What is a "Considerable" avalanche risk?
If you look up in a thesaurus on line, the definition of "considerable" is abundant or large. So 3 out of 5 on the European Avalanche Scale is an abundant or large risk. To quote the EAS specifically: Avalanches may be triggered on many slopes even if only light ( a single skier or snowboarder) loads are applied. On some slopes, medium or even fairly large spontaneous avalanches may occur.
So what does that mean in practice today at Le Tour, where a 25 year old was dug out very dead yesterday? Crown walls on all aspects from west to east through north, especially on north facing slopes, whoomphing on several places above 2000m, small skier triggered slabs all over the resort off piste. That's what considerable means: pretty damn scary. And yet there are still folk passing the fences on the Belle Place piste which say "closed due to avalanche risk" with no rucksacks, and therefore no shovels or probes at the very least and in all probability zero awareness.
It is DANGEROUS out there - a thin early season snow pack with depth hoar forming due to the cold snap we've just had, and now a bucket load of snow arriving on strong south westerly winds. Nature couldn't give bigger billboards if she tried.
OK - rant over. Go ski low in the trees and have fun, folks. I did today, and it was awesome.
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