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Safety
Top Rules to Ski Back Home Safely
While no one can certainly argue about the benefits of skiing in general, no one as well can deny the dangers associated with this particular sport, especially if you’re in the habit of skiing alone and in unmarked territories. To ensure that you’ll come back home safe and sound, do abide by the following rules:
INFORMATION IS THE KEY
Inform someone reliable about where you’re heading, what time you’re expected to return, and who or where to call if you’re not back by that time. If there happens to be a change in plans, call that person to relay said changes if possible.
You must be well informed about the site you’re planning to ski. Know which slopes are for beginners, intermediate skiers, and so forth. Know where the nearest shelter is and other places where you can go for help if anything unexpected happens. Lastly, be sure to check the weather forecasts for your skiing destination before leaving.
HAVING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
Skiing with too much of a load might hamper your style, but it’s still better to ski safely rather than to ski fashionably into danger. At the least, make sure that you have a first aid kit, matches, and a flashlight with you. Make sure that the flashlight’s working and you have spare batteries.
MARKING YOUR TRAIL
Know how a compass works and always have one with you. Secondly, have a map of your destination. Thirdly, mark your trail as you go farther and farther from your starting point. Paper materials don't make good markers unless they’re water-resistant. Painted pebbles should do as long as they’re large enough to get noticed and you put them on areas where they won’t get buried under the snow.
HOW TO BUILD EMERGENCY SHELTER
If there are no visible dwellings that you can temporarily use for shelter and the necessary resources to make an emergency shelter, you can try finding the right area to build a snow cave. The best place to build a snow cave is where there’s a deep snowdrift. When you find something like it, you need to start digging. Make sure that the entrance to your snow cave is built in the opposite direction of the wind. Get rid of excess snow on your cave’s walls to prevent it from dripping water. Pierce your cave’s "ceiling" to give the area proper ventilation.
HOW TO AVOID AVALANCHES
Even while having fun skiing, always dedicate a portion of your mind and attention to what’s going around you, and be particularly alert for any signs of an alarming amount of snow gathered in one area and felled trees because these are all possible indications of an incoming avalanche.
If you have a bad feeling about things, do your best to stay on safe paths and away from any slopes with steep curves, cliffs, and gullies. If you’re unlucky enough to get buried under an avalanche, you must imagine that it’s water around you and you need to swim yourself up to safety.
HYPOTHERMIA AND FROSTBITE
These two are the most common illnesses people experience during harsh winters. You’ll be in danger of experiencing hypothermia when you’re exposed to extremely cold temperatures for a long time. Hypothermia causes cold to gradually and steadily reduce the functions of your mind and body. Frostbite, on the other hand, affects any parts of your face or body that are exposed to the cold, most commonly of which are your ears, fingers, and toes. When frostbite sets in, any of these parts can easily be damaged.
To prevent hypothermia and frostbite from affecting you, make sure that you keep yourself bundled under as many layers of cloth as possible without hampering your movement too much. Keep your fingers, ears, and toes especially protected. Drink lots of liquid to keep from getting dehydrated, which can happen when left out in the cold.
ATTITUDE SICKNESS AND HIGH ALTITUDE PNEUMONIA EDMA
Attitude sickness is like cabin fever, only this time, it occurs right out in the cold. Attitude sickness affect people who are physically, mentally, and psychologically unfit to handle a particular journey, in this case, skiing.
High altitude pneumonia edema on the other hand happens when you’re in a particularly high area and your respiratory and circulatory system experiences difficulties in functioning normally.
Skiing is fun, but it can be dangerous too so be sure to have companions with you as often as possible.
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