Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and a world-famous mountaineering center. Unfortunately, avalanches in these places are not uncommon, but you can significantly protect yourself by following a few simple tips.
When going to Mont Blanc, always take a bipper with you - a device designed to find people caught in an avalanche. This equipment greatly simplifies the work of rescuers, and in some cases it becomes the only way to find a person. The beeper operates at a frequency of 457 kHz, so that the signal passes even through a dense layer of snow. You can buy or rent such a device. Of course, it will not protect you from an avalanche, but it is an important precaution.
To reduce the likelihood of being hit by an avalanche at Mont Blanc, choose your travel time carefully. Most often, avalanches come down after heavy snowfall, when new snow falls on the already frozen old one. The risk is especially great when snowfall occurs at low temperatures. It is not recommended to go to the mountains during strong winds. Increases the risk of avalanches and extreme weather changes.
The likelihood of an avalanche also varies from month to month. The safest in Mont Blanc are December and January, the most dangerous are February and March. In February and March, the snow that has fallen out many times periodically melts and forms the so-called "snow slabs", which are then covered with snow again. A thick layer of snow recrystallizes into large ice needles, on which new snow mass accumulates. All this can break off at any moment and slide down, sweeping away everything in its path.
Before going to Mont Blanc, it will not be superfluous to find out the depth of the snow cover. The lowest degree I of avalanche danger is established with a snow depth of up to 30 cm, II degree - from 30 to 50 cm, III - from 50 to 70 cm, IV - from 70 to 100 cm. The highest degree of avalanche danger, when it is not recommended to go to the mountains - thickness snow cover from 120 cm.
The easiest way to protect yourself from being hit by an avalanche on Mont Blanc is not to go out into the mountains immediately after a heavy repeated snowfall, try to avoid small ravines, valleys with steep slopes and hollows. It is safer to travel to Mont Blanc in an organized group, accompanied by an experienced climber. Try not to deviate from the planned route. As a rule, such routes are regularly checked by rescuers for safety, due to which the probability of being hit by an avalanche is minimized.
