Comments on: Backcountry Skiing News Roundup

By: Rolf

Rolf — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:03:35 +0000

There seems to be a lot of confusion about new transceiver technology.
First: the ARVA is NOT sharing the same technology with the Mammut Pulse that indicates whether a victim is breathing or not!! ARVA is sharing the wireless connection with which transceivers can exchange information. Why is this interesting? This makes blocking of the already found signals almost flawless!
Second: Pulse transceivers will never auto revert to transmit during a search as long as they are moving! A benefit from the same sensor technology that ‘recognizes’ breathing movements.
Third: you can turn the ‘pulse feature’ on a Pulse transceiver OFF if you don’t want/like it! It is a pity people only seem to focus on this feature, while many other technologies on this transceiver might be interesting (as the non reverting autorevert as long as you move and the introduction of wireless communication between transceivers)
@fernando pereira: In the latest edition of ‘The Avalanche Review’ protocols on triage in avalanche accidents were discussed.

O yeah: I don’t work for Mammut nor do I only use their transceivers!!
Grtz,

Rolf

By: Lou

Lou — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:25:35 +0000

Paul, we might need to get clear about one thing. The use of the word PULSE is in my opinion confusing and wrong. The Pulse beacon does not measure or report heart pulse, only micro movements. Thus, it’s unclear how accurately one could triage with it. I have no doubt it could be useful, especially after a long burial of multiple victims (to figure out how urgent the rescue really is). But in the case of an immediate companion rescue, to me it just confuses the issue as I’ve heard of quite a few avalanche unburials where the victim was pulled out while in respiratory arrest, and lived. I’d go for the first person I located, no matter what the “pulse” was. Hopefully in a group situation there would be more than one digger, so this might be somewhat of a non issue…

By: Paul S.

Paul S. — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:00:59 +0000

I thoroughly disagree that lack of a pulse shouldn’t be used for triage purposes in a search. CPR is rarely effective, and always drains a significant amount of time and energy from the rescuers. I would hope that the Pulse recognizes that the beacon being tracked is not providing secondary data and says “No Data”, but if you can recognize that one victim has a higher likelihood of a positive outcome, that is important information, ESPECIALLY in a situation where time is critical.

Thanks,
Paul

By: Fernando Pereira

Fernando Pereira — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:06:57 +0000

Adding to your concerns with the Pulse feature, I’d pose the following questions. First, all software has bugs, and more complex software has more and subtler bugs than simpler software. Is the risk of bugs from a secondary feature worth it in safety-critical equipment? Second, additional features put increased cognitive load on the user. Is the feature worth the potential increased user confusion in a time-critical situation? Third, in a multiple burial situation, what would be the protocol if one of the buried beacons does not give a pulse signal? Would that lead to triage in favor of other beacons? Would that be ethical? Would rescuers be prepared to make that decision instantly? More information does not necessarily lead to better decisions.

By: Randonnee

Randonnee — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:55:57 +0000

“crevasses don’t care if you have a rope on or not” – Stirring it up again, eh, Lou!

Unless one is traveling on a certain crevassed glacier regularly I do not understand how one knows the hazards- and then it is uncertain. This is evidenced by Guide deaths in crevasses in the Alps and this Ranger falling in. It seems like a roll of the dice, with low odds of falling in being the only security. One day on foot I went through snowbridges 3 times while on a rope- no clues before as far as I could see. I have never punched through on skis, but that is a frightening prospect.

It seems lots of folks ski Rainier and other crevassed volcanos regularly ski while unroped. They must be very skilled or very lucky- I will not presume to judge, I have rarely done so.

One ponders if these same unroped skiers in winter carry the complete arsenal of avalanche gadgets for buried-body location? : )}