HS Pallas | The avalanche that led to at least one death causes sadness in Pallas – “It feels bad”

PALLASTURIN the hotel parking lot shows little movement on Wednesday afternoon.

The avalanche accident that took place on Tuesday, which claimed at least one life, arouses sadness, but also curiosity among outdoor enthusiasts. A woman working at a school in Vaasa died in the accident. The woman's child is still missing.

From Kuopio Aku Lahti went skiing on the slopes of Laukukero, which is part of the Pallastunturi, on Wednesday despite the severe frost.

“After all, it's a really big and sad thing when at least one person has passed away and at this point it's starting to look bad for the missing person as well. Feels bad. Such accidents always come close,” says Lahti, who enjoys freediving.

Lahti found out about the accident in the morning, when he was already on his way to Pallas.

“I thought about turning back, but the accidents are not the cause of the snow or the fells”.

Lahti has been reminded of the risks of freefalling in Kilpisjärvi's Pikku-Malla fell, where he and his friend got caught in an avalanche. There were no physical injuries from the avalanche, but the accident comes to mind every day.

“I consider it a positive thing that a physical feeling remains. I always try to get to know the snow pack, terrain shapes and the steepness of the slopes”.

Juha Simell went to see the traces of the search operation between Taivaskero and Pyhäkero. Picture: Otto Ponto

Searches quite a bit has been announced about the progress during Wednesday. According to the police, the search conditions have been challenging and several parties have participated in the search.

The searchers have apparently moved in the area between Taivaskero and Pyhäkero, the highest peak in the Pallastunturi, according to the person who landed in the hotel yard on Wednesday afternoon Juha Simell.

Pyhäkuru, one of the widest avalanche terrains in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, descends to the east of Taivaskero, where the accident is estimated to have occurred. As of Wednesday afternoon, the authorities had not yet confirmed the location of the accident site.

Conditions according to Simelli, the fells were also very rugged on Wednesday.

“The wind was so strong there that I had to lean against the wind to stay upright,” says Simell.

According to Simelli, a snowmobile was also found in the area between the two peaks.

“I set out to follow the sledge track because I wanted to know where the avalanche had happened. Nobody seems to know yet where the avalanche happened. You could beware of that place if you knew.”

Simell didn't see traces of an avalanche, such as the crown of the break point, on the marked route, which he says he stayed on.

SANCTUARY and other areas to the east of Pallastunturi, as well as the slopes of several mountain ranges, can be seen in the village of Raattama, where a reindeer herder Vilho Autto filled up his car on Wednesday. As a reindeer herder, Autto has moved around Pallastunture a lot.

“Yes, it's a bad accident. It hurts when you can't really do anything,” says 76-year-old Autto, who has recently had pneumonia twice. In a healthier state, Autto would have gone to look for the missing person.

Reindeer herder Vilho Autto says that he moved a lot in Pallastunturi. Picture: Otto Ponto

In Pallastunturi, Vilho Autto says he has moved in every weather. According to Auto, it requires caution.

“There have been difficulties. I have been able to get out of there every time, but there are such fogs that when driving the sled, you don't know whether you are going forward or backward,” says Autto.

According to the car, when going to the fells, you should have equipment, thanks to which you can stay in place and wait for help after calling for help, because the rescuers get the location information from the phone.

EVENING DAY after dark, the search continues. A group of three men descends to the parking lot from the direction of the second lift of the Pallans skiing center. The men say they heard the sounds of a helicopter from the direction of Taivaskero.

Wednesday before four, according to the weather station of the Meteorological Institute located on the top of Laukukero, it was 23 degrees below zero and the wind was 13 meters per second.

A group of freeskiing enthusiasts went on a short trip around noon on Wednesday to the gentle west side of Lommoltunturi. Picture: Otto Ponto