Sainte Foy Tarentaise : 30 August 2020
Whilst building the new Arpettaz chairlift, they are making use of having workmen and equipment up the mountain to install some extra avalanche safety equipment.
These newly-installed pulley wheels and cables are used to transport explosives up to right places where there is unstable snow, and to trigger avalanches. The pisteurs carry out this work to protect the skiers within the ‘domaine skiable’, ski area, and this extra CATEX equipment enables them to work more safely and more quickly, so that we can enjoy the fresh new snow sooner and more safely.
When we spoke to Grégory Roy, Chef de Pistes in Sainte Foy, back in February 2020, he told us that we currently have sixty CATEX (CAbles for Transporting EXplosives) sites and ten sites which have to be set off manually.
In the photos you can see the poles, pulley wheels and cables which are used to transport the explosives into position. This new cabling will protect the piste and off piste area above Arpettaz and over towards the transverse from Aiguille to Crystal Dark.
The explosives are used after big snowfalls to clear unstable and dangerous snow. The pisteurs really come into their own, and their days start at 3.30 am for some early morning avalanche blasting. Greg told us that “It is important to clear unstable snow off the slopes before skiers go there, and we do this by setting off explosions to trigger avalanches.” Each of these explosions is made using 2.8 kg of dynamite in a plastic sausage. Grég has 400kg in stock in a secret location under very high security, with video connected to the local police station.
Using these cables to transport the explosives to the right place for setting off avalanches saves time and is safer for the pisteurs. Clearing unstable snow is safer for skiers and boarders, and the sooner it can be done, the sooner we can get out there and enjoy the fresh new snow!
There are also some warning signs on the mountain, which flash to alert you to the fact that the pisteurs are working to detonate and trigger avalanches. You will not be allowed to take the lift to access these places where the pisteurs are setting off avalanches. However, if you are ski touring, skinning up the mountain or running up the pistes after a snowfall, you should keep an eye open for these signs and take heed of their warning.
Safety on the mountain is important to all of us, and the pisteurs are highly skilled to do a fantastic job protecting and looking after our safety.
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