Next week, many alpinists are likely to be drawn into the high mountains, but due to the small amount of snow on the main Alpine ridge, there are currently a large number of dangerous spots, said the umbrella organization of state-certified mountain, ski and canyoning guides in the state on Saturday. “We had a snow-poor winter this year. The snow cover on the local glaciers is very low this spring,” said Wolfgang Russegger, President of the Salzburg Mountain Sports Guide Association, to the APA. The crevasse bridges are thin and much more fragile than one would expect at this time of year. While in normal years the snow cover is several meters thick, it is currently well under one meter in some cases.
Beware of snowy crevasses
Even if the snow surfaces are still hard, especially in the morning, and the conditions are almost piste-like, there is a constant danger of snow-covered crevasses on the glaciers. Incidentally, the warning of the mountain guides does not only apply to the high mountains of Salzburg, but de facto to the entire main ridge of the Alps.
Russegger recommends all ski tourers and alpinists to find out about the conditions in their touring area in advance and only set off with the appropriate glacier equipment and training. “This also includes the right rope and mountaineering technique so that you can help immediately if someone should fall into a crevasse.” If you are not familiar with how to behave on the glacier and how to rescue people who have had an accident, you should only go into the high mountains with competent company.
Source: Nachrichten
