Friday, March 22, 2013

Thanks! From Valdez Heli-Ski Guides.


The 2013 season at Valdez Heli-Ski Guides is in full swing and we would like to thank Mammut North America for their continued partnership and support.

Operating out of the Tsaina Lodge on Thompson Pass, VHSG is in our 20th season. Our guide staff has over 100 years of cumulative experience ski-guiding in this very mountain range--our guides, on average, have worked for us for 7-15 consecutive years. We specialize in big-mountain ski guiding but also enjoy and make use of the many miles of rolling glacial cruisers. Our Terrain Progression Program is intended to introduce big-mountain skiing to competent, life-long skiers who are looking for keys to these castles.

Triple Jeopardy, on Billy Mitchell, is an VHSG test-piece. 
Multiple groups accomplished this run this week
 after progressing through VHSG's Terrain Progression Program.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

The real-world effectiveness of airbags

Bruce Tremper has written a great article on the Utah Avalanche Center blog about the "real-world" effectiveness of avalanche airbags.  "How effective is an avalanche airbag" is a question I get asked all the time at events and trade shows.  When Mammut began working with airbags a few years ago we were uncomfortable talking about the "97%" that was touted so much, so it's great to see Pascal Haegeli's work and this piece discuss the real-world effectiveness--which in my opinion is quite good!  As Bruce here says himself:  " So, it seems that in real-world experience, wearing an avalanche airbag will possibly save a little more than half of those who would have otherwise died.
At least from my perspective, saving half of avalanche fatalities is pretty darn good.  Avalanche airbags are the best technology we have seen come along including the beacon..." 

Check out the full article here:  Link to Utah Avalanche Center blog post