Alpine Safety Hub
Mountaineering means to manoeuvre between risks and safety. This makes it both fascinating and demanding. Fortunately, there are many excellent websites about risks and safety in the mountains. Here are some of them. You know others? Send me an email.
accidents: numbers and patterns
safety advice: in short
- Kilian Jornet's safety advice: (1) understand the environment, (2) approach with humility, (3) learn, (4) make plans and adapt, (5) accept
- the land safety code (not only valid in New Zealand)
- recommendations for safe mountain hiking (not only valid in Tirol)
- the nine rules of the Norwegian mountain code
- ten tips: safety when ski touring, snowshoeing, mountaineering, climbing, hiking (by Swiss Alpine Club)
- the ten essentials
- 50 common climbing mistakes that could kill or hurt you
- how to climb a mountain (13 steps)
- how to survive an avalanche (reacting in the first seconds, surviving if you get buried, increasing chances of survival)
- typical avalanche problems
tips for frequently climbed mountains
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Denali (Alaska)
see also: survival is your own responsibility - Mont Blanc (France): Have a look at this website.
Also highly recommended: Reaching the top of Mont Blanc - a concern for climbers. - Mount Fuji (Japan)
brochures and ebooks
extensive portals
- Adventure Smart: develop your skills, watch the weather, think about gear
- American Mountain Guides Association: videos (> tech videos > public tech videos)
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Montagna Amica e Sicura (in English, Italian,
German)
Ready to laugh? Watch this terrific video. Here is a video helping to stay safe in summer. - Fondazione Montagna Sicura: current conditions on mountains around Mont Blanc (Italy, France) and safety advice of general importance (see Mountain info)
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La Chamoniarde: accident prevention in the Mont Blanc region
see also the videos: Les Yetis - Mountain Safety Council: plan safe adventures in New Zealand and elsewhere
- Ortovox Safety Academy for (a) alpine rock climbing and (b) for high alpine touring
- Petzl tech tips (with helpful illustrations)
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UIAA: safety label for equipment and qualification label for leaders
check the recommendations of the UIAA Medical Commission - SnowSafe: detailed snow safety advice from Australia
avalanche awareness
- The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education: courses, gear advice, reading lists etc.
- Avalanche.org provides an attractive and concise tutorial
- Know before you go: watch an introductory video and consider five steps of preparation
- Ortovox Safety Academy Lab: instructive videos and many tips (also in German language)
- Snowbrains reports about recent avalanche accidents
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Whiterisk: lessons, exercises, planning tools for learners and instructors
(in English, German, French, Italian) - Avalanche Check: test your knowledge (in English, French, German)