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