Hundreds of avalanches come down in Italy every year. In the 2024/25 season, the Italian Alpine and Cave Rescue Corps (CNSAS) was called out to more than 200 avalanche accidents, several of them fatal. Prevention is everything: knowing the risks, spotting danger and reacting correctly can save your life.
The avalanche danger scale
AINEVA, the interregional body for the study of snow and avalanches, publishes a daily bulletin based on the European danger scale:
| Level | Name | Snowpack stability | Likelihood of an avalanche |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low | Generally well bonded | Only with a heavy load on extremely steep slopes |
| 2 | Moderate | Moderately bonded | With a heavy load on the steep slopes named in the bulletin |
| 3 | Considerable | Moderately to weakly bonded on many slopes | Even with a light load |
| 4 | High | Weakly bonded on most slopes | Likely, even naturally |
| 5 | Very high | Generally unstable | Very likely, naturally |
Warning: level 3, ‘Considerable’, is the most treacherous. Statistically, more fatal accidents happen at level 3 than at any other, because many skiers underestimate it.
The safety kit you must carry
Anyone going freeriding must always carry the three essentials.
Avalanche transceiver (ARTVA)
The avalanche transceiver, called ARTVA in Italy, sends out a radio signal at 457 kHz so a buried person can be found:
- Wear it under your clothes, switched on in ‘send’ mode
- If there is an accident, switch it to ‘search’ to find the buried person
- Search range: 40-80 m depending on the model
- Check the batteries before every outing
- Digital three-antenna models work best
Snow shovel
A strong, light shovel is essential for digging:
- Aluminium alloy, with a telescopic handle
- Digging out someone buried 1 metre deep takes at least 10 minutes
- A shovel is ten times faster than digging with your hands
Avalanche probe
A telescopic pole (2.5-3 m) for pinpointing exactly where the person is buried:
- Use it after the transceiver search to find the exact spot
- Push it vertically into the snow at regular intervals
- When you feel something different from snow, you have found the person
Airbag backpack (recommended)
An airbag backpack is not compulsory but is strongly recommended:
- When the slope releases, you pull a handle and a balloon inflates to keep you on the surface
- It halves the chance of being completely buried
- Cost: €500-900, with gas or electric refills
How to assess the risk
Five things to consider
Before every off-piste outing, look at:
- The day’s avalanche bulletin (check aineva.it)
- Slope angle: most avalanches release on slopes between 30° and 45°
- Aspect: north-facing slopes collect more snow and keep it longer
- Altitude: the risk increases above the treeline
- Recent conditions: snowfall, wind and temperatures over the last 48 hours
Warning signs
On the ground, look out for:
- A ‘whumpf’: the sound of the snowpack collapsing under your feet
- Cracks in the snow: visible fractures shooting out across the snowpack
- Recent avalanches: a sign that conditions are unstable
- Cornices: wind-built overhangs on ridges
- Wind slab: a hard, compact layer sitting on weaker layers (more dangerous than powder)
If there is an avalanche
If you are caught
- Try to get out of the flow to the side
- If you cannot, get rid of your skis and poles
- Try to ‘swim’ to stay near the surface
- As the avalanche slows, make an air pocket in front of your face with your arms
- Once you stop, save your energy and stay calm
If a companion is caught
- Note where they disappeared (the last point you saw them)
- Call 112 straight away
- Switch your transceiver to search mode
- Search: follow the transceiver’s directions towards the signal
- Probe: find exactly where the person is buried
- Dig: start digging downhill of the probe
Crucial: 93% of buried people survive if they are dug out within 15 minutes. After 35 minutes, the chance of survival drops below 30%. Companions can almost always reach a victim faster than professional rescuers.
Avalanche safety courses
In Italy, the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and mountain guides run structured courses:
- Basic course (1-2 days): using a transceiver, reading the bulletin, practical exercises
- Advanced course (3-5 days): reading the snowpack, planning a route, managing an emergency
- Yearly refresher: transceiver search practice, updated techniques
Typical cost: €100-250 for the basic course, €300-500 for the advanced one.
The safest resorts for guided off-piste skiing
Many resorts offer guided freeride outings with certified mountain guides:
- Alagna Valsesia: very experienced guides on Monte Rosa
- Courmayeur: the Guide di Courmayeur, among the most renowned in Italy
- Bormio: the Valtellina mountain guides
- Arabba: local guides who know the Dolomites inside out
For the latest snow and avalanche conditions: mountain weather and live webcams.