Each year, avalanches claim numerous lives. Skiers or
even backcountry hikers get covered in a wall of snow
in a valley or on a mountainside. Basically, avalanches
occur when there is more stress on the top layer of
snow than on the bottom layer. In winter and spring,
experienced and novice skiers alike frequently search
for fresh powder trails. On ski mountains, it is not
uncommon for skiers to deliberately ski outside the
marked boundaries of trails. Avalanches can travel at
up to 300 km/h and carry with them thousands of tons
of snow. Being trapped in an avalanche is the worst
fate imaginable. If you are buried underneath several meters of snow, you will run
out of oxygen and suffocate. After 35 minutes, a person has only a 30 percent
chance of survival.