After the three devastating skiing accidents with one death on the valley run in Hintertux, the Alpine police searched for the causes on Monday. Four of the last five fatal falls in Tyrol have occurred on or next to a red slope.
The valley run “Schwarze Pfanne” on the Hintertux Glacier, where a Dutch skier (28) was killed on New Year’s Day and two other skiers were seriously injured, was closed on Monday. There was no statement from the Gletscherbahn whether this was just for the investigations by the Alpine Police or for general security reasons. In any case, the piste was still on the piste map as “closed” at 4 p.m. In general, no one from the Gletscherbahn wanted to comment on the accidents and safety issues.
Red means medium difficulty
“It’s crashing everywhere at the moment,” lamented an alpine police officer in an interview with “Tiroler Krone” on Monday. Apart from the fact that the five fatalities since Christmas in Tyrol have all fallen off the slopes, three of the four cases have been red slopes (in Waidring, it is known that two boys died at the same time, note). “Red” represents medium difficulty. Such slopes have a gradient of more than 25 to a maximum of 40 percent.
Steer clear of red runs without adequate practice
According to the online platform “Skigebiete-Test.de”, red runs are only recommended “if the skier in question has mastered the basic techniques and has sufficient practice”. This is where Christian Eder, Alpine Training Manager of the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service and former piste rescuer in the Zillertal, comes into play. “If I’m not the best skier, I should just stay on a flat blue run,” he urges. And beforehand it is important to maintain the skis to have good edge grip.
Can happen to the best
If you are unsure about a steep slope, you could see if it is possible to descend sideways next to the slope. Once you slip on a steep, icy slope, try turning somehow so your feet are first. “But that’s very difficult,” says the craftsman. Accidents like the current accident pattern can happen to even the best, says Eder.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
