Sad news today with the first avalanche death of the 09/10 season happening yesterday at Tete de Balme above Trient. This is something of a blackspot, with very easy access from the Vallorcine/Le Tour lifts and frequent high winds causing lots of windslab. Conditions recently have been windy - strong westerly - with fresh, cold snow, and most of the skiing here faces NE. The victim was a young french snowboarder, and had no transceiver...he was buried under a metre of snow and without a transceiver he really had no chance of surviving.
So, get the gear and learn how to use it. And learn how to spot likely avalanche areas.
I've just got hold of a Mammut Pulse transceiver and Mammut Alugator shovel from V12 in North Wales. This some of the best gear and I'll write a review soon.
