Category: Incident
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Avalanche incident analysis: Schalfkogel, Gurgler Ferner (24.03.2025)
On Monday, 24.03.2025, two persons died in an avalanche below the Schalfkogel in the Gurgler Massif. The release was a small slab that initially swept along three persons over rocky terrain and then buried two of them in a crevice at the edge of the Gurgler glacier. Cause: persistent weak layer. How it happened A…
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Avalanche incident Rosskopf (26.12.2024)
On Thursday, 26.12.2024, two persons died in an avalanche incident on the Rosskopf in the eastern Tux Alps. The cause of the incident was a persistent weak layer together with the recently generated snowdrift accumulations deposited on top of it. Circumstances of the incident On 26.12.2024 two groups, independent of one another, were on the…
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Weak old snowpack layers remain prone to triggering. Fatal avalanche incident Rosskopf.
Observations from backcountry and incoming reports about slab avalanches triggered by persons confirm the snowpack’s current high trigger sensitivity regionally. Particularly south of the Inn, avalanches can be triggered in the old snow in some places and grow to dangerously large size. Avalanche prone locations are difficult to recognize. On the Rosskopf in the eastern…
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Ongoing caution: glide-snow avalanches!
Just as expected, since the snowfall of last week numerous glide-snow avalanches have released on steep grass-covered slopes. In the major areas of precipitation, sportively active people need to maintain great heed of possible dangers. Caution: in isolated cases avalanches can plummet down to green zones. The peril of glide-snow avalanches endangers hikers above all…
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Wintery conditions and short-term avalanche activity in the mountains. Avalanche incident Binsalm in Karwendel.
The first onset of winter this season is a knockout: in widespread parts of Tirol, heavy snowfall down to intermediate altitudes. Whereas freshly generated, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations require caution at high altitudes, further down high numbers of glide-snow and loose-snow avalanches can trigger naturally. On the Binsalm in Hinterriss (community of Vomp, in the eastern…
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Niedertal avalanche incident incl. outlook for weekend
On 11.04.2024 a group of 21 people were ascending from Vent through Niedertal towards the Martin-Busch-Hütte. Below the Talleitspitze several persons were caught in a naturally triggering wet-snow avalanche. Three persons died in the avalanche, one was injured. Sequence of occurrences A group of 17 people from the Netherlands and 4 locals intended to climb…
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Analysis of fatal avalanche incident on Bärenkopf
On 09.04.2024 a person died below the Bärenkopf in the eastern Karwendel as a result of a naturally triggered glide-snow avalanche. Sequence of occurrences A hiking group of seven persons climbed from Pertisau am Achensee over the Lärchenwiese district of town into Weissenbachtal in the direction of Bärenkopf (1991m). Below the Bärenkopf the group decided…
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Avalanche incident analysis Gaiskogel (27.01.2024)
A fateful avalanche incident on the Gaiskogel in the Kühtai-Gegenkamm region caused a fatality on 27.01.2024. The cause was a near-surface persistent weak layer including the snowdrift accumulations recently deposited on top of it. Sequence of events Three persons marched from the Kühtai ski area to the Gaiskogel (2820 m) east of the Dreisenhütte. On…
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Increased triggerings – more danger zones due to more wind
On the weekend, particularly yesterday on 14.01.2024, increasingly frequent triggerings were reported to headquarters. One avalanche on the north flank of Geierköpfe in the Ammergau Alps was fatal. Two ice climbers were caught by an avalanche, one person did not survive the fall. In all the triggerings, a fresh and easily recognized snowdrift problem prevailed.…
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Persistent gliding snow problem; Short analysis of fateful Rofelewand avalanche (Pitztal)
The snowpack has settled significantly as a result of the noticeably higher temperatures, avalanche danger has receded. What remains: a persistent gliding snow problem and a diminishing snowdrift problem at high altitudes. Also in this blog: a brief analysis of the fateful avalanche near the Rofelewand in Pitztal. Heavy precipitation and storm winds – a…