“You can make 1000 right decisions, but its the single bad one that takes your life. Luca Zanette is one of the best and most experienced riders and i wanted him on the team early on as he hast countless steep descents beyond 3000m under his belt. Last week, Luca was caught in a massive slide that took out the entire mountain-side. My heart stopped when he sent me the footage. As Luca reflects the day, he definitely made wrong calls leading him to fully underestimate the situation.” –Nicolas Metz
Thankfully snowboarder Luca Zanette was able to stay on the surface debris and escaped this massive avalanche triggered on Roccabella Mountain in the in the Albula Alps in Switzerland. To begin or continue your avalanche safety education find resources HERE:
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Luca’s description of the event translated from Italian:
Initially the idea was not to post anything, because the media pillory nowadays is always as quick and ruthless as a guillotine.
But we must not lie to ourselves nor hide the current conditions of the snowpack❗
As you have also seen in other reports, a state of ice crystals formed the basis of the last heavy snowfall.
Even on slopes that have not caught wind in themselves and that apparently have an apparently perfect powder, large avalanches can be triggered by the passage of a single skier.
This happened on Saturday when we climbed without too much visibility to the top of Roccabella, following the existing tracks unfortunately without knowing what was off the beaten path. Once at the top, I personally have sinned by too much confidence, detaching the biggest slab of my life.
Thanks to the airbag I floated and I lay down on the fan totally unharmed, with my whole torso out of the snow, then putting myself in safety independently, but had I not had it, I would have certainly remained under the snow waiting for my friends (who they were all ready to go)
Be very careful because it is a weak state that will persist for a very long time. But above all it is in depth and therefore today invisible to the naked eye.
Always carry all the technology you can with you because in the event of an error in judgment it makes the difference, so much so that you can continue the day on your own feet.
For quite a while if you go to the area you ski quietly and not steeply, as we did with the next two hides, where beautiful snow is still guaranteed but you don’t risk your life.