  Avalanche
search techniques vary depending on the number of antennas in your beacon. Multiple-antenna beacons
display a direction indicator that points the way to the victim whereas
single-antenna beacons have you locate the victim by manually searching for the strongest signal.
Many of the instructions on this page apply to both types of transceivers. However, the secondary
search explained on this page (where you follow the direction indicator) requires a multiple-antenna beacon. Be sure to read the
owner's manual that was supplied with your transceiver and to practice regularly! (Watch this
chilling YouTube video to see what it's really like
to be buried.)
 The
information on this page is divided into things to do before you leave the trailhead, what
to do during and immediately after the avalanche, the primary search
that helps you locate the first signal, the secondary search that gets you within two or three meters
of the victim, and the pinpoint search which puts you over the victim. Remember that
probing is an important skill and shoveling takes a significant amount of time.
| 1 |
Call your local avalanche forecast center. |
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| 2 |
Have good, high-quality batteries in your transceiver. |
| 3 |
Test your (and your partners') transceiver. |
| 4 |
Always carry sturdy avalanche probes and a shovel. |
| 5 |
Wear your transceiver under your outer layer where it cannot be damaged or removed by obstacles (such as trees and rocks).
Your pants pocket may be acceptable (although it may be more susceptible to impact damage). If you remove clothing due to warm
weather, remember to keep your transceiver under your remaining clothes. |
| 6 |
Turn off your cell phone (if practical). |
| 7 |
Practice searching with your transceiver regularly. |
| 8 |
Use safe travel techniques (e.g., route selection, only expose one person at a time, etc). |
| 1 |
Make sure the scene is safe. It is important that rescuers are not exposed to additional avalanche hazard. The actual avalanche
path is usually safe if there isn't significant "hang fire" remaining above the slide. |
| 2 |
Once in a safe location (a.k.a. an island of safety), have everybody change their transceiver to either the off or search
mode. If I had a nickel for every training that stumbled due to a transceiver being left in the transmit mode... |
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Note that the Barryvox 3000,
Freeride (learn how),
Ortovox S1, Barryvox Pulse, and
Trackers (if turned on using a special technique) can be set to automatically switch
back to transmit mode. This can cause confusion if non-searchers change to search mode and then unknowingly return to transmit
mode (because non-searchers often do not receive a signal). Therefore, it may be best if non-searchers turn their beacons off
after arriving at a safe zone.
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| 3 |
Determine the number of victims. The number of victims will influence how the search should be organized (e.g., whether you
should perform a multiple burial search, when to call for additional help, etc). You can determine
the number of victims by interviewing witnesses, using your transceiver, and by physical clues (e.g., finding two different brands
of skis). |
| 4 |
Consider calling for additional help. When you should call for help is very situational dependant. Be sure to consider (1)
how many additional minutes the victim will be buried if you do place the call, (2) how fast the rescuers can respond, and (3)
how you will transport the victims once you do locate them. |
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Examples: |
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If you are the sole rescuer, the several minutes it will take to call for help might be better spent searching. |
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If additional rescuers can arrive and begin searching quickly (e.g., within 30 minutes), it is probably worth calling
for help even if you are the only rescuer. |
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If you have two searchers and one victim, having the second searcher call for help may save valuable time getting
medical personal on scene. |
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The decision to call for additional help is multifaceted and complex. It is best to consider these factors before an avalanche
accident.
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| 5 |
Look for visual clues (e.g., gloves, skis, etc). If you see a glove or ski, check to see if it is connected to a victim. There
are many examples (including avalanches that I have responded to) where gear on the snow surface was still connected to the victim.
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The goal of the primary search is to receive a signal. Period. If you switch your transceiver to search mode and receive a signal,
you have already completed the primary search.
| 1 |
With your transceiver set to search, move down the avalanche path until you obtain a signal. The appropriate width of your
search path varies by beacon. The S1, Pieps and
Pulse recommend 50 meters, the Tracker2
recommends 40 meters, the Freeride recommends
30 meters, and the Tracker DTS recommends 20 meters. When in doubt, make
narrower search strips! The minute or two you lose making narrower strips won't kill your friend; having to research the
entire avalanche might... The following illustration
shows the appropriate spacing for a transceiver that recommends 40 meter spacing.
Because it is much easier to move downhill than uphill and because you don't want to repeat the primary search. When in doubt,
narrow your search path. It is always better to spend a few extra minutes searching a narrower path than to end up at the bottom
of the slide and have to repeat the entire search hiking up. (Unfortunately, if the last skier in a group gets buried, the search
must be done from the bottom.)
When using a single-antenna transceiver, slowly rotate your beacon in all orientations
(i.e., rotate your wrist 360°) to increase the likelihood that your antennas will align with the victim's.
Keep your gloves on. It's tempting to take them off and drop them in the snow when you are working
with your transceiver, but you'll want them when you're probing, shoveling, and providing medical care. |
Remember, the goal of the primary search is to receive a signal. You should move quickly and deliberately. Locating the initial signal
depends more on choosing an appropriate distance between search paths than on transceiver skill.
The goal of the secondary search is to get within two or three meters of the victim. The secondary search technique varies depending
on whether your avalanche transceiver has a direction indicator (i.e., has
multiple antennas). These instructions only explain the directional indicator approach.
| 1 |
Perform the primary search until you receive a signal. |
| 2 |
Follow the direction indicator (i.e., the arrow or lights). If the distance
numbers increase, turn around and follow the direction indicator in the opposite direction. (The direction indicator can point
in either direction on the flux lines shown in blue, below. You want to be moving closer to the victim. The
Barryvox Pulse and the Ortovox S1 will usually
tell you to turn around if you are moving away from the victim.) As you follow the direction indicator, slowly turn to reorient
the beacon so the arrow is pointed inline with the beacon. |
| 3 |
 Continue to follow
the direction indicator. It will follow the flux lines guiding you to the victim in an arc as shown here.It is not unusual
for transceivers to give an occasional "blip" in the wrong direction. Pause for a moment while holding the transceiver very still
to allow the direction indicator to settle.
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| 4 |
Move relatively quickly while the distance is more than 10 meters. Remain calm and move deliberately. This is a bad time to
fall and become injured. |
| 5 |
When the distance is less than 10 meters, slow down and pause for a few beeps each time the direction indicator changes direction. |
| 6 |
When you are within two or three meters, you have completed the secondary search. |
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On most transceivers, the direction indicator will disappear when you are
within two or three meters of the victim. If your transceiver continues to display the direction indicator, you should ignore
it at this point and focus on the distance indicator as explained in the
pinpoint search. |
The goal of the pinpoint search is to get as close to the victim as possible.
| 1 |
Perform the secondary search until the distance
indicator shows that you are within two or three meters of the victim. |
| 2 |
Only one rescuer is needed for the pinpoint search. Additional rescuers should begin assembling their
probes and shovels. If there are multiple victims, additional rescuers should
begin a multiple burial search. |
| 3 |
 Holding your transceiver just above
the snow, slowly move it left/right and forward/backward while looking for the lowest distance. If you are using
a beacon that does not have a distance indicator, move it until you get the strongest
signal.During the pinpoint search, it is important that the transceiver always points in the same direction (i.e., don't
let it rotate as you swing your arm to the side). Similarly, keep the transceiver very close (e.g., a few inches) above the snow.
Slowly move your hand from side-to-side looking for the lowest number, and then forward-and-backward while again looking for
the lowest number. You can use a bracketing approach to locate the strongest signal. I sometimes put my foot on the spot with
the lowest number and move it only when I find a lower number.
Repeat this process until you find the spot on the snow with the lowest number (i.e., when moving the transceiver left/right
or forward/backward causes the displayed distance to increase).
If you have a one or two-antenna transceiver, you may find more than one location on the snow that gives a low reading. These
are spikes. If this occurs, simply find a location with a low reading and begin probing at that location.
You may need to continue probing beyond the starting location, but you know you are very close to the victim and that you will
find him if you use proper probing technique. (See the discussion of spikes
for details on the distance and probing time.)
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| 4 |
When you find the lowest distance (or the strongest signal with an analog beacon), begin probing
until you strike something, leave the probe in place and begin shoveling. |
| 5 |
If you have multiple victims, you will need to use special techniques to locate the additional
victims. |
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