Analysis of avalanche risk factors in backcountry terrain based on usage  frequency and accident data in Switzerland

Techel, F.; Zweifel, B.; Winkler, K.

doi:10.5194/nhess-15-1985-2015

Articles | Volume 15, issue 9

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-1985-2015

© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-1985-2015

© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 15, issue 9

Research article

|

09 Sep 2015

Research article |

| 09 Sep 2015

Analysis of avalanche risk factors in backcountry terrain based on usage frequency and accident data in Switzerland

F. Techel, B. Zweifel, and K. Winkler

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Views and downloads (calculated since 13 Aug 2014)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Aug 2014	43	29	1	73
Sep 2014	27	10	1	38
Oct 2014	84	15	0	99
Nov 2014	25	6	0	31
Dec 2014	17	18	0	35
Jan 2015	8	8	0	16
Feb 2015	9	5	0	14
Mar 2015	13	8	0	21
Apr 2015	22	6	2	30
May 2015	39	6	2	47
Jun 2015	10	2	2	14
Jul 2015	15	5	0	20
Aug 2015	1	2	0	3
Sep 2015	55	57	4	116
Oct 2015	49	32	4	85
Nov 2015	45	43	1	89
Dec 2015	77	36	2	115
Jan 2016	29	43	1	73
Feb 2016	15	39	1	55
Mar 2016	14	25	0	39
Apr 2016	9	22	0	31
May 2016	9	14	0	23
Jun 2016	6	9	1	16
Jul 2016	4	15	1	20
Aug 2016	5	9	0	14
Sep 2016	9	7	0	16
Oct 2016	7	15	0	22
Nov 2016	10	10	1	21
Dec 2016	6	14	0	20
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Apr 2017	16	33	0	49
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Jun 2017	16	15	1	32
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Oct 2017	5	39	0	44
Nov 2017	18	40	1	59
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Feb 2018	9	13	0	22
Mar 2018	16	22	1	39
Apr 2018	11	23	1	35
May 2018	9	18	0	27
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Jul 2018	10	24	1	35
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Feb 2024	21	20	3	44
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Dec 2024	40	28	6	74
Jan 2025	21	17	4	42
Feb 2025	23	12	3	38
Mar 2025	26	17	1	44
Apr 2025	18	14	0	32
May 2025	30	16	0	46
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Aug 2025	17	20	2	39
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Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 13 Aug 2014)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Aug 2014	43	29	1	73
Sep 2014	27	10	1	38
Oct 2014	84	15	0	99
Nov 2014	25	6	0	31
Dec 2014	17	18	0	35
Jan 2015	8	8	0	16
Feb 2015	9	5	0	14
Mar 2015	13	8	0	21
Apr 2015	22	6	2	30
May 2015	39	6	2	47
Jun 2015	10	2	2	14
Jul 2015	15	5	0	20
Aug 2015	1	2	0	3
Sep 2015	55	57	4	116
Oct 2015	49	32	4	85
Nov 2015	45	43	1	89
Dec 2015	77	36	2	115
Jan 2016	29	43	1	73
Feb 2016	15	39	1	55
Mar 2016	14	25	0	39
Apr 2016	9	22	0	31
May 2016	9	14	0	23
Jun 2016	6	9	1	16
Jul 2016	4	15	1	20
Aug 2016	5	9	0	14
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Feb 2023	15	11	0	26
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Nov 2023	9	3	1	13
Dec 2023	14	10	1	25
Jan 2024	18	11	1	30
Feb 2024	21	20	3	44
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Aug 2024	12	2	7	21
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Feb 2025	23	12	3	38
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Apr 2025	18	14	0	32
May 2025	30	16	0	46
Jun 2025	37	21	0	58
Jul 2025	38	17	4	59
Aug 2025	17	20	2	39
Sep 2025	36	17	1	54
Oct 2025	28	30	3	61
Nov 2025	28	17	2	47

Latest update: 23 Nov 2025

Short summary

We present a spatiotemporal picture of winter backcountry usage in the Swiss Alps and compare this with the distribution of avalanche accidents. Critical avalanche danger conditions and an unfavorable snowpack (old snow problem) strongly increase the risk of winter backcountry recreationists to be involved in a severe avalanche accident. This explains why there are comparably more accidents in the inneralpine regions with less activity.