The last weeks in the Tatra Mountains reminded us how dangerous the mountains are in winter. There were several avalanches, the most tragic one in the area of Kondracka Przełęcz. A 28-year-old man died under the snow. A large avalanche descended from Marchwiczna Przełęcz straight onto the frozen surface of Morskie Oko, breaking the ice. In the Valley of Five Polish Ponds, an avalanche carried away one person, who luckily managed to get to the surface. TOPR rescuers appeal to tourists every day to be careful. Mountain expeditions in winter require experience, knowledge and appropriate equipment. Unfortunately, tourists often ignore these appeals. The recklessness, lack of imagination and self-righteousness are terrifying.
– Considering the number of mistakes we see in the field, the scale of what people do in the mountains, there are so few accidents that we can say, somewhat jokingly, that they basically do not exist – Piotr Konopka, a TOPR rescuer, tells Interia.
More and more people visit the Tatra Mountains, but this does not always translate into the skills they have. Bravado, thoughtlessness, lack of experience and ignorance are the most common sins of tourists in the Tatra Mountains. Many go to the mountains without knowledge of the topography, proper preparation and knowledge of basic safety rules. The pursuit of a striking photo and the desire to impress others combined with a lack of skills is a recipe for tragedy. Social media is driving this race – higher, faster, more extreme. It makes your hair stand on end when you read online entries of mountain “experts” who advise others without having sufficient knowledge and experience.
It’s similar with equipment. Owning an expensive avalanche backpack, crampons or ice ax without knowing how to use them is like owning a luxury car without knowing how to drive it. – Even the best equipment will not save our lives if we do not know how to use it – emphasizes the TOPR rescuer.
Avalanches in winter, just like storms in summer, are one of the greatest threats in the Tatra Mountains. The triggering of an avalanche is difficult to estimate and the risk cannot be completely eliminated. However, there are certain signs that can help prevent a tragedy. Mountain rescuers monitor the situation every day and determine the level of risk. The TOPR and TPN websites provide an avalanche risk assessment on a five-point scale, where 1 means the risk is slight, 2 is moderate, 3 is significant and 4 is high. Degree 5 in Poland does not exist in practice due to the size of the Tatra Mountains. It means the risk of a powerful avalanche, which would pose a threat to permanently inhabited areas and infrastructure. In Poland, it is not possible for towns or roads to be buried under an avalanche, as is the case, for example, in the Swiss or Austrian Alps.
The highest avalanche danger level announced in Poland is 4. – Going to the mountains is then completely excluded – says a TOPR rescuer. – Even walking in some montane valleys is not necessarily safe. At level 4, the shelters in Hala Kondratowa or Morskie Oko could be swept away by an avalanche – he adds. Avalanche four equals extreme danger.
Taking these factors into account, a triple avalanche in the Polish mountains, even though it is located in the middle of the international scale, means a high risk and people without appropriate knowledge should not think about going to the mountains at all. – With the avalanche three, persistent climbers, people professionally or sportily involved in the mountains, guides and rescuers can move around the mountains. – warns Piotr Konopka.
The TOPR rescuer draws attention to one more thing. – Technology causes an increasing belief in immortality. I meet tourists who, when I point out to them that going, for example, Zawratowy Żleb, with avalanche level 3 can be fatal, answer: We have cell phones. I ask them: If you are buried in an avalanche, will your cells breathe for you?
Rescuers warn that in such conditions, even the seemingly easy route to Morskie Oko is at risk of avalanches. The trail is crossed by gullies in several places. Recently, an avalanche occurred from Wiedzy Żleb to the so-called Ejsmond’s bend, and its blast crossed the popular road to Morskie Oko. Several smaller avalanches descended from the slopes of Opalane, which did not reach the road. Another avalanche came from under Żabi Koń towards Czarny Staw pod Rysami.
Accidents in the mountains most often occur the day after the weather breaks. After several days of waiting, impatient people set off for the mountains. Unfortunately, they make the mistake of interpreting good weather as good conditions for mountain tourism. One of the most dangerous factors influencing avalanche risk is wind. – Even those experienced in mountain hiking do not always realize that in strong winds and a few days after them, the risk of triggering an avalanche increases dramatically, while laypeople do not take this into account at all – says a TOPR rescuer.
Most avalanches that result in injury or death are human-caused. – This is a completely unjustified opinion that an avalanche fell and carried away a man. 99.99 percent It’s the case that a person causes an avalanche that harms him, says Piotr Konopka.
The last avalanches in the Tatra Mountains were caused by humans. This was also the case at Przełęcz Kondracka. The tourists who took this trail that day made a number of mistakes. – With avalanche three, hiking should be excluded in such a slope. This is the first mistake they made. Moreover, the choice of the access route to the pass under Kopa Kondracka was terrible, one of the worst possible. In winter, when there is an avalanche risk, walking there is completely different. Next, not keeping the appropriate distance. This is a cardinal mistake. Only one person should stay on a slope at risk of avalanches. You should walk at very large distances, even a few meters will be too small. In this case, the tourists were walking one after the other, which is documented in photos taken before the avalanche – says the TOPR rescuer.
An avalanche near the Kondracka Pass kidnapped seven people. Two people were partially buried, one managed to get out from under the snow with the help of other tourists. None of the tourists had an avalanche ABC, i.e. a detector, a probe and a shovel. A 28-year-old man was completely buried by piles of snow. It took rescuers almost two hours to find and dig it out.
– If he had a detector, maybe he would be alive – sums up the TOPR rescuer.