Avalanches are a common hazard when you’re climbing in snow-bound mountains. From a distance, an avalanche is an awe-inspiring sight to see. From up close, it’s downright terrifying and often deadly.

Yearly, around 150 people die in avalanches.

Most avalanches occur just after a heavy snowfall, often in combination with the sun melting the snow, making it heavier.

In this article, I will take a look at the five mountains in the world with the most avalanches and also at the factors that cause an avalanche. Lastly, I will have a quick look at avalanche prevention and control.

1. Annapurna

This is perhaps the most dangerous mountain in the world and is located in Nepal, close to Mount Everest.

The avalanches on Annapurna strike without warning, contributing to the fatality rate of 33% on its slopes.

Only 150 people have summited Annapurna in recorded history. Not long ago I wrote an article about why Annapurna is the deadliest mountain ever, which you can read here.

2. The Alps

The Alps, stretching across a large portion of Europe, sees many avalanches each year. This mountain range includes regions of Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia and Switzerland.

The most dangerous part of the Alps in terms of avalanches is definitely France and Italy.

In the French Alps alone, around 30 people die in avalanches each year.

Here, fatalities aren’t just caused by dangerous weather – people are often unaware of the risks involved and thus don’t maintain proper safety guidelines while out in the mountains.

3. Wasatch Mountains

The Wasatch Mountains, located in Utah, USA, has the third most avalanches in the world.

Avalanches in this area are caused by steep terrain and comparatively warm daytime temperatures, causing the snow on the slopes to soften enough to cascade down.

4. Montroc

Montroc experiences the heaviest snowfall in France. Avalanches are a common occurrence here, killing many people and damaging buildings in the mountains.

In 1999, an avalanche destroyed a small village and killed 12 people near the town of Chamonix. The mayor of this town was found guilty of second degree murder, since he didn’t evacuate the village in time.

5. Kangchenjunga

Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world, located on the border of Nepal and India.

This mountain has steep slopes and highly unpredictable weather, creating prime conditions for the regular occurrence of avalanches.

Due to the severe weather conditions and high frequency of avalanches, Kangchenjunga has an extremely high fatality rate, with nearly a fifth of the people attempting to summit dying on the way.

The Main Causes of an Avalanche

Most avalanches occur on moderate slopes with an angle between 30° and 45°. Snow doesn’t really accumulate on steeper slopes, since there’s nothing for it to cling to.

Flatter slopes usually don’t have avalanches, since there’s nowhere for it to fall to.

When the gravitational force exerted by the weight of the snow is greater than the strength of the snow itself, an avalanche will occur.

When snow melts or heats up a little, it will soften and weaken. That’s why avalanches usually occur in warmer weather or at times when there’s no cloud cover, allowing the sun to shine directly on the snow-covered slopes. Added to this, a loud noise or vibrations can trigger avalanches.

Avalanches start in a “starting zone”. This is literally the area where the first snow falls, causing a knock-on effect as it dislodges more snow. This then dislodges even more snow as it moves down the slope, or track, all the while gaining more momentum. Eventually, an avalanche will reach a plane or runout zone, lose momentum and stop. 

The 4 Ways to Prevent and Control Avalanches

There are many ways to mitigate the risk of avalanches and even prevent them from occurring at all. 

• One of these methods is snow fences. These are barriers that prevent windblown, drifting snow from reaching a specific area. Instead, snow will build up in an area where it won’t pose an avalanche risk or where it is easy to remove.

• Secondly, structures can be built to support or stabilize snow. This minimizes the effect of warmer weather on the integrity of the snow. Deflecting walls divert avalanches away from certain areas. In this manner, buildings and even entire towns can be protected from the danger of an avalanche.

• Reforestation of mountain slopes also mitigates the risk of avalanches, since the momentum of any potential snowfall will be broken by the trees.

• A way of decreasing the risk of large, uncontrolled avalanches is to cause small, controlled avalanches. This way, a portion of the snow that builds up on slopes is dislodged and thus removed, preventing a larger build up over time. Controlled avalanches are started using percussion guns, explosives or artillery at times when people are kept away from the area. 

Conclusion

Avalanches are a real danger when you’re out in snowy mountains. Knowing the signs of dangers and the risks on the particular slopes you’re travelling on could save your life.

I’m guessing that if you are planning on climbing anything in the Himalayan mountain range (such as Annapurna), you are probably not reading this article for tips.

However, if you are just starting out I would show great respect to the mountains. If you are travelling to common locations such as the alps or Wasatch Mountains, there will be local guides that can help you.

Most accidents in the mountains could have been avoided in the first place by being careful and by not risking anything.

If you plan on trekking across any of the mountains mentioned in this article, be sure to read up on avalanche protocol and, if you haven’t done so already, get some training from an experienced guide. Happy adventures!