Avalanche dogs train in Les Deux Alps

18th December 2012, by Abi Butcher

Some 23 dogs and their handlers are currently on a course in the French ski resort of Les Deux Alpes

Avalanche dogs and their trainers are this week finishing three weeks of annual training in the French ski resort of Les Deux Alpes.

This is the seventh year that training has been held by the National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches (ANENA) on the glacier in Les Deux Alpes. Dog teams come from all over France, as well as Italy and Argentina to brush up on rescue techniques.

Despite all advances in technology, dogs are still regarded as the most effective way of finding skiers and snowboarders trapped by avalanches. One avalanche dog is equal to 20 people searching on foot, and it can search an area in one eighth of the time.

Canine behaviour, search techniques, dietetics, regulations, maintenance of the dog are all part of the programme, and dogs used include 

German shepherds, border collies, Australian shepherd dogs and Golden retrievers.

While dogs play an extremely important part in mountain rescue, their success rate of finding skiers and snowboarders buried by an avalanche depends on surface conditions, snow conditions, capabilities of the particular dog and scent diffusion — as well as how deep a victim is buried.

Last year there were 23 fatalities in 15 avalanches in the French Alps. Les Deux Alpes has three full-time avalanche dogs in its mountain rescue team.

Graduates of the course in Les Deux Alpes will be awarded the Maitre Chien d’Avalanche or National Certificate for Avalanche Dog Handlers.

• snow
• france
• avalanche
• les deux alpes

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