Avalanche
Two US Ski Team Development athletes were killed in an avalanche in Soelden, Austria on Monday, January 3rd, 2015. Â Ronnie Berlack, 20, from Franconia, New Hampshire and Bryce Astle, 19, of Sandy, Utah. Â The two were freeskiing with 4 other skiers when the avalanche struck. Â They were skiing down the extremely steep north face of the tram accessed 3,000-meter (10,000-foot) Gaislachkogels peak.
AVALANCHE DETAILS:
– The avalanche was 30cm deep, 20m wide, and 360m wide and buried the two skiers 3m deep. Â
– It took 60 rescue personell to located the buried skiers. Â
– Neither of the two buried skiers were wearing avalanche beacons.
– Avalanche danger was rated at “Considerable” the day of the avalanche
– “From region to region, the proneness to triggering even reaches danger level high.” – Avalanche report the day of the accident
Source: Â Avalanche Warning Service of Tyrol
Miles, Matt is right. I skie in the aea and the avy took place on the shoulder of the Rettenbach Tal; usually a high snow area which this year has not seen as much snow as usual. It was a bad couple of days up and down the valley.
Stay safe.
Petr
No worries.
The amount of trees on the slope, lack of a river at the bottom and village where there is none in the other photos are also a giveaway though 😉 (I live in the area btw)
Hey.
Your second last picture looking down a chute Рcaptioned Obergurgl Рis of a different slide. Obergurgl is around 5km up the valley from Șlden, the resort/town where the two Americans died. The picture is of the starting zone of a different (also fatal) slide the day before in Obergurgl.
Thanks Matt. I have two German buddies here that translated that directly from the Austria Avy Center page’s caption. I’ll have them go back into it and have a look. Thanks again.