Crevasse rescue techniques need to be understood and practised by everyone going on a glacier tour
Remember, weather and snow can change rapidly on tour. A slope on which a party an hour or so ahead of you were able to make perfect linked turns may have become a nightmare by the time you come to descend it. It pays to plan ahead and think about slope aspect, weather conditions and timing.
Start Times
These vary throughout the season for the same route and will depend on a mixture of things: touring objective, party fitness, snow, weather conditions and, of course, the whim of the hut guardian. Most Alpine huts have a set breakfast period during the ski-touring season. Find this out from the guardian on arrival at the hut and plan accordingly. If you want to leave early let the guardian know. If you are lucky he might put a flask and some food out for you. On popular tours like the Haute Route you will invariably be involved in a massed start in the morning, which is all but impossible to avoid. Once underway in the morning groups quickly disperse, invariably coming together at bottlenecks such as steep climbs or abseil descents. If you want to get away quickly in the morning you need to get packed and organised the night before and get down to breakfast quickly!
Route-Finding and Navigation
It goes without saying that a 1:25,000 scale map, compass and altimeter, and the ability to use them, are essential for accurate navigation when ski touring. More and more skiers are using a Global Positioning System (GPS), and many maps provide a useful table of GPS co-ordinates to help plot waymarks quickly. Of course all maps have a grid system. Whatever tools you have, make sure you are skilful in using them. It is also advisable to spend time studying the map – mental rehearsal combined with map memory is a great benefit once skiing.
Altimeter
When skiing it is unusual to be able follow a direct compass bearing. Occasionally, on a well-covered glacier such as the Grosser Aletsch, it is possible, but normally crevasses have to be avoided and turns are essential. An altimeter when skiing is an indispensable piece of equipment for accurate navigation in poor visibility. Wristwatch-style altimeters that can be worn outside a jacket are particularly useful. They can be referred to whilst on the move without loss of time or rhythm. Trying to gauge your speed of descent when skiing in poor visibility is all but impossible. An altimeter will save the day and give your altitude, if not your exact position, on a particular slope. In addition, they act as a barometer, indicating pressure variation and therefore potential changes in the weather.
GPS
Global Positioning Systems are increasingly being used by skiers. They are not a substitute for good navigation, which is as much about good judgement and route choice as simply about knowing where you are. However, when combined with sound navigational skill they are very useful, and very reassuring in white-out conditions.
A watery sunrise seen from near the Col Crête Seche
The Hut System
One of the benefits of skiing in the Alps is the extensive chain of Alpine mountain huts. The building of huts began early in the history of Alpinism, and they serve us well. Above all they make it possible to enjoy extensive ski touring without the need to carry heavy camping, cooking and sleeping equipment, or food; the combined weight of which, for a long tour, would make touring unbearable, if not impossible, for many skiers. Alpine huts have been built and are owned by various national Alpine clubs – namely the Swiss Alpine Club (CAS), French Alpine Club (CAF), Italian Alpine Club (CAI), Austrian Alpine Club (AAV) and German Alpine Club (DAV). Non-Alpine countries have contributed financially to some. There are also a growing number of private huts.
The huts are open to everyone, and usually offer unsegregated dormitory-style accommodation. However, members of an Alpine club or organisations affiliated to the UIAA (International Union of Alpine Associations) may have reciprocal rights giving them discounted bed-nights. Non-members simply pay a little more. The huts currently represent very good value. Most huts are open during the main season, usually mid-March until some time in May, during which time a hut warden is resident and can provide meals. At other times there is usually a small winter-room with mattresses, blankets and often a stove, fuel and a few cooking utensils.
Don't expect running water to be available at the huts during the ski season. Most use melted snow for water, and none is made available for washing. That said, a few do have water and even hot showers throughout the year.
Booking the Huts
It is recommended that you book your place at the hut in advance; this lets the guardian plan meals and accommodation properly. It also avoids gross overcrowding. Failure to do so can make for watery soup and worse! Guardians make a great effort to find everyone a place; you will rarely be turned away. However, some huts get very busy during the holidays, particularly over Easter on the more famous haute routes. If you change your plans and have made a booking, let the guardian know, so that your place can be made available to others. Guardians, if they are expecting you, may also be concerned about your non-arrival if you have failed to cancel your booking. Many skiers also phone ahead to let the guardian know they are on their way. Most huts have radio-telephones, which you can use.
Meals
Many huts offer an almost restaurant-style service throughout the day, although both the breakfast and evening meal are normally set menus. Food at huts is not discounted to members of any Alpine club. Vegetarians should make a point of informing the guardian when they arrive at the hut because meat is the norm. Vegetarian options are limited – eggs, cheese and pasta head the list. Breakfast remains light in most huts, some say slight. It is certainly traditional: tea, coffee or hot chocolate with bread, butter, jam and sometimes a little cheese. A few huts have improved their breakfast offering by providing cereal and yoghurt.
Most huts sell sweets, chocolates and a small selection of food items. Some will provide a simple packed lunch – be sure to order it the night before and not during the morning rush.
Some huts allow self-catering, but you normally have to carry your own stove, fuel and utensils. Guardians will also cook simple food such as pasta and soup for you, charging a fee to do so. Understandably they don't always like doing it, especially if the hut is crowded, and you are likely to find yourself eating last.
Water
Water is an obvious problem during the ski season. There is plenty of snow and ice, but hopefully it will remain frozen, which means that running water is in short supply. Hut water supplies have to be melted from snow and ice, or in some cases helicoptered to the huts. It comes as a surprise to many hut users that water has to be paid for and that during the ski season very few huts have running water for washing or lavatories. Be prepared to buy bottled water or have hot water or tea in your drinking bottle in the morning. Some guardians fill water bottles the evening before so that they can cool before morning. It is not uncommon to see them being taken to bed to serve as a hot-water bottle!
Avalanche Awareness
When people and snowy mountains meet the potential for avalanches exists. Every skier should make it their business to understand avalanche phenomena. They are not an act of God; in fact about 80% of avalanche victims trigger the avalanche they get caught in.
During a ski tour the risk of avalanche is a constant danger that must be faced whenever your skis are on the mountain. Assessing risk ultimately depends on your knowledge and the care you take in assessing the danger. The process doesn't need to be a lengthy one that will spoil a good day on the hill, but it does need to be a systematic one, both before and during a tour. A systematic approach will enable you to gather key information that will allow you to make an informed judgement about snow stability and avalanche hazard.