Avalanche rescue - Mount Mansfield

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They probably don't do much avy training in Mt warfare school. I bet they will now. The risk assessment should have been off the charts with all the recent snowfall we've had.
 
They probably don't do much avy training in Mt warfare school. I bet they will now. The risk assessment should have been off the charts with all the recent snowfall we've had.

I've been trying to get more info on where exactly the troops were when ht by the avalanche. I've never climbed in Smuggs so its terra incognita for me.

In looking at online climbing guides I'd guess they were in East Gully. A 2-pitch steep snow route with permanent rap stations used as a descent route in winter. It looks similar to Central or South in Huntington.

From watching the various videos one can see that it was a big Vermont Natl Guard group supported by some cool little snow-track vehicles.

The climb and rap of the gully is an annual event to get troops into the field for real-life training condx. This year their day coincided with the worst avi condx in Vermont in a long time. Bad luck for sure.
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