In high mountains there are frequent snow avalanches that bury everything in their path. Faced with the impossibility of stopping them, mountaineers usually carry an emergency device that warns of the exact position under the snow so that they can come to their rescue in case of suffering an unforeseen event of this type, the ARVA. Where does this name come from? How does it work?
The name of this important safety device comes from French, how could it be otherwise considering that there is the cradle of mountaineering. Basically it is an Appareil de Recherche de Victimes d´Avalanches or what is the same, a search device for avalanche victims.
Actually, the device carried by the mountaineer is the one that continuously emits an emission signal that exceeds the layer of snow that the mountaineer has above it in case of being buried by an avalanche of snow. Rescue teams or receivers carried by other colleagues make it possible to locate any signal at a specific frequency with great accuracy, achieving, in case of acting quickly, saving the life of the possible injured person.
Although they initially transmitted at 2,275 kHz, in 1986 a standard was established for these devices at 457 kHz . In this way, any ARVA transmitter is compatible with any receiver on that frequency.
The device can be purchased separately and carried in the backpack of the explorer in question or even be incorporated into the more technical jackets, which is really comfortable. Although not all pockets can afford it, it is one of the basic safety elements for any mountaineer who enters areas with the possibility of avalanches.
Brief history of ARVA
We have to go back to 1968 to come across the development of the avalanche transceiver or ARVA. Dr. John Lawton invented the first effective ARVA at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in Buffalo, New York, USA. It was the first pocket transceiver to use high frequency to pick up a signal from a radio receiver. The beacon was developed using an antenna to increase direction and volume to determine the location of the victim. It worked with rechargeable batteries , although now we are a bit shocked to know this information. Later, in 1971, the first avalanche transceiver would arrive on the market under the “Skadi” brand. Operating at 2,275 kHz and a maximum range of just 27 meters, this unit was in itself quite an impressive tool for a transceiver that was built in the 1970s. It was used extensively by rescue organizations around this time. skiing.
As a curiosity, today’s modern transceivers use the same method of radiating a magnetic field by pulsing electricity through copper, although they are much more advanced, of course. And digital . Over time, digital transceivers took over the market. Digital transceivers are proven to offer a higher casualty recovery rate than analog transceivers.
