Winter Sports Guide_en

Wilfried Graf, Safety Expert at Strolz
Wilfried Graf has been a Strolz employee for 25 years. He grew up in
Carinthia; in Heiligenblut to be precise. As the son of the local
mountain rescue manager, alpine know-how and mountain safety
came to him naturally. So it is only logical that Wilfried became
an alpine safety expert.
AVOIDING DANGER
IS MORE IMPORTANT
THAN ANY RESCUE
EQUIPMENT!
Just as naturally, the first question one would direct at such an
expert is what basic equipment every winter sports enthusiast must
have before heading out into the open. Avalanche search device,
shovel, probe, bivouac bag, fi rst aid kit and avalanche airbag, Wilfried
says – and the fact that he likes answering this question is readily
apparent. Wilfried explains that the odds of survival for a buried
avalanche victim decrease drastically after only 15 minutes, which
means locating victims as quickly as possible is essential. In order
to facilitate this process and to clear the air passages first, the
beeper has to be worn over the top layer of clothing and as close to
the head as possible, Wilfried adds. He also says that rescuers
have to dig where the beeper signal is strongest since this saves
valuable recovery time. Outdoor excursions should be taken with
familiar people close to you that you can trust with your life. You
should also have practiced search and rescue with them so you can
be sure they know what to do. After all, the situation becomes even
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