of off-piste
experience can provide. I’ve got a long way to go before
I’m as assured as Max in the mountains, but attending a
course like this is a great way to start.
Les Deux Alpes has 225km of pistes, plus 1,400ha off-piste
(
les2alpes.com). Fly to Grenoble (120km) or Lyon (150km). Alf
stayed at Hotel de la Valentin, book at hotels.easyJet.com
AVALANCHE
TRANSCEIVER
The Mammut
Barryvox Pulse
Transceiver (
£315;
facewest.co.uk
)
allows
skiers to rapidly
locate equipped
others buried in an
avalanche.
COLLAPSIBLE
SHOVEL
AND PROBE
Black Diamond’s
Deploy 3 shovel (
£45
)
and Guide Probe
(
£53; both
backpackingforever.de
)
are lightweight and
easily packable.
BACKPACK
The Black Diamond’s
Anarchist 40 Avalung
(
£179; fruugo.co.uk
)
has an integrated
breathing tube and
also expels CO
2
if you
get buried.
Equipment can also
be hired from ski rental
shops in resorts. In
Les Deux Alpes, try
Ski Extreme (location-
ski-les2alpes.fr)
Essential kit
Don’t go off-piste without these
Ski patroller
Paul Montague
demonstrates
transceiver use
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