Avalanche service issues reminder as winter approaches
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
WITH the first snow of winter predicted to fall this month, the Scottish Avalanche Information Service has just issued its annual report.
SAIS co-ordinator Mark Diggins said today (Tuesday) that he hopes the timing will remind hill-goers to check out conditions before venturing into the Cairngorms and the country’s other peaks when the snow arrives.
He said the incidence of avalanches in Scotland last winter was something that should be kept in mind with winter fast approaching.
There was a total of 178 avalanches recorded for the winter of 2010/11 - of this number 127 were natural, 11 were cornice release and 40 were triggered by people.
Of the 40 triggered by people, seven were deliberately set off by ski patrol or SAIS observers, nine were triggered by skiers or snowboarders and 24 were caused by climbers and walkers.
Mr Diggins said: "Altough the total number of recorded avalanches for the past winter season was less that the previous winter season 2009/10 (220), the number of human triggered avalanches is similar with 44 occuring in 2009/10."
The report states: "The first winter storms arrived as usual in the months of October and November, unusually however, these winter conditions remained with us for the rest of the season but without the normal pre-festival season warm period.
"For the first time the SAIS started operating in a November month. This followed SAIS forecaster conditions observations in the mountains, and consultation with the Met Office weather forecaster team in Aberdeen establishing that the winter was here to stay."
A weekend avalanche forecast service was started for the most popular, Lochaber and Northern Cairngorm areas on November 19, last year, until full operation commenced on December 16.
The report states: "The first snows of the winter and blue skies enticed many enthusiastic climbers and skiers into the hills, which resulted in five avalanches being triggered in the space of a few hours in the Northern Corries of the Cairngorms.
"All escaped unscathed but the episode provided a winter warning."
There was one avalanche fatality last winter.
A survey conducted by the SAIS which ran for around six months and received 451 responses is also detailed in the annual report.
It revealed that of 449 people answering a question on whether they had been involved in an avalanche, there were 148 incidents with some being involved more than once.
Of the 148 incidents 86% were human triggered either by themselves or another party.
The full report can be viewed at www.sais.gov.uk.
