It’s been a while since I last wrote anything. I heard there was an avalanche on Xiaowutai, so today I’ll talk about the avalanche incident.
Introduction to Xiaowutai MountainXiaowutai Mountain, an extension of the Hengshan Mountain Range, forms the watershed between the Sanggan River and the Juma River, and is the highest peak in Hebei Province. Located in the northwestern part of the province, it stretches approximately 45 kilometers from northeast to southwest, covering an area of 1,800 square kilometers. It has five major peaks—east, west, south, north, and central—commonly referred to as the “Five Terraces”; it is called Xiaowutai (Little Five Terraces) because it is lower than Wutai Mountain. The East Terrace is the highest, with an elevation of 2,882 meters, making it one of the high peaks in North China.Xiaowutai Mountain not only captivates with its stunning mountain scenery but also boasts a thousand years of Zen cultural heritage. Legend has it that when Manjushri Bodhisattva left home to practice Buddhism, he was drawn to the majestic mountain terrain, lush vegetation, and simple local customs here. He chose Mount Tai as the site to build temples, meditate, and enlighten all beings.
Therefore, Xiaowutai has long been a sacred hiking destination for outdoor enthusiasts in North China.
Avalanche IntroductionAvalanches are divided into two types: dry snow avalanches and wet snow avalanches.
Dry snow avalanches generally occur during heavy snowfall or shortly after it stops, when the snow on the mountain hasn’t had time to melt, or before the melted water seeps into the lower layers of snow and refreezes. At this point, the snow is “dry” and also “powdery.” When such snow triggers an avalanche, the air blast is significant, and a cushion layer can easily form at the base. When caught in this type of avalanche, a person can be swept up in the snowslide and carried downhill. The primary injury from a dry snow avalanche is usually the impact sustained as the person is carried through complex terrain. Additionally, due to the soft nature of powdery snow, rescue is relatively easier, and suffocation injuries are less likely to occur. If rescued promptly, the survival rate of victims is relatively high.
Wet snow avalanches typically occur several days after a period of precipitation, when the surface snow layer melts, seeps into the lower snow layers, and refreezes, forming a “wet snow layer.” After snowfall, as temperatures continue to rise, the new wet snow layer cannot easily adhere to the less dense existing ice and snow, causing it to slide downward and trigger an avalanche. Wet snow avalanches are blocky, slower-moving, heavier, and denser, resembling ink blots on the snow slope that grow larger as they move. As a result, their destructive power is even greater. These block avalanches usually form on snow slopes with slightly gentler gradients. This is because the powdery snow (loose snow) on steeper slopes tends to avalanche almost completely before it’s the turn of the relatively gentler slopes to experience block avalanches. Their descent speed is slower than that of airborne avalanches, and they carry along trees and rocks along the way, creating larger snow debris. However, once caught in a block avalanche, you’re far less likely to be as lucky as you might be in a dry snow avalanche. Moreover, once it comes to a stop, it solidifies almost immediately, often making rescue efforts extremely difficult.
Terrain Analysis of XiaowutaiRegarding Xiaowutai, since currently the only known injured party is located beneath the cliff of the North Terrace, this analysis will focus solely on the potential for avalanche danger in the terrain around the North Terrace.
This is a contour map of the Xiaowutai area found online by Xiaomao; the full image can be viewed in Xiaomao’s photo album. From this map, it can be seen that most areas of Xiaowutai have relatively gentle contour lines and moderate slopes. However, looking at the commonly traveled northeast route by hikers, the contour lines near the North Terrace are denser, indicating the presence of many steep slopes.
Combined with photos from hikers’ travel blogs, it can be observed that some sections have very sparse vegetation. If the snow accumulation is thick, there is indeed potential for an avalanche.
Cherish Life and Know Your LimitsThat’s all for the introduction to avalanches and the analysis of the potential for avalanches on Xiaowutai. In closing, Xiaomao would like to end this article with a quote from Laozi, advising all those who choose unconventional paths: cherish life and know your limits~ (but it probably won’t help much)
Be as cautious at the end as at the beginning, and you will avoid failure.
The above views are solely those of Xiaomao. If you have different opinions, feel free to speak up.