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Avalanche search techniques vary depending on
the number of antennas in your beacon.
Multiple-antenna beacons
display a
direction indicator that points the way to
the victim whereas
single-antenna beacons have you locate the victim by manually searching
for the strongest signal. Many of the instructions on this page apply to both
types of transceivers. However, the secondary
search explained on this page (where you follow the direction indicator) requires a
multiple-antenna beacon. Be sure to read the owner's manual that was
supplied with your transceiver and to practice regularly!
 The information on this page is divided into things to do
before you leave the trailhead,
what to do during and immediately after
the avalanche, the primary search that helps
you locate the first signal, the secondary search
that gets you within two or three meters of the victim, and the
pinpoint search which puts
you over the victim. Remember that
probing is an important skill and
shoveling takes a significant
amount of time.
Before Leaving the Trailhead
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1 |
Call your local avalanche forecast center. |
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2 |
Have fresh, high-quality
batteries in your transceiver. |
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3 |
Test your (and your partners')
transceiver. |
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4 |
Always carry sturdy avalanche
probes and a shovel. |
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5 |
Wear your transceiver under your
outer layer where it cannot be damaged or removed by obstacles (such as
trees and rocks). Your pants pocket may be acceptable (although it may be more susceptible to impact damage). If you remove clothing due to warm weather, remember to
keep your transceiver under your remaining clothes. |
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6 |
Turn off your
cell phone (if practical). |
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7 |
Practice
searching with your transceiver regularly. |
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Use safe travel techniques (e.g.,
route selection, only expose one person at a time, etc). |
During and Immediately
After the Avalanche
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1 |
Make sure the scene is safe. It is
important that rescuers are not exposed to additional avalanche
hazard. The actual avalanche path is usually safe if there isn't significant "hang
fire" remaining above the slide. |
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2 |
Determine the number of victims. The
number of victims will influence how the search should be organized
(e.g., whether you should perform a
multiple burial search, when to call for additional help, etc).
You can determine the number of victims by interviewing witnesses,
using your transceiver, and by physical clues (e.g., finding two
different brands of skis). |
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3 |
Once in a safe location (a.k.a. an
island of safety), have
everybody change their transceiver to either the off or search
mode. If I had a nickel for every training that stumbled due to a
transceiver being left in the transmit mode... |
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Note that
the Barryvox
3000, Ortovox S1,
Pulse Barryvox, and the
Tracker (if turned on using a special
technique) will automatically switch from search to transmit mode
if they do not receive a signal after several minutes. This can cause confusion if
non-searchers change to search mode and then unknowingly
return to
transmit mode (because non-searchers often do not receive a signal). Therefore, it may be best if non-searchers turn their beacons
off after
arriving at a safe zone. |
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4 |
Consider calling for additional
help. When you should call for help is very situational
dependant. Be sure to consider (1) how many additional minutes the
victim will be buried if you do place the call, (2) how fast the
rescuers can respond, and (3) how you will transport the victims. |
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Examples: |
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If you are the sole rescuer, the
several minutes it will take to call for help might be better
spent searching. |
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If additional rescuers can
arrive and begin searching quickly (e.g., within 15 minutes), it
is probably worth
calling for help even if you are the only rescuer. |
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If you have two searchers and
one victim, having the second searcher call for help may save
valuable time getting medical personal on scene. |
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The decision to call for additional
help is multifaceted and complex. It is best to consider these factors before
an avalanche accident. |
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Look for visual clues (e.g., gloves,
skis, etc). If you see a glove or ski, check to see if it is
connected to a victim. There are many examples (including avalanches
that I have responded to) where gear on the snow surface was still
connected to the victim.
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Primary Search
The goal of the primary search is to receive
a signal. Period. If you switch your transceiver to search mode and
receive a signal, you have already completed the primary search.
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With your transceiver set to search, move down the avalanche path until
you obtain a signal. The appropriate width of your search path varies by beacon. The S1 recommends 55 meters, the
Pieps and Pulse recommend 50 meters, and the
Tracker recommends 20 meters. The following illustration shows the
appropriate spacing for a transceiver that recommends 40 meter spacing.
Because it is much easier to move downhill than uphill and because you don't want to repeat the search,
you should perform the primary search in such a way that you avoid ending up below the victim without receiving a signal. When in doubt,
narrow your search path. It is always better to spend a few extra
minutes searching a narrower path than to end up at the bottom of
the slide and have to repeat the entire search hiking up. (Unfortunately, if
the last skier gets buried, the search must be done from the bottom.)
When using a
single-antenna
transceiver, slowly rotate your beacon in all orientations
(i.e., rotate your wrist 360°) to increase the likelihood that
your antennas will align with the victim's. |
Remember, the goal of the primary search is to receive
a signal. You should move quickly and deliberately. Locating the initial
signal depends more on choosing an appropriate distance between search paths
than on transceiver skill.
Secondary
Search
The goal of the secondary search is to get
within two or three meters of the victim. The secondary search technique varies
depending on if you have a single- or multiple-antenna transceiver. These
instructions only explain the multiple-antenna approach.
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1 |
Perform the
primary search until you
receive a
signal. |
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Follow the
direction indicator (i.e., the arrow or lights).
If the distance numbers increase,
turn around and follow the direction indicator in the opposite
direction. (The
direction indicator can point in either direction on the flux lines
shown in blue, below. You want to be moving closer to the victim.
The
Pulse Barryvox and the
Ortovox
S1 will tell you to turn around if you are moving away from the
victim.)
As you follow the direction indicator, slowly turn to reorient the beacon so the arrow is pointed inline with the beacon. |
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3 |
 Continue
to follow the direction indicator. It will follow the flux lines
guiding you to the victim in an arc as shown here.
It is not unusual for transceivers to give an occasional "blip" in
the wrong direction.
Pause for a moment while holding the transceiver very still to allow
the direction indicator to settle. |
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Move relatively quickly while the distance is
more than 10 meters. Remain calm and move
deliberately. This is a bad time to fall and become injured. |
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When the distance is less than 10
meters, slow down and pause for a few beeps each time the
direction indicator has you turn. |
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When you are within two or three meters,
you have completed the secondary search. (On most transceivers, the
direction indicator
will disappear when you are within two or three meters.)
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Note that some transceivers will still display
the direction indicator within the two to three meter range.
You should ignore
the direction indicator at this point and focus on the
distance indicator as explained in the
pinpoint search. |
Pinpoint Search
The goal of the pinpoint search is to get
as close to the victim as possible.
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1 |
Perform the
secondary search until the
distance
indicator shows that you are within two or three meters of the
victim. |
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Only one rescuer is needed for the
pinpoint search. Additional rescuers should prepare their
probes and shovels.
If there are multiple victims, additional rescuers should begin a
multiple burial search. |
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3 |
 Holding
your transceiver just above the snow, slowly move it left/right and
forward/backward while looking for the lowest distance. If
you are using a beacon that does not have a
distance
indicator, move it
until you get the strongest signal.
During the pinpoint search, it is important that the transceiver
always points in the same direction (i.e., don't let it
rotate as you swing your arm to the side). Similarly, keep the
transceiver very close (e.g., a few inches) to the snow.
Slowly move your hand from
side-to-side looking for the lowest number, and then
forward-and-backward while again looking for the lowest number. I sometimes
put my foot on the spot with the lowest number and move it only when I find a
lower number.
Repeat this process until you find
the spot on the snow with the lowest number (i.e., when
moving the transceiver left/right or forward/backward causes the
displayed distance to increase).
If you have a one or two-antenna transceiver, you may find more than one location on the snow that gives a low reading. These are
spikes. If
this occurs, simply find a location with a low reading and begin probing at that location.
You may need to continue probing beyond the starting location, but
you know you are very close to the victim and that you will find
him if you use proper probing
technique. (See the discussion of
spikes for details on
the distance and probing time.) |
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When you find the lowest distance (or the strongest signal with an
analog beacon), begin probing
until you strike something and then shovel. |
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If you have multiple victims, you
will need to use special techniques to locate the additional victims. |
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