Because I prefer learning from mistakes made by other people – another collection of snow avalanche videos found this winter season. See part 1 here. Definitely seeing the POV cam trend here as well. Can’t say I like it in general but in some cases it certainly makes it much clearer.

Starting with the video that every kid around saw at some point and that probably did the most damage to avalanche awareness and safety education.

A very nice self analysis of the sequence of decisions that led to the accident

Very lucky with the outcome considering the poor reactions of the group

The documentary accompanying the Pulitzer prize winning feature Snow Fall by NYTimes

If you thought Greece is all fun in the sun on the beach

Even the small ones can kill

sidecountry = backcountry, and in this case it involved innocent people

when a cornice collapses under you

Things don’t always end this way

and many more…

For a few seconds he thought he was ok, then a secondary slide took him into a terrain trap and 2m under

Not an avalanche but an amazing accident on its own

My head is totally wrapped in everything to do with snow avalanches as I’m trying to sort out some prototype web based bulletins. So much so that I need a break now and then. Guess these videos are a reminder of why I’m doing it in the first place.

TV Mountain – Avalanche au Sautet (embedding not allowed)

It’s only natural that people forget skills they don’t use on a regular basis. I guess I’d even forget how to tie a figure 8 knot eventually, no matter how simple it might be. But when it comes to complex procedures like self rescue scenarios, that hopefully you never actually need, it’s nice to be reminded occasionally and do some practicing.

It’s also natural that people, who get their first taste of rock climbing, might develop a curiosity to learn more. If nothing else, to understand how things work and make their new hobby safer. That said…

No video, sketch or photo can replace a proper course conducted by professionals. In other words… don’t trust your life to something you read on the internet or at the very least try things on the ground first. I practice hanging off an apple tree about 2m above ground. Other than falling on my dog barking like mad below there’s no danger if I mess things up completely but absolutely realistic in every other way.

So more as a bookmark and a reminder to myself than anything else, the resources below could serve as a refresher course. I certainly found them very useful the first time around.

Animated knots – climbing knots
UK Climbing – climbing skills articles
Chockstone – tech tips
Petzl – rope techniques for multi-pitch climbing
Petzl – multi-pitch tech tips 2010 (pdf)
Petzl – sport climbing tech tips 2010 (pdf)
Libby Peter – articles from Climber magazine
DMM Climbing – knowledge articles (gear failure testing is especially sobering)
Black Diamond QC Lab journal (more fascinating gear failure testing)

And some nice videos:

How to tie off a belay plate from Steve Long on Vimeo.

Escaping the system from Steve Long on Vimeo.

Lowering a climber off the crag from Steve Long on Vimeo.

Abseiling past a knot from Steve Long on Vimeo.

Prusiking up a rope from Steve Long on Vimeo.

Assisted hoist from Steve Long on Vimeo.