I do a lot of solo mountaineering. So I just got a pair of alpine touring skis and went to Mt. Rainier. Was a whiteout, so now I'll need a GPS so I don't walk off a cliff. Ranger scolded me for not having an avalanche beacon. I asked her "how would you know to look for me", she just gave me a blank look. So does anyone know if there's a combination avalanche beacon and PLB? Does a PLB work as an avalanche beacon? Different frequencies I know. The options are, as I see it:

1. Cell phone, downside is there's no reception in the backcountry
2. PLB, think I'll get one of these
3. GPS, guess I'll get one of these finally, are there any combo units with emergency beacons?
4. Avy beacon, will any of the above work instead?
5. Short-wave transciever to call the ranger, downside is I'll need a HAM license.

As far as I can tell I'll need the first 4 of the above gadgets to: keep in contact with family, signal for help, find my way through the storm, and be found under snow. I see where SPOT will be able to relay user-inputted messages soon, but I'll still need a cellphone to order pizza.

Solo, in avalanche terrain?

Here you go
http://www.intelliquote.com/default.asp?...CFRMqagodmR_KaA

A avalanche beacon is always ‘on’. A PLB only when activated. Pushing the button on a PLB can be an issue when buried under 10 feet of snow…

The two devices are for different uses. Not much point having a PLB, even if its activated if you are buried in a avalanche. Your most likely dead by the time rescue shows up. A PLB sends a message to search and rescue by satellite. It takes time for the too arrive. A avalanche beacon is only useful when you travel with others, also equipped with beacons, shovels and probes. A beacon is short range device and only useful if the rescuer is close by. Time is essential for avalanche victims.

A PLB is nice for other emergency’s in the mountains, when you can wait for rescue.

Best advice is not to travel alone, wear avalanche beacons, snow shovel, probe and a PLB.

Oh and what do you mean with mountaineering exactly?

To add to what Tjin said.
Avalanche beacons are also avalanche beacon receivers.
If you dissapear under a cloud of the white stuff, your friends switch their beacons to search mode and look for you. this of course requires training (and a certain level of inteligence) - having just the one beacon is pretty pointless.
Although some resort and mountain resuce groups have avalanche beacons that can be carried by helicoter to search a large avalanche area quickly - this is really only useful if one hits a ski run where they know there are people.

There are also cheap passive avalanche beacons (RECO tags) which can be built into clothes and ski gear. These are very short range, the rescuer has to be prety much standing over the top of you. They are standard for all skiers and ski patrols in european resorts but seem rare in the US.

No technology in the world can prevent you from walking off a cliff in a whiteout if the terrain is rough. Of course, a GPS can assist your efforts to stay in areas where cliffs are fewer.

But as an experienced solo hiker I bet you knew that already, didn't you? Nevermind, I just took advantage to blow off some steam on a subject dear to my heart: Overconfidence in technology. Trusting a GPS is great as long as you don't have overconfidence in its accuracy. Being just 3 foot off trail is deadly many places...


You said it yourself to the ranger: "How would you know to look for me?" Most people that live through an avalanche are saved by their buddies. This is where avalanche beacons can and do make a difference for those dedicated enough to use one. For your purposes, it is just a body locator service: All by yourself in an avalanche, you'll be dead and long gone before anyone reports you missing. But locating your body is no small thing - it saves hundreds of man-hours of searching and improves the grieving process for your relatives and friends.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure no PLB in the world will ever work buried in an avalanche - snow and ice are not good mediums for radio transmission.

I say avalanche is all about knowledge and avoidance, in particular for the solo hiker. But ah, the joys of skiing the very slopes that are most prone to avalanches...



There are PLB's with GPS in them, read the threads about SPOT on this forum. But those are (to my knowledge) not suitable nor intended as general purpose GPS. I suggest you keep GPS and PLB separate, that way your every day routine (GPS navigation) does not empty the batteries of your emergency life line (the PLB).



To my knowledge: No.

But there are miracle stories about people being saved with reflections from cell phones when searched for with Recco-equipment. Doesn't sound very reliable in my book.

Thanks folks! All good comments.

Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, St. Helens, these places are always full of tourists and rangers. When I "solo" hike and climb on them in the summer there's always been someone else in sight. Got on those skis a few days ago and it was a different story. But with all those rangers and emergency response gear around I'm thinking a PLB signal might get to them in minutes after activated and they can be to a lost soul in a couple of hours, especially as I always notify them of my routes. Maybe even in time to dig someone out of an avalanche (providing I can activate the PLB while still conscious).... As someone mentioned, it's also polite to wear a beacon to enable a speedy body recovery.

Consider that even if you are solo, with a beacon a bystander(s) may see you get caught in an avalanche and try to rescue you. You might have the chance to help someone else also.

From what I've read, the snow in an avalanche sets like cement within a few seconds of stopping. There's no way to activate a PLB in that situation.

Once buried in snow -- even if activated -- the PLB probably won't be able to receive a GPS signal so no precise lat-long, and if the PLB antenna isn't oriented right it probably won't connect to SARSAT. They just weren't designed to work under snow.

I don't know if they really work or not but I remember I once read about so called avalanche airbags. Here are some examples from my bookmarks: http://www.abssystem.com/ , http://www.skiingthebackcountry.com/Snow_Pulse_Avalanche_Airbag.php (no affiliation etc.).
It might give you one more layer of protection against an avalanche.

First thing to do is go take an avalanche safety course then you will have a better understanding of the issues involved.

It is nice to think that everyone will jump to your rescue when you get buried in an avalanche while traveling solo but you will have less than 30 minutes of air and you will not be able to move a finger to press a button on your PLB.

Get some avalanche avoidance knowledge before you head out so that you can avoid putting yourself and the rescuers in danger.