On February 13, the Kanas Scenic Area Management Committee issued a reminder: At about 12 o'clock, 2 tourists skied wild snow outside the road without authorization, causing a small avalanche, causing 4 snowmen to be covered by the avalanche. After emergency rescue, no casualties were caused. Recently, Kanas Scenic Area has ushered in continuous heavy snowfall, with more than 70 cm of snowfall in local areas, coupled with a large range of temperature fluctuations, unstable snow layers, and a very high risk of avalanches.
Please pay attention to the warning of dangerous areas when skiing, obey the management of the ski resort, and avoid avalanches, falls and other safety accidents. In order to ensure your safety to the greatest extent, it is forbidden to ski wild snow outside the specified area of the ski resort in the Kanas Scenic Area.
Previously, at the beginning of the snow season, Kanas Scenic Area, Jikepulin International Ski Resort, and Jiangjun Mountain International Ski Resort in Altay City issued special announcements to explicitly prohibit skiers from skiing outside the planning scope of the ski resort.
According to the forecast of the meteorological department, from February 14th to 19th, the Kanas scenic area will usher in an extremely disastrous weather process. On the night of February 14th ~ 16th, there was heavy snowfall during the day, and there was a heavy snowstorm in Kanas Scenic Area (35~45 cm of new snow). On the afternoon of February 16th ~ the morning of the 18th, there was strong windy weather, and there was wind and snow along the road. On February 15~18, there will be a strong cold wave weather, the temperature will drop to about -40 °C, and the cooling range will reach the standard of a strong cold wave. Heavy snowfall, strong winds, wind-blown snow and extremely strong cold wave weather have a serious impact on public travel, transportation and tourism. Kanas Scenic Area will be subject to traffic control in due course.
How to save yourself after an avalanche?
What is Avalanche?
To put it simply, an avalanche is a large area of snow falling down a hillside.
It is terrible to encounter an avalanche, especially in the case of a hard and thick snow avalanche, a large area of hard snow around you can quickly slide down at a speed of 70-80km/h, and the person trapped in it will lose all control, there will be no support under their feet, they will not use any force at all, they will stumble and roll directionlessly, they can't see anything, they are likely to be taken off a cliff or hit a tree, and it is impossible to break free from it.
Avalanches have a very high fatality rate and occur in a variety of activities related to snow-capped mountains. More than 90% of avalanches are human-triggered, either by the skier themselves or by other partners who are skiing together.
What is Wild Snow?
"Wild snow": refers to skiing at venues other than regular ski resorts.
In the eyes of some ski enthusiasts, snowboarding is "convenient" and "affordable", as long as there is slope and snow, it can be carried out, and the economic cost and time cost are low, but skiing in untreated venues, dangers are everywhere.
What are the dangers of snowboarding?
- Lack of knowledge of the venue
Many people are blind to "snow skiing", do not know the surrounding terrain, and do not fully estimate the potential dangers in the surrounding area, which may lead to the occurrence of danger.
- The ski slopes are rough
First of all, most of the "snow skating" sites are natural slopes formed by snowfall and slopes, the slopes are sometimes gentle and steep, and the snow layer on the slopes is not like the snow in professional ski resorts that is compacted by machines, and the snow layer is thin and loose. The rough and simple skiing environment exposes skiers to great risk.
- Poor self-rescue ability
From a safety point of view, skiers need to be equipped with professional equipment, including helmets, glasses, ski clothes, etc., and must also have a fairly professional level of skiing. However, at present, many people who "ski in the snow" do not have these conditions, and they also lack the necessary first-aid knowledge and skills in the face of some sudden dangerous situations.
How to save yourself in an avalanche?
1. When an avalanche occurs, it is difficult to stay calm and go to the sky. However, if you can quickly throw away skis, poles and backpacks, you'll become lighter and "float" higher in avalanche-induced snow waves, meaning you risk being buried a little shallower and, if you're lucky, possibly stuck on the surface.
2. If you hit a tree or other obstacle, try to catch it, maybe you will get a valuable "survival triangle".
3. Do breaststrokes: When an avalanche occurs, the snow is like water, surging forward, and by "swimming" towards the surface, you can improve the buoyancy of your body and try not to be buried by a large amount of falling snow.
4. Make sure your mouth is free of snow so that your airways are clear.
5. When the avalanche stops, if your hands can still move, try to dig a pit out of the snow in front of your face for breathing. Then, hit with your fist violently in the direction of the surface. If you're lucky, you'll be able to create a breathing channel for yourself and even get the attention of others.