April 7th....................A day which was going to be spent riding a sick face backcountry in Austria........ A day which ended in the most remarkable way ever, leaving three people with a story which is nearly unbelievable to anyone that knows the power of the mountains.
Hiking the ridge line and looking down at the face was a bit of a delusion. It looked big but I heard it was massive. Some how I think my eyes were playing tricks on me, until I saw the first person drop and with what seemed like endless turns he ended up looking like a defenceless ant in the desert. Just seeing how massive it was scared me. I had never ridden such a massive powder field in my life.
Anytime before you drop a face like this things run through your head, making your heart rate pick up a beat or two. We all can imagine a small "slide" happening, but an avalanche is something which we all know can happen, but if that was the first thing coming into our heads everytime we left the groomed runs we would be too scared to even enjoy our riding.
My run was amazing, through a small chute and out into an endless powder field. Nothing even needed to be said as I rode up to my friend smiling. I turned to then see the next person dropping. Excited to watch someone experience what I just had.
One word was spoken over and over, nothing else needed to be said. When you hear "fuck" more than once you know its serious. I looked closely then could see it all turning to disaster 1km up the hill in front of me. The first slide took the rider over a 15 metre cliff at this stage I knew it was serious as we were so far below that cliff to get up there fast, but to see the face then crack 200metres across and fall towards us is something I wont forget.
The avalanche seemed to take so long to reach us. I kept telling my friend to be strong, stay on top were coming to get him once this nightmare stops. It continued past us over another massive cliff, then silence. Silence is something that should be enjoyed once your nightmare is over. In this case the nightmare just became reality. To pull your piep out to search for a loved one has always been my worst nightmare. It just became so real. I felt so crushed, so scared and so alone. I wanted to curl up into a ball and just cry. Something gave me the strength to not cry and start searching.
This slide could fit 6 football stadiums inside it. There were only two of us to search. The chances looked so slim to pull somone out alive. You pray, you search and you take life so good damn serious at this moment that nothing can distract you, not even your own crushed emotions.
To see my friend scream and race down the mountain through the debris I will never forget. I then had the first glimmer of hope that something positive was about to happen. I looked closely and could see a hand out of the snow 70 metres from me. I took off and had the best run of my life over the avalanche debris getting bumped in every direction. No powder run has EVER given me that amount of satisfaction. I got there and couldn't help but kiss him and start crying. I didn't even think of the shovel in my bag to help shovel him out, till I was told to stop crying and dig.
That day was the most amazing day I have and hopefully will ever encounter in that way. To go from being so crushed by the mountains which I love more than anything, to being ecstatic beyond belief. To dig somone out of this size avalanche uninjured is unbeleivable. It is a day which effected all three of us in the most positive way ever.
To look at a picture of this slide and see the three wobbly tracks leave the diaster is unbelievable. It's not luck that keeps the human spirit strong through times like this its higher. I can't help but think it was the help of a young guy who the boys were friends with. Marcus lost his life on the same face 10 years ago. Thank you so much.x
Tags: snowboarding, avalanche danger, backcountry