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17 December 2022
Insights into Kitzbühel: Slope safety backed by activities like the alpine emergency service of the Pistenrettung Kitzbühel make the region one of the world's best resorts
From today, the region Kitzbühel, Kirchberg, Mittersill (KitzSki) with famous and risky slopes like the Hahnenkamm will go into full operation. Kitzbühel appears every year in the most important guides as one of the best resorts worldwide. Skiresort.de ranked KitzSki as the 'World's Best Ski Resort' due several criteria including the qualities of the slopes. The safety of the slopes is backed by the knowledge of the Pistenrettung Kitzbühel which has collected for decades analytical data for the prevention of accidents.
Due to slope safety, the region has a low accident rate of 1,000 rescue operations per 15,000,000 gondola and lift trips per winter season. Most accidents happen between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. According to statistics, the 50 to 70 year olds are the main victims. The GPS data from the accident sites are recorded in order to analyze whether further measures (e.g. slope safety, additional signage or slope corrections) are necessary. Shoulders, knees and the ankles are the parts of the body most likely to be injured in an accident on the slopes.
The alpine emergency service has been active since 1974 under the name 'Zentraler Pistenrettungsdienst Kitzbühel'. In the decades before, the Bergrettung (mountain rescue) was responsible for providing assistance on the slopes of Kitzbühel. With the growing number of ski guests, the frequency of accidents has also increased and threatened to exhaust the human resources of the mountain rescue.
Image: The piste rescuers of the Pistenrettungsdienst Kitzbühel are equipped with skidoos, akia, defibrillators and ventilators, first-aid backpacks, winches and rescue ropes. The rescuers were outfitted with new clothes for the 2022/23 winter season. The alpine emergency service invests additionally into the training of the piste rescuers. Photo: © Elisabeth Laiminger.
Editorial tip: At pistenrettung-kitzbuehel.at, the 10 rules defined by the FIS (Fédération internationale de ski) on how to contribute to the safety on slopes are published.
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