In the popular mythology of danger, avalanches play a starring role.

However, for the most part avalanches are creatures of habit - they start under fairly predictable conditions and they follow the same tracks year after year. As long as you follow some basic rules, you need never put yourself at risk. Most avalanche accidents happen when people ignore these basic rules. The majority of avalanche deaths among skiers and snowboarders are caused by the skier or snowboarder themselves or somoeone in their group. Every so often, however, freak weather conditions change the rules. Either so much snow falls, or it falls under such unusual weather conditions, that normally safe slopes become avalanche-prone. These are the big killers, which come down unexpectedly on villages from slopes which have no history of avalanching.

The best way to reduce the risk of being caught in an avalanche is never to embark on an off-piste run that takes you through exposed terrain.

Sooner or later, though, you will find yourself in a situation where you suddenly realise that there is a very real risk of an avalanche. It's a horrible feeling.

If you find yourself in this predicament, get yourself out of immediate danger as quickly as possible under the lee of a rock. Make sure that everyone in your group understands the situation, then decide whether or not you can hike out. It is better to slog uphill for a few hours, even if it means arriving home after nightfall, rather than risking death by continuing.

If you decide to continue, take the following precautions:

• Minimise the time spent in exposed locations, such as narrow gullies or obvious chutes where earlier avalanches have destroyed the trees.
• Plan your path to stick to ridges or valley floors. Take advantage of safer areas, such as among trees and below, rather than above, rocks.
• Loosen any equipment that you may need to jettison in a hurry (rucksacks, powder straps and poles).
• Move one by one, with a safe gap between members of the group. Do not assume it is safe because others have traversed successfully. Group members should wait in safety and watch the moving skier.
• Do not stop on exposed slopes. If you fall, get moving again as quickly as possible. Cleaning your glasses can wait until you reach safety.
• Cross exposed slopes as early as possible. As a general rule, exposed south-facing slopes should not be attempted after about 11.00am, when the sun has warmed them.

If you end up in this situation, learn from it. Discuss how it happened. Make sure it never happens again.

And if you are going to continue skiing off-piste, invest in a transceiver and other safety equipment, and take a course in how to use them.

Being caught in an avalanche is always serious. Luck plays a large role in survival and there are few hard and fast rules about what to do. The following seem to make sense:

• Try to ski out, either by out-running the slide, or by escaping to the side.
• If there is no escape, throw off your skis, poles and rucksack. Try to 'swim' towards the edge, or at least keep yourself on the surface.
• Grab hold of any fixed object you encounter such as a rock or tree.
• If you are in danger of being covered in debris, hyper-ventilate and curl up. Protect your mouth and nose with your hands, and keep them there so you have a chance to dig yourself a breathing space as the slide stops.
• Above all, keep calm and save your air and strength. Shout only when you hear someone within range - snow absorbs sound and you may waste precious oxygen with little chance of being heard.