These are some of the most famous — and most powerful — avalanches in history. Each one taught people something new about how to stay safe!
🇦🇹 The Winter of Terror, The Alps (1951)
The worst avalanche season in Alpine history. From January to March 1951, enormous amounts of snow fell on the Alps, and around 649 avalanches crashed down across Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. Whole villages were buried. The disaster led countries to build thousands of kilometres of avalanche fences and barriers that still protect mountain towns today.
🇵🇪 Mount Huascarán, Peru (1970)
On May 31, 1970, a huge earthquake shook Peru and knocked an enormous slab of ice and rock off Mount Huascarán, the country's tallest mountain. It fell more than 3,000 metres, picking up mud and rocks and becoming a gigantic avalanche-landslide that buried the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca. It was the deadliest avalanche in history.
🇳🇵 Everest Base Camp, Nepal (2015)
When a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in April 2015, it triggered a massive avalanche that roared down into Everest Base Camp — right at the start of climbing season. Climbers captured the terrifying moment on video as a wall of snow and ice blasted through the camp. Helicopters rescued over 100 climbers trapped higher up the mountain.
A powder avalanche pouring down a peak in North Cascades National Park, USA. Powder avalanches are mostly snow mixed with air, which is why they look like a waterfall of smoke. See source ↓
📚 Picture Sources
- Photo 1 — Snow avalanche in North Cascades National Park (National Park Service photo, public domain). From Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snow_avalanche_winter_peak_BBaccus_NPS_Photo_(22508821137).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}