Every year in Italy hundreds of avalanches occur. In the 2024-2025 season, the National Alpine Rescue Corps responded to more than 200 avalanche incidents, with multiple fatalities. Prevention is essential: knowing, recognising and responding to dangerous situations can save your life.
The avalanche danger scale
AINEVA (the Interregional Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches) publishes a daily bulletin using the European danger scale:
| Grade | Level | Snowpack stability | Likelihood of triggering |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low | Generally well consolidated | Only with strong overloading on extreme slopes |
| 2 | Moderate | Moderately consolidated | With strong overloading on steep indicated slopes |
| 3 | Considerable | Moderately to weakly consolidated on many slopes | Even with weak overloading |
| 4 | High | Weakly consolidated on most slopes | Likely even spontaneously |
| 5 | Very high | Generally unstable snowpack | Very likely spontaneously |
Warning: grade 3 “Considerable” is the most insidious. Statistically, the greatest number of fatal accidents occur at grade 3, because many skiers underestimate it.
Essential safety equipment
Anyone practising freeride must always carry the safety “trilogy”:
ARTVA (Avalanche Victim Detector)
The ARTVA is a transceiver that emits a radio signal at 457 kHz and allows a buried person to be located:
- Worn under clothing, switched on in “transmit” mode
- In case of accident, switched to “search” mode to locate the buried
- Search range: 40-80 m depending on model
- Check batteries before every outing
- Three-antenna digital models are the most effective
Snow shovel
A robust, lightweight shovel is essential for digging:
- Aluminium alloy, telescopic handle
- A person buried at 1 metre depth requires at least 10 minutes of digging
- A shovel is 10 times more effective than bare-hand digging
Avalanche probe
A telescopic pole (2.5-3 m) for precisely locating the buried person:
- Used after ARTVA localisation to pinpoint the exact position
- Insert vertically into the snow at regular intervals
- When you feel resistance different from snow, the person has been found
Airbag backpack (recommended)
The airbag pack is not mandatory but strongly recommended:
- When a slide occurs, a balloon inflates to keep the body at the surface
- Reduces the probability of complete burial by 50%
- Cost: 500-900 EUR, with gas or electric refills
How to assess risk
The 5 factors to consider
Before every off-piste outing, evaluate:
- The day’s avalanche bulletin (check aineva.it)
- Slope angle: avalanches release predominantly between 30 and 45 degrees
- Aspect: north-facing slopes accumulate more snow and preserve it longer
- Altitude: above the treeline the risk increases
- Recent conditions: snowfall, wind and temperatures over the previous 48 hours
Warning signs
On the ground, watch for:
- “Whumph” sounds: collapsing snowpack under your feet
- Cracks in the snow: visible fractures in the snowpack
- Recent avalanche debris: sign that conditions are unstable
- Snow cornices: wind-deposited overhangs on ridges
- Slab snow: a hard, compact layer over weaker layers (more dangerous than powder)
In case of avalanche
If you are caught
- Try to escape sideways out of the flow
- If impossible, release your skis and poles
- Try to “swim” in the snow to stay near the surface
- As the avalanche slows, create a breathing space in front of your face with your arms
- Once stopped, conserve energy and stay calm
If your companion is caught
- Mark the last seen point (last point where you saw them)
- Call 112 immediately
- Switch your ARTVA to search mode
- Search: move towards the signal following the ARTVA directions
- Probe: locate the exact position of the buried person
- Dig: begin digging uphill of the probe point
Critical: 93% of buried persons survive if extracted within 15 minutes. After 35 minutes, the survival probability drops below 30%. Companion rescue is almost always faster than professional emergency services.
Avalanche safety courses
In Italy, the CAI and mountain guides offer structured courses:
- Basic course (1-2 days): ARTVA use, bulletin reading, practical exercises
- Advanced course (3-5 days): snowpack analysis, route planning, emergency management
- Annual refresher: ARTVA search exercises, technique updates
Indicative cost: 100-250 EUR for the basic course, 300-500 EUR for the advanced.
The safest stations for guided off-piste
Many stations offer guided freeride outings with certified mountain guides:
- Alagna Valsesia: highly experienced guides on Monte Rosa
- Courmayeur: Guide di Courmayeur, among Italy’s most renowned
- Bormio: Valtellina Alpine Guides
- Arabba: local guides with deep knowledge of the Dolomites
For updated snow and avalanche conditions: mountain weather and live webcams.