Archived News - 2007

Archived Avalanche News Stories - 2007

December 19 , 2007 - In the heart of an avalanche

Lots of people give advice about what to do when caught in an avalanche but how many of them have actually been through the nightmare of white death? The ski resort of les Deux Alpes wants to do exactly that to visitors, but in complete security thanks to a simulator dubbed The Robocoaster. More ...

December 3 , 2007 - Glacier National park officials: Howitzer ban in limbo

Glacier National Park officials want to deny a railroad's request to bomb the park's avalanche alleys with howitzers, but that denial is on hold and many blame political interference from Washington, D.C. The park, after conducting an exhaustive environmental review, concluded howitzers were a bad idea, and ruled the railroad would be better served by building snow sheds, or roofs, over the tracks at key spots. The railroad, however, didn't like that relatively expensive answer, and now the public process has been stalled for months without explanation. More ...

November 9 , 2007 - Snowmass adjusts ski closure policy

The Aspen Skiing Co. will adjust the way it closes terrain when avalanche conditions warrant it this season at Snowmass ski area, company officials said. The Skico will use more signs and ropes to close terrain in the Hanging Valley Wall area in response to the death of a skier there in December, according to a statement provided to The Aspen Times. Blake Davidson, a 25-year-old local man, was killed after he picked through some extreme terrain, ended up in a closed area, launched off a rocky ledge and triggered an avalanche when he landed. More ...

October 4 , 2007 - Swiss to investigate guides for negligence in accident

The Swiss military said Thursday it will investigate two guides for negligent homicide of a group of soldiers killed by an avalanche in July. The decision came after an army review found the avalanche was probably triggered by the soldiers themselves, the military's examining magistrate Christoph Huber said. The launch of such an investigation is not a verdict of culpability, Huber said. The presumption of innocence applies to the two guides who accompanied the recruits, along with other soldiers on the day of the tragedy. More ...

July 1, 2007 - Hazard Disclosure - Owning a French mountain property: a risky business

What liabilities, if any, are incumbent on the owner of a French property who is about to lrent or sell it? Thanks to a recent change to the wording of the environmental code, the tenant’s or buyer’s position is now substantially improved thanks to the "duty of information" package ( ”information acquéreur locataire” ). More ...

June 29 , 2007 - Snowpulse Avalanche airbag wins design award

Verbier (Swiss) based Snowpulse has developed a new airbag based system. The Life Bag consists of a 150 litre sack that inflates in less than 3 seconds and forms a protective cocoon around the head of a victim. More ...

May 20, 2007 - HR 1751 - Federal Land Avalanche Protection Act of 2007 - Third Try

Rep. Young of Alaska has introduced HR 1751 to fund avalanche control and misc related projects. This is the third Congress in which such a bill has been introduced. More ...

May 18, 2007 - 2 Salt Lake City teens make avalanche film

Many teenagers have dreams of starring in or producing a major Hollywood movie. However, two Salt Lake City high school students worked for almost a year to produce a serious public service film about avalanche safety. More ...

May 10, 2007 - Avalanche victims compensated 150,000 yuan

FAMILIES of a couple who died in an avalanche while touring Southwest China's Yunnan Province last Wednesday will get 150,000 yuan (US$19,480) each in compensation. The amount of the award was reached after days of negotiations with the local government. More ...

March 14, 2007 - Skiing into an avalanche for YouTube fame is really stupid

Lately I saw some footage that was fairly alarming. It was of an internet site that was showing a series of videos of skiers and boarders who purposely trigger avalanches and then outrun them. They are usually successful, but a few are overtaken and brought down, into, and under the crushing force of the snow. More ...

March 11, 2007 - Ski Instructor Sentenced to Eight Months

A ski instructor, accused of manslaughter for not having respected his safety obligation towards his clients, has been sentenced to 8 months in prison (suspended) by the court in Nice. More ...

March 5, 2007 - Alpine Meadows 1982 Remembered

After twenty-five years, Alpine Meadows' patrolman Casey Jones still recalls the moment when Anna Conrad was safely rescued. "This hand came out between all the debris. Then we saw the fingers pull back into a fist. As it turns out, she was trying to grab snow to eat." More ...

February 12, 2007 - Austrian Alpine Club advocates RECCO use in backcountry

The Austrian Alpine Club adds reflectors to standards list for avalanche safety gear. More ...

February 4, 2007 - Dream home versus heavy ordnance

The house that Jim Siegmann wants to build along an avalanche-prone stretche of highway has been turned down by Ouray County, because it would sit under the line of fire of a howitzer used to shoot snow and prevent uncontrolled avalanches. More ...

January 31, 2007 - Pardons bill glides through Alaska HOUSE [related story]

The Alaska House unanimously passed a bipartisan measure that requires victim notification before the governor issues a pardon for a crime. The legislation was born after public outcry over former Gov. Frank Murkowski's pardon of a company convicted of criminal negligence in the avalanche death of one of its workers. More ...

January 5, 2007 - Can parking, plows and avalanches coexist?

Current snow, avalanche and website news. A discussion on parking regulations morphed into talk about revisiting Ketchum's comprehensive avalanche plan during a City Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2. More ...

December 27, 2006 - Washington company pardoned in criminally negligent homicide

A Bellingham company convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of one of its workers, killed in an avalanche in 1999, was pardoned by former Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski just days before he left office. More ...   [related story]

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