When an avalanche releases some distance away from the trigger point.
Someone does not need to be on the avalanche to trigger the avalanche. Especially in a snowpack with high propagation potential, a person can initiate a fracture from some distance away. We call these “remote” triggers. It’s common to remotely trigger an avalanche from the ridge above a slope, a gentler slope next to the avalanche and especially from a flat or gentle area below the avalanche. Needless to say, if you remotely-trigger an avalanche, the snowpack is extremely unstable and you need to choose your routes very carefully.
INSTABILITY | NATURAL AVALANCHES | HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES | EXPLOSIVE AND CORNICE-TRIGGERED AVALANCHES |
Very Unstable | |||
Widespread natural | |||
Common Natural | Widespread human and remotely-triggered | ||
Localized natural | Easy human triggers | Widespread explosive triggers | |
No Natural | Stubborn human triggers | Localized explosive triggers | |
No human triggers | Isolated explosive triggers | ||
No explosive triggers | |||
Very Stable |