Nov 13 Tokachi avalanche

[SnowConnection 0]

On Nov 13 Tuesday around 11:30am, an avalanche attacked two skiers climbing Kami-Horokamettoku-san (1,920m), Tokachi mountain range. One was injured, but no one was killed.

Yahoo!Map: http://map.yahoo.co.jp/pl?lat=43%2F24%2F...pointer=on&sc=4

 

The avy started at 1,820m point, went down, and cought one guy. His friend was not hit. She called on police who rescued them by a chopper.

 

Sandan-yama BC Ski Tour club reported a Nov 17 investigation of them.

http://www.sandan.net/avalanche/2008/071113/071113.html

It told the hard-slab type avy was 170m wide with 400m long running 220m height gap. They saw a weak layer (SHIMOZARAME & KOSHIMOZARAME) at 44cm deep from the snow surface of the starting point. The snow fall was apx. 75cm. The upper 44cm layer was hard packed of very fine snow which rejected pencil sticking. The report was written by Japanese with suggestive photos.

 

SC

[abelere 0]

Thanks for the links and translation. It paints a clear scary picture. Glad the skiers could escape it.

[SerreChe 2]

Thanks SC. That top layer looks like not fun at all to get hit by! Hurts just thinking about it.

[Kingofmyrrh 0]

Reading that report is pretty offputting... that top slab must be pretty much solid if they couldn't get the pencil in...