How long is the rope connection to the AVALANCHE BALL?
The first experiments were carried out with a rope of more than 12 ms. As more than 90 % of all buried avalanche victims are located not deeper than 1.5 ms. (data source: avalanche statistics of Eidg. Institut fr Schnee- und Lawinenforschung, Weissfluhjoch/Davos, CH) the length was reduced to 6 ms. As a consequence, the balloon stays closer to its user, location and recovery is even faster. The difference of flow speed between the balloon on top and a buried person under an avalanche stretches the rope on the surface. The rope remained visible in all avalanche experiments. An extended avalanche experiment in Davos (2001) has shown, that the rope (strength: 4 mms.) can even be drawn out of hard packed snow easily. Data source: Avalanche experiment Davos/Results and conclusions by expert witness and chief instructor of OEAV (Austrian Alpine Association).
