VIDEO: When Powder Panic and Summit Fever Can Lead To Bad Decisions

We’ve all experienced it in some way or another: too much of a good thing (powder skiing) can drive our decision making. Usually, it leads us to explore new places and push our physical limits, but sometimes it can lead us to be blinded and overlook vital safety basics. Sharing the intimate details of incidents where this played a role gives us the opportunity to examine and reflect so we can try to avoid them in the future. On March 20, 2021, two Swiss freeriders, Forrest and Lake Schorderet, were ecstatic to wake up to powder after a two-month long dry spell in the Alps. What should have been a perfect day ended in an avalanche, with Lake fully buried. Hear what happened and how this incident further evolved their snow-safety attitude in Episode 1 of Mammut’s latest safety series Aspects.