Go off-piste at Olympia and test yourself

It’s the worst case scenario – you are off piste when the avalanche strikes burying your mate. How many minutes will it take you to locate him and dig him out? Time, when it comes to an avalanche, is of the essence. 15 minutes can make the difference between life and death.

For the first time, a practical Avalanche Transceiver* Hunt organised by the Ski Club of Great Britain, Snow+Rock and the Swiss Ski and Snowboard School will form part of the Metro Ski and Snowboard Show in London, giving skiers and snowboarders the chance to test their transceiver skills against the clock.

It’s a great chance to find out more about the risks and the safety equipment to use when riding off piste, plus the hunt will also involve individual and team challenges where the fastest person or team to locate hidden transceivers will win mountain safety kit prizes.

In connection with the Transceiver Hunt, the Ski Club, Snow+Rock and the Swiss Ski and Snowboard School – along with transceiver manufacturer Tracker – will also be hosting talks on avalanche safety and transceiver use in the Off-piste Adventure area of the Metro Show.

The Avalanche Transceiver Safety Talks and Avalanche Transceiver Hunt will take place twice a day during the show (three times on Saturday).

*An avalanche transceiver is a device which is worn strapped to the body and transmits a signal which can be detected should the skier or snowboarder be caught in an avalanche. It is vital that the user knows how to use the transceiver correctly and always carries an avalanche probe and shovel – which are used to locate the trapped person and to dig them out.

** The DVD ‘Avalanche and Off-Piste Awareness: When the mountain bites back’ aims to educate snow-sports enthusiasts about how to enjoy the thrill of the mountains in winter and avoid the dangers. Safety equipment, etiquette, and search and rescue are all elements investigated by presenter Matt Chilton and avalanche guru Henry Schniewind. It is available to buy from Snow+Rock, Skiclub.co.uk, Avalancheawareness.co.uk and Henrysavalanchetalk.com.

The timings for the Avalanche Transceiver Safety Talks and Avalanche Transceiver Hunt are as follows:

Avalanche Transceiver Safety Talks:
Weds 24th October – 5pm
Thurs 25th October – 3pm/5pm
Fri 26th October – 3pm/5pm
Sat 27th October – 3pm/6pm
Sun 28th October – 2pm

Avalanche Transceiver Hunt:
Weds 24th October – 1pm/6pm
Thurs 25th October – 3pm/5pm
Fri 26th October – 3pm/5pm
Sat 27th October – 3pm/6pm
Sun 28th October – 2pm