Avalanche deaths have surged in the Alps this season. Here’s why | Johan Gaume

As an ex-pro snowboarder, I know the temptations of fresh snowfall. And as an avalanche researcher, I know how easily people can get into troubleMany avalanche accidents occur just after a storm, when blue-sky conditions return and people head to the backcountry to enjoy fresh powder. These kinds of accidents happen every year, despite warnings to those heading out into the snow. It is easy to dismiss some behaviour as reckless, and sometimes it is – but it is also human behaviour, and it is nothing new.I have been there too; I have made mistakes and got lucky. When I was about 18, while freeriding with my brother, we suddenly changed direction towards a beautiful and untracked powder field. It felt magical, until we realised we were heading straight for a 100-metre cliff. We turned back just in time, and moments later, a huge avalanche released exactly where we had been, and went over the edge.Johan Gaume is an ex-pro snowboarder and a professor of alpine mass movements at ETH Zürich and SLF Davos Continue reading...