The danger of avalanches has decreased in the Tatra Mountains. On Wednesday, the Tatra Volunteer Emergency Service lowered the threat level from second to first. However, rescuers emphasize that the conditions for tourism in the higher parts of the mountains are still dangerous.
The latest announcement stated that as a result of cooling, the top layer of snow cover has stabilized, but the snow is still moderately attached to the ground. The first degree of avalanche danger means that triggering an avalanche is generally only possible with a large additional load in a few places on very steep or extreme slopes. However, small and medium-sized avalanches can occur spontaneously.
An additional factor increasing the risk of avalanches is strong wind. Warming temperatures are forecast for the coming days, which will cause the snow cover to become wet.
Difficult conditions for hiking in the mountains
TOPR rescuers, however, warn against disregarding the message and emphasize that the conditions for tourism in the higher parts of the mountains are still dangerous. There is ice on the trails in many places. When going to higher parts of the mountains, it is necessary to have winter tourist equipment such as crampons, an ice ax, a helmet and an avalanche ABC – i.e. a detector, a probe and a shovel.
Two tourists who were carried away by an avalanche on Monday while trying to climb Rysy did not have such equipment. They suffered minor injuries and descended on their own to the shelter at Morskie Oko, where they notified TOPR rescuers about the incident.
Main photo source: weather.topr.pl