Shovels - Snow safety

If you go off-piste for ski touring or freeriding, you need all the avalanche safety equipment you can get. Here, the shovel plays just as important a role as the avalanche transceiver or probe. The shovel's construction, functionality and safety standards are decisive criteria when making a purchase.

Having the right avalanche shovel and using the right digging technique can save precious time and lives in the event of an avalanche. But what makes a good avalanche shovel? What structure and features should it have? Find out now!

With BLACK DIAMOND, MAMMUT, PiEPS, ORTHOVOX and CAMP safety equipment, Alpinstore offers you a wide selection of avalanche shovels!

Important criteria for my future shovel purchase

• The bucket

The shovel bucket can be plastic or metal. Plastic is obviously less sturdy and less resistant to very cold temperatures. It won't necessarily be able to tackle very hard snow. For use in the high mountains, where climatic conditions are very harsh, metal buckets are preferable, as they are sharper in the snow. They are often made of aluminum or carbon. The metal shovel may be able to free an avalanche victim an avalanche victim you're rescuing.

Opt for a large bucket volume: It must be big enough to carry a lot of snow in a short time, but it mustn't be too big either, otherwise the shovels become too heavy.

High edges are better! Thanks to the high sides of the bucket, the snow stays in the shovel when digging, without running off the sides. High side edges ensure more efficient shovelling.

Switching to pick function: a good avalanche shovel must be able to switch to pick function in a single movement. With the right strategy, you can clear snow more efficiently in the second row, saving precious time and saving a life.

• Handle and grip

Telescopic handle: offers greater leverage for faster, more efficientshovelling . Shovels with telescopic handles also take up less space, making them easier to carry in your backpack.

Oval-section handle: much more rigid than a round-section handle. What's more, the clip for adjusting the length of the telescopic handle is much easier and more intuitive to use.

Rescue sled function: the 4 holes in the shovel enable it to be used to build a rescue sled to evacuate an injured person in an emergency.

How to choose the right size of avalanche shovel?

The length of the handle is an important feature: it's recommended that the length of the handle be adapted to the user's height, as the leverage he will exert with his arm and the shovel handle will be maximal. He'll be able to be more efficient and carry more snow with each shovelful, and thus measure out his effort: don't forget that this can be a race against time, whether it's an exercise organized by a mountain rescue club, or a real-life situation where lives may be at stake. Shoveling efficiency, which depends very much on handle length, is therefore an essential criterion.

The disadvantage of a very long handle is, of course, the transport of the shovel, since the owner has to carry it with him. A long shovel won't fit in a backpack, so it's bound to be a bulky accessory. A good compromise between efficiency and ease of transport may be the telescopic handle offered with some models. It has the advantage of being easier to store in "closed" mode, but very effective once the shaft is extended. Note that for very hard snow, some shovel models are designed to be used like a pickaxe.

Whether you're buying an avalancheprobe or a shovel, make sure you pay close attention to the characteristics of the equipment you're buying: it's your safety and the safety of those accompanying you that's at stake.