A quarter of deaths in snow sports are caused by freeriders, but people also die time and again when snowshoeing off the marked routes. Only 15% of fatalities occur prepared slopes in ski resorts. Between 2014 and 2023, an average of 34 people died during winter sports in Switzerland every year.
Half of all fatal snow sports accidents are caused by avalanches, the report continued. Many factors such as snow conditions, snowpack structure, slope inclination, wind and temperature play a role, which is why it is extremely difficult to correctly assess the current avalanche risk.
The Council recommends consulting an avalanche expert guide or attending an avalanche course. It is also important to use emergency equipment correctly, consisting of an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel. An avalanche airbag also reduces the risk of dying in an avalanche.
Routes should also be chosen with caution. According to the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, nine out of ten buried people trigger the avalanche themselves.
Translated from German by DeepL/mga
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