Dear snow and avalanche enthusiast,
dear ÖGSL member,
similar to the winter (at least with regard to the southern regions), the AASA has also picked up speed again in the past weeks and months: The Annual Spring Meeting (ASM) was finally held after it had to be postponed in spring due to the pandemic. Also the snow.semmelnar season has started again. From now on all digital AASA events are available in a new section of our homepage, the AASA library. Furthermore, the 3rd SchnÖGSLn in 2021 is in the planning! But first things first…
Annual Spring Meeting (ASM) & General Assembly
After the ASM 2020 had to be postponed in May – like so many other events – the General Assembly could be held digitally on November 20th. In a intentionally short zoom meeting with about 30 participants, the key points of the second year of our association were outlined. A brief overview:
- Between October 2019 and October 2020, 9 schnee.semmelnars were held by a wide variety of speakers covering a broad range of topics. From May 2020, the seminars were presented digitally, which had a positive impact on the number of participants.
- The 2nd SchnÖGSLn took place in January 2020 with Walter Würtl, Peter Plattner, JT Fischer and Christoph Mitterer in the crowded Treibhaus in Innsbruck.
- The first AASA- course on snowpack analysis and stability tests with 10 participants was held in mid-February on the Nordkette.
- In 2020, the new, bilingual AASA homepage was launched.
- The AASA Young Professional Award (YSP) was presented. The winner, Veronika Hatvan, will be supported with a travel grant to the ISSW in Fernie, which has been postponed to 2021. The three YSP finalists were additionally supported to present their poster contributions at the digital VSSW 2020.
- For the first time a paid staff was employed for the AASA. He is mainly in charge for administrative and coordinative matters.
After reviewing the various activities of the ÖGSL in the second year, a presentation of the financial statements and the discharge of the executive board took place, which was done by digital voting.
For the upcoming year, the expansion of the SLABS (Snow and Avalanche Observation Standards) and the increase of supporting members are in the focus of the AASA activities. Further pursued are also the various public events (such as semmelnars), which in the future will be digitally archived on the homepage and be accessible to everyone (see below: AASA library).
The complete protocol of the ASM 2020 can be found here (german only).
Screenshot of the digital AASA Annual Spring Meeting on November 20, 2020.
AASA library
Since a few days the AASA library (de: ÖGSL Infothek) is online on our homepage. So if you are missing the schnee.semmelnar in the future, you have the possibility to view it on our homepage. In addition, we intend to create a repertoire of videos, articles and publications, where selected, new and interesting contributions on the topic of snow and avalanches will be published.
Currently, only a selection of videos of the events announced in the last newsletter (schnee.semmelnar, VSSW 2020, Alpinforum) can be found in the library. In the course of this winter, however, the page will be continuously supplemented.
Check it out:
The new AASA library is continuously expended with new videos.
Schnee.semmelnar
The first two schnee.semmelnars of the 2020/21 winter season focused on avalanche warning and avalanche prevention.
In November, Peter Höller presented his results of the evaluation of avalanche incidents in Austria in his well-known skilful manner and compared avalanche accidents of ski tourers with those of off-piste skiers. A summary of his findings can be found in Lea Hartl’s article in the Powderguide magazine (german only).
In December, Norbert Lanzanasto and Matthias Walcher gave a presentation on avalanche problems as a central component of modern avalanche warning. In addition to a brief history of avalanche warning in Europe, the focus was particularly on the use of avalanche problems in the avalanche warner’s hazard assessment. The schnee.semmelnar for review can be found in the AASA-library (german only).
OUTLOOK:
In the next schnee.semmelnar on January 11, Bastian Bergfeld will give a presentation on fracture processes and avalanche formation. An invitation with further information will follow in the next weeks.
Bastian Bergfeld is a PhD student at the SLF in Davos, an avid skier, and a freshly married family father.
SchnÖGSLn #3
Good news: Also this winter it will schnÖGSLn again!
On January 21, 2021, this time unfortunately not as usual in the Treibhaus in Innsbruck, but digitally. Only this much can be revealed: There will again be several speakers who will present and discuss selected topics. More information will be in your mailbox soon.
ALSO
Until Wednesday, 30.12.2020, abstracts can be submitted as an application for a presentation at the 4th Avalanche Symposium in Graz (5-6.11.2021). More info here.
We would also like to remind our members once again to pay the 2021 membership fee by 31.12.2020 at the latest. For all membership fees received later, we unfortunately cannot guarantee that the bergundsteigen magazine 01/21 will be sent. At the same time, many thanks to all who have already transferred their membership fee.
Not yet a member? Then click here and become part of the AASA family!
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy new year and see you soon,
the AASA
