Dec 18

Posted by: Matt Spenceley
18 December 2009 

For the last 5 years, my wife Nina Alpinice and our dog Garro have been part of  the Oberhasli region alpine rescue team, specialising in avalanche search and rescue.  Each winter, when on-call, they have to reach a heli landing point within 8 minutes, from where they're flown directly to the accident site.

It took quite a few years of training to qualify for the team and since then, every 2 years, they're required to attend a 5-day test to make sure they're still working well.  It was time to go again this season, the course being held up on the Kleine Scheidegg.  The snow arrived just in time (otherwise they head for some very cold days up on the Jungfraujoch).  Unlike previous years, when 4 days were spent training and only 1 being tested, they've moved on to 5 days of continual assessment.  Each day was spent on diffierent avalanche scenarios, with differing numbers of people and rucksacks buried.  One day also involved some ski touring to reach the 'avalanche' site.

Garro keeps  on getting better as the years go by -  Nina and he found everything.

Well done!!!

Garro following his nose; Nina ready to search