Alpine tragedy: 2 US ski team prospects killed in avalanche

Fox News ^ | 01/05/2015

[SeekAndFind]

Two of America's brightest young ski prospects were killed Monday when an avalanche struck the Austrian Alps slopes where they were training for an international competition.

Ronnie Berlack, 20, of Franconia, N.H., and Bryce Astle, 19, of Sandy, Utah, died in the incident near the Rettenbach glacier near Soelden, the venue for the annual season-opening World Cup races. Four other skiers who were practicing with them managed to ski out of the massive slide and emerged unscathed.

"Ronnie and Bryce were both outstanding ski racers who were passionate about their sport -- both on the race course and skiing the mountain," U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Tiger Shaw said. "Our hearts go out to the Berlack and Astle families, as well as to their extended sport family. Both of them loved what they did and conveyed that to those around them."

The skiers were descending from the 3,056-meter Gaislachkogel when they left the prepared slope and apparently set off the avalanche. The other four skied out of the slide and escaped unhurt. Officials in the Tyrolean region said an avalanche alert had been declared for the area after days of heavy snowfall and mild temperatures.

[BobL]

Perhaps the survivors will heed the avalanche warnings a bit more seriously.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

...and stay inbounds. It is a huge temptation for youth to ski out of bounds thinking they are invincible. Sorry to hear this sad news.

[Little Pig]

I’ve skied Solden. Most of the slope is *on* the glacier. The mountain is entirely above the timberline, so the only things you have to show where the skiiable slope is are the Piste markers. It’s entirely believable that they got off-piste, maybe even without knowing. All bets are off once you leave the marked trail; even a minor deviation, and the mountain can swallow you.

[miserare]

So sad.

I guess there’s still no way to predict avalanches.