UMary Allen
Ama-avalanche enziwe ngeqhwa. Uma kuneqhwa eliningi emthambekeni wentaba, i-avalanche enjalo ingashelela phansi. Iqhwa elikhulu kangaka lihamba ngokushesha okukhulu. Bese bethatha yonke into esendleleni yabo bahambe nayo. Laba kungaba abantu, izilwane, izihlahla, noma izindlu. Igama elithi "avalanche" livela egameni lesiLatini elisho "ukushelela" noma "ukushelela". Kwesinye isikhathi abantu bathi “itshe leqhwa” esikhundleni se-avalanche.
Iqhwa ngezinye izikhathi linzima, ngezinye izikhathi liyaxega. Ayinamatheli kwezinye izitezi kanye nezinye. Utshani obude budala indawo eshelelayo, kuyilapho ihlathi libambe iqhwa.
Uma umqansa ukhuphuka, maningi amathuba okuba kube ne-avalanche. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iqhwa elisha, elisanda kuwa livame ukuqinisekisa lokhu. Lokhu akukwazi ukuhlale kuxhumene kahle neqhwa elidala ngakho-ke kungenzeka ukuthi lishelele. Lokhu kungenzeka, ikakhulukazi uma kuneqhwa eliningi elisha ngesikhathi esifushane. Umoya ungase futhi ubangele iqhwa elikhulu ezindaweni ezithile. Khona-ke ama-avalanche cishe azokhululwa.
Kodwa-ke, kunzima ukubona ngaphandle ukuthi i-avalanche iseduze yini. Ngisho nongoti banobunzima bokubikezela lokhu. Ziningi izizathu ezingaholela ekutheni kube ne-avalanche. Kwesinye isikhathi kwanele ukuthi isilwane noma umuntu aqwale noma ashushuluze lapho ukuze kuqubule i-avalanche.
Ziyingozi kangakanani iziqhwaga kubantu?
Labo ababanjwe yi-avalanche bavame ukushona kulolu hlelo. Ngisho noma usinde ekwindla, ugcina ulele ngaphansi kweqhwa eliningi. Leli qhwa liyisicaba kangangokuthi awukwazi ukulisusa ngefosholo ngezandla zakho. Ngenxa yokuthi umzimba wakho usinda kuneqhwa, ulokhu ucwila.
Uma uvaleleke eqhweni, awukwazi ukuthola umoya omusha. Ngokushesha noma kamuva uyaphefumula. Noma ufa ngoba kubanda kakhulu. Iningi lezisulu lishonile phakathi nesigamu sehora. Cishe abantu abayi-100 babulawa izikhukhula ze-Alps minyaka yonke.
Wenzani ngokumelene nama-avalanche?
Abantu basezintabeni bazama ukuvimbela iziqhwaga ukuba zingenzeki kwasekuqaleni. Kubalulekile, isibonelo, ukuthi maningi amahlathi. Izihlahla zivame ukuqinisekisa ukuthi iqhwa alisheleli bese liphenduka iqhwa. Ngakho-ke ziyisivikelo se-avalanche yemvelo. Ngakho-ke amahlathi anjalo abizwa ngokuthi "amahlathi avikelayo". Akumele neze uwasuse.
Kwezinye izindawo, ukuvikelwa kwe-avalanche kwakhiwa. Omunye ube esekhuluma ngezithiyo ze-avalanche. Lezi zihlanganisa amafreyimu enziwe ngokhuni noma ngensimbi akhiwe ezintabeni. Zibukeka zifana nothango olukhulu futhi ziqinisekisa ukuthi iqhwa libamba kangcono. Ngakho-ke ayiqali ukushelela nhlobo futhi awekho ama-avalanche. Ngezinye izikhathi izindonga zikakhonkolo nazo zakhiwe ukuze ziphambukise i-avalanche kude nezindlu ngazinye noma amadolobhana amancane. Kukhona nezindawo lapho kwaziwa khona ukuthi ama-avalanche ayingozi agingqika lapho ngokuvamile. Kungcono ukuthi ungakhi noma yiziphi izakhiwo, imigwaqo, noma ama-ski slope lapho nhlobo.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ochwepheshe baqapha ingozi yezinguzunga zeqhwa ezintabeni. Baxwayisa abantu abaphuma bezulazula ezintabeni uma kungenzeka ama-avalves endaweni ethile. Kwesinye isikhathi baphinde bazivulele ama-avalanche ngamabomu. Lokhu kwenziwa ngemva kwesexwayiso nangesikhathi lapho unesiqiniseko sokuthi akekho endaweni. I-avalanche ibe isibangelwa iziqhumane eziwiswa endizeni enophephela emhlane. Ngale ndlela, ungakwazi ukuhlela kahle ukuthi i-avalanche izokwenzeka nini futhi kuphi, ukuze kungabikho muntu olimalayo. Ungaphinda uncibilikise ukunqwabelana okuyingozi kweqhwa ngaphambi kokuthi kube kukhudlwana futhi kube yingozi kakhulu futhi ushelele.
Imithambeka ye-ski nezindlela zokuhamba izintaba nazo zivikelekile ebusika. Abashwibi kanye nabashushuluza eqhweni bavunyelwe ukusebenzisa imizila nemithambeka kuphela uma ochwepheshe sebesihlolisisile lesi simo futhi basusa konke okunqwabelene okuyingozi kweqhwa. Bayaxwayiswa futhi: izimpawu zibatshela lapho bengavunyelwe khona ukugibela intaba noma ukushushuluza. Baphinde baxwayise ngokuthi iphezulu kangakanani ingozi yokudala i-avalanche okwamanje. I-avalanche ingabangelwa isisindo somuntu oyedwa. Ngakho-ke kufanele ujwayelane kakhulu nama-avalanche uma ushiya amathambeka nezindlela ezilawulwayo nezivikelekile. Uma kungenjalo, ubeka wena nabanye engozini.
Kuhlale kukhona abantu abangenalo ulwazi olwanele futhi bayibukela phansi le ngozi. Unyaka nonyaka, ama-avalanche amaningi avuswa abathandi bemidlalo yasebusika abanganaki. Ngakho-ke, iningi labantu abafa ngama-avalanche babangele i-avalanche ngokwabo.