Massive Avalanche-video

[AltaPowderDaze]

large download x-posted from t-tips. video link

an explosive set off a 1.5-3' fracture that later steps down. must see video.

[Pura Vida]

Was watching it thinking, yep thats a pretty big slide, then the whole thing goes Amazing stuff. Where was this shot? New Zealand?

[AltaPowderDaze]

Was watching it thinking, yep thats a pretty big slide, then the whole thing goes Amazing stuff. Where was this shot? New Zealand?

yup. this will answer most questions that may follow.

originally posted by ava blanche at ttips:

It is amazing how references to this video have jumped from one site to another.

As far as I know, Chucky Gross first posted it on the Telemarktalk Forum on December 30: http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/vi...=1528&start=30

Then I posted it on the Couloirmag site at http://www.telemarkskier.com/cgi-bin...c;f=4;t=000020

So now it is back here in fresh form- but on the Avalanche Forum, where it should have been in the first place.

But it also has been re-posted on the Telemarktalk Forum, and for a second time on Couloir!

Anyway, the avalanche was triggered during avalanche control work in September, 2003 on the Mangaehuehu Glacier, which is right beside the Mt. Ruepehu ski area in New Zealand. The Mangaehuehu Glacier is a favourite out of area ski run.

1. the bomb that set off the avalanche was thrown into the top left portion of the bowl where the combination of steepness, wind loading, and retarded sintering (due to this being a cold pocket) would create the best starting zone.

2. the initial slide starts small but then suddenly, it sets off the entire bowl, which breaks up and generates a massive avalanche which flows down the valley.

3. watch the video and imagine yourself being in an avalanche like this where even the smallest dropoff or gully that would concentrate snow would be extremely hazardous to your health. Wearing an Avalung, or an ABS Pack would not do a lot of good.

4. the avalanche goes on and on and keeps rolling down pretty gentle terrain at the bottom. I assume that by the time the slide got down to near the bottom, it was pretty wet, which would explain its flowing motion on such gentle slopes. The high water content would be due to heat build-up generated by the change of gravitational potential energy first into kinetic energy, and then into heat energy.

Anyway, this is quite a sobering video; definitely should make you think twice about ever getting into a situation where you could be on the ground swimming in this mass of snow, rather than watching it from a helicopter.
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Now lets see how many more times we can circle it through all the Ttips and Couloir forums without anybody noticing!

[char]

watch the video and imagine yourself being in an avalanche like this where even the smallest dropoff or gully that would concentrate snow would be extremely hazardous to your health. Wearing an Avalung, or an ABS Pack would not do a lot of good.

Not to mention the massive search area required to find someone in a slide that big.

Wow.

[subtle plague]

good video, but his conclusion why the slide looks wet is pretty strange
it is more conclusive that it was september (spring) and had gotten really warm further down as you can see where the avie does not go off. There are plenty of water tracks running down the mountain. So ----> wet avalanche further down.

[G]

I just happened to be there to watch it in person. It was F'ing unreal to see.

I made a post about it last year. My video isn't hosted anymore, but I'll upload another copy later on if anyone wants to see it.

Thread: Video: One Big, Gigantic, #%^&ing Huge, Massive AVALANCHE






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[powstash]

makes you think more indepth about what is above you as you tour - not just above you as in the 100-1000 feet you can see, but what's above that. When I took a Canadian Ski Guide course back in 97, that was the message they said more than anything else - think about the consequences and then think broader than you're currently thinking.

Great vid, thanks for posting it.

[Blurred]

Amazing video. I was just watching it thinking, that's a cool little slide, and then the whole fucker ripped! Good stuff!