Off-piste excursions: the essential safety equipment checklist!

Off-piste skiing is as attractive as it is dangerous. If you want to enjoy a great snowy outing off the beaten track, you need to take along some high-performance, fully functional safety equipment.

Whether you're ski touring or freeriding, this discipline often exposes its faithful followers to a number of dangers, such as avalanches. This safety checklist must be followed before every off-piste outing.

The main danger feared by off-piste enthusiasts is avalanches. By always being well informed about the weather forecast and the level of risk announced via the avalanche bulletin (BERA), you can limit the risk of accident as much as possible.

However, despite all the resources at our disposal, some natural phenomena remain unpredictable. That's why it's vital to wear an avalanche transceiver (DVA) when going off-piste. In the event of an accident, this device can be used to locate a victim buried under the snow as quickly as possible.

In the event of an avalanche, we know that time is of the essence... so it's essential to be fully equipped, with a DVA as well as a specific probe. This safety accessory allows you to continue the work done by the avalanche transceiver, as it helps to determine the exact location and depth of a victim.

To use it, simply dip the probe into the snow at the level of the strongest signal emitted by the buried person's avalanche transceiver, until it touches the victim. The probe is over two metres long and has a folding metal rod, which saves time and makes it easier to find the buried person.

Once the victim has been precisely located, the avalanche shovel completes the essential off-piste equipment and takes over to free the victim. The shovel enables the snow covering the victim to be dug up and cleared quickly and efficiently.

Because it is often difficult to extract a victim buried under several metres of snow, the shovel is made from particularly robust materials. So, with the right equipment and the right technique for clearing snow, you can be more effective in helping the victim.

DVA, probe, shovel... Although these three pieces of safety equipment increase a victim's chances of survival, it's still important to know all the best practices for off-piste skiing before setting off. A Les Menuires ESF instructor is therefore highly recommended!