Avalanche Beacon Technology
If you're a skier, snowboarder or snowmobiler who ventures deep into the wilderness beyond the boundaries of snow resorts resorts, chances are you know about--or perhaps own--an avalanche rescue beacon. The small, body-mounted radio transmitters have become requisite equipment for wintertime backcountry adventuring, as their just-in-case function--to help rescuers locate someone buried under several feet of snow--averts tragedy in hundreds of avalanche events per year.
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Purpose
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Avalanche beacons deliver two things to aid rescuers: speed and accuracy. Both of these are of the utmost importance in the search for avalanche victims. If the mechanical forces of the avalanche have not caused the victim fatal injury by the time rescue arrives, searchers have only a short time to pull a victim from the snow before he suffocates. Without a beacon to trace, the victim will almost certainly not be found unless he is visible above the snow.
History
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The first avalanche beacons were referred to as "avalanche transceivers." Buffalo's Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory developed the first practical version of these--the Skadi--in 1968. These devices were intended for professional use by the ski patrol, search-and-rescue volunteers and slope-groomer operators.
Until dual-frequency beacons came on the scene in the 1980s, the technology didn't change a great deal. The most significant advancements--the development of the dual-antenna transceiver and the introduction of digital technology--followed in the 1990s.
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Types
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There are three avalanche beacon configurations available for rental or purchase. The most basic of these is the single-antenna model. Its range varies significantly according to the alignment of the transmitting and receiving transmitters.
Professional sportspeople and rescuers generally fit themselves with two- and three-antenna beacons because the multiple antennas more accurately locate the signal from the buried transmitter, as well as act as a directional indicator to the precise location of the victim.
Function
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Beacons are battery-powered, so the beacon transmits continuously while being worn, whether or not an avalanche has occurred. In the event of a avalanche that buries a member of the traveling party, others in the group set their own beacons to receive the signal from a buried person. They then follow the signal to the victim's location.
Considerations
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The emphasis in backcountry adventure is always on common sense, not mechanical fallback plans. A person venturing beyond snow resort boundaries should never go alone, always carry a shovel and a pole probe, and be well-educated in the assessment of snow conditions and steepness of surrounding slopes. An avalanche beacon is no replacement for smart planning and situational awareness.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Avalanche dans le Paine Grande image by Frédéric LEVIEZ from Fotolia.com
