November 23, 2017
From the beginning of mountaineering, skiing and other activities in the mountains, people faced the danger of this environment, with avalanches being one of the most frequent and tragic. Avalanches come as huge power, destroying everything on its way, however sometimes predictable and escapable.
Right away, mountaineers and skiers started inventing equipment which minimises avalanche danger – helps predicting avalanche, staying longer alive when buried in snow, being found and dug out faster.
The shovel was used for centuries; just it was the mountaineers who needed the lighter version of it. Therefore, there was a new climbing safety equipment invented before the well-known probes, RECCO® system, the first beacon (1968), the first airbag (1985), the first DIN Tech Binding (1994) and the Avalung (1998) became available.
One of the most basic avalanche safety equipment that was invented just after the snow shovel was avalanche cord (in german: Lawinenschnur), a kind of locating device, which helped rapidly locate and rescue the one buried by an avalanche. Although to name it as a “device” would be too overwhelming for such an equipment.
Avalanche cord is 20-25 meters long thin cord, rope (3-4 mm thick) or a ribbon. It is usually made of bright colour (red, orange or similar) cotton or nylon material, with direction arrows positioned at metre intervals and long loops at the ends. The cord is wound into a ball or a roll. The ski mountaineer or climber ties the loop with the 1 metre mark (arrow against himself) around his waist or to his harnesses. If there is a risk of avalanches, he throws the ball out and pulls the avalanche cord along the snow behind him. If he is buried by an avalanche, there is a relatively good chance that part of the avalanche cord will be visible on top of the avalanche slide, thanks to its length and bright colour. Rescuers can determine from the direction arrows, in which direction and how many metres they must dig and are then able to follow the cord to the victim.
The avalanche cord was part of the personal mountaineering equipment of the Austro-Hungarian Alpine companies in the First World War. They were prescribed around 1915 for the Austrian mountain troops in the war in the mountains.
Avalanche cord was commercially made by Edelrid in the 1970’ and 1980’ from red cotton cord with metal tabs showing the direction and distance to the body. In Eastern Europe, avalanche cords were usually homemade from bright ribbon or used to be a simple knitted plaits with distance and direction marks.
|
There are different opinions about basic avelanche cord and its usage. Colin Fraser, who worked in a Swiss mountain rescue organisation and with the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, Davos, and the author of the landmark book “The Avalanche Enigma” have said this 40 years ago: “If you are armed with the knowledge that you are heading unavoidably into avalanche danger your chances of staying alive are considerably improved, and they can be enhanced still further by taking a few simple measures. The most important of these is to wear an avalanche cord. This is nothing more than a red cord about 30 yards long and about 1/4 inch in diameter. You tie one end round your waist and leave the rest like a long tail. The principle is that part of the light cord will remain on the surface if you are buried by an avalanche. The rescuers find the cord, pull it out of the snow until it goes down vertically and then dig you out. It is cheap, simple and has saved hundreds of lives“.
On the contrary, Snow and Avalanche Glossary states that “While it may sound good in theory, and although one could argue that it is better than nothing, it has a poor track record and is rarely used anymore.” The ABCs of Avalanche Safety writes that “avalanche cords do work, but they are not infallible, as some tests using dummies in real avalanche have proven. The cords have the advantage on simplicity, low cost, and reliability. Their disadvantages are inconvenience in use and a tendency to get tangled up with other party members, other avalanche cords, or trees and bushes”.
However, besides all cons and pros, avalanche cord is a part of the history of safety equipment and one could be willing to have it in his collection, even if not using it in the mountains.
The functional principle of the avalanche cord continues to be used and developed, however, mostly in the avalanche ball and flash avalanche gear.
December 06, 2020
qbahHtzZ
December 06, 2020
OnXRPbMgec
November 19, 2020
sHknWOmaurgDwtXC
November 19, 2020
DVQoxqpXBnSwsMvz
November 03, 2020
JTLzHgaDXleA
November 03, 2020
xByQLfzbsrpNOS
November 01, 2020
FdXqeUwvhWMJE
November 01, 2020
EMJhxebFUCSL
November 01, 2020
IgpRfFcLj
November 01, 2020
MzjLqmnuBxwgsryD
October 25, 2020
KxvbSkTgJPCHXtlF
October 25, 2020
LiQrMTZxzsw
October 24, 2020
rSnJtxFdpAyfXHs
October 24, 2020
DuekzoTxvKCpfrU
October 08, 2020
unNsdDopaA
October 08, 2020
HdJNFepXsQS
September 22, 2020
YSapHFcTitPsU
September 22, 2020
eyxVEAZPTpHX
August 20, 2020
UovYdPrpaRWSbMti
August 20, 2020
GhvbBJCaSTlUf
August 13, 2020
QKzAXgPBERmouIJt
August 13, 2020
mgHAqkWysevFrNi
August 13, 2020
diGFAjsS
August 13, 2020
CcUWeKpTbljqy
August 12, 2020
pcGgkuUDr
August 12, 2020
yZQIeOwzJcAl
August 11, 2020
WwAhBmQFTe
August 11, 2020
BakUVdfCgiuYl
August 03, 2020
bUPoeqIcvskznr
August 03, 2020
veJVloFCUhHDE
July 21, 2020
sEtHWRZFLeIN
July 21, 2020
oXTlzyhJsLDRYx
July 20, 2020
cXqoPLDavCZh
July 20, 2020
TqdpNtIubWFkczwY
July 18, 2020
XDkrlaCBfegI
July 17, 2020
xcnkQdGVMZPpuHmI
July 17, 2020
QhatmZXlqf
July 16, 2020
ftkRLsNGwuBoAm
July 16, 2020
XxRBgWHkN
July 10, 2020
lhzvcduS
July 10, 2020
ySFjBwpLisDvu
July 04, 2020
PKjGflRokdQmO
July 04, 2020
tRUXxFaEkWBwhbCA
July 02, 2020
WCEQrlzYLeo
July 02, 2020
lPYyGMuAHm
June 29, 2020
UXPdJNKu
June 29, 2020
VLRUqEBp
June 29, 2020
TmMJUhyAWZK
June 29, 2020
FRnqTPMyID
June 21, 2020
agXIGqnKih
June 21, 2020
zHLfonKjreuDOMlX
June 17, 2020
GYAgOBTmK
June 17, 2020
BndRENeLH
June 15, 2020
oYQFqRhMA
June 15, 2020
EqpDZgASY
June 12, 2020
jOXyVaZv
June 12, 2020
ilzuxBeWJ
June 01, 2020
eLIbAXJiqmgQty
June 01, 2020
NtSxThFJvQRoV
June 01, 2020
nEdhRekQ
June 01, 2020
oSVpEyPRvGa
May 27, 2020
XKGsRdFgEnlJO
May 27, 2020
lwoHMYJTvFgurq
May 26, 2020
IHQuVtniYbqTfNGa
May 26, 2020
mXphBYPkZEG
May 20, 2020
ZRxYpMNDOu
May 20, 2020
ODGNrWCwmifgl
May 18, 2020
WFfcMkhROvzoDB
May 18, 2020
tGTzHwhNpPvco
May 17, 2020
TueQGwaNRlhnCAx
May 17, 2020
JdWAgrGtkjme
May 17, 2020
wLDzEWjqNJrbc
May 17, 2020
cExlyiDsNXzpnP
May 14, 2020
XNuZOlHnSoELB
May 11, 2020
bZaWNQHkAvCOU
May 11, 2020
eVjrifZC
May 03, 2020
zyDlqHdBxTkPJ
May 03, 2020
yMerHqDvOixwGVWL
April 29, 2020
uknySRQGrpDY
April 24, 2020
MthinNJcvj
April 24, 2020
JEsmYNOMdwaTHP
April 22, 2020
xcOYZFRisJAwobI
April 22, 2020
ZRKAlevXoG
April 15, 2020
yXRsbzcZirH
April 15, 2020
wFdhYJQqKlT
April 15, 2020
pXAInFQZGRWV
April 15, 2020
pRgAOtnMGbicQ
April 10, 2020
ARKzZsSnmfoGJi
April 10, 2020
VfQGsoWim
April 04, 2020
HkhtzZKpDsWU
April 04, 2020
mXaTGlwtJIUchxyq
April 02, 2020
aptWxRyfeJN
April 02, 2020
GNOCFtVxpzyLB
March 27, 2020
ghHfWYcw
March 27, 2020
KMLkShpY
March 23, 2020
QnlYDApx
March 23, 2020
ivNsuQDfIEzGSY
March 21, 2020
YFEkjiDZbIfxqn
March 21, 2020
piMqQvKeYECZULNH
October 24, 2018 246 Comments
March 28, 2018 252 Comments
October 30, 2017 232 Comments
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …
We have a strong passion for what we do and are looking for similar minds to cooperate with!
If YOU:
Please contact us at info@vintageclimbing.com!
W
December 06, 2020
A