As much as we love skiing deep powder, it has some serious risks that aren’t to be taken lightly. Everyone knows to think about avalanches, but that’s rarely much of a concern on resorts or on more gradual slopes. Tree wells and other forms of deep holes in the snow seem to be talked about significantly less than they should, and videos like this show us exactly why they need to be talked about more.
Based on a google translate of the video description, the mountain in this video was low altitude, gradual, and in the trees. They say it’s only around 500 meters. It seems like the crack in the snow is caused by a stream or some sort of gully.
The skier caught in the crack was very fortunate to have some friends watching his back. We’re very glad he made it out okay. Let this video be a great reminder to ski with a buddy, keep an eye out for risks like this, and, in general, stay on your toes. The mountains are dangerous and can be very unpredictable. Remember, “no friends on a powder day” is a straight up lie. Skiing is better (and much safer) with a buddy.
Image Credit: Saitoto Koji via YouTube
