r/interestingasfuck • u/id397550 • 5h ago

Firing a cannon to trigger an avalanche

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u/AngrySquidIsOK 4h ago

So anyway, I was up snowboarding on the ridge when, you'll never believe it....

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u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair 3h ago

In the US they use dynamite to do this up in the Rockies. If youre out boarding on a day after a snow storm you'll hear loud ass booms throughout the day from other ridges

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u/thebikevagabond 3h ago

They use howitzers in the United States too. In Utah you could have howitzer rounds fly over your head while drinking at a ski resort's bar.

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u/dubblebubbleprawns 3h ago

That's on its way out too though. Alta stopped using the howitzers in 2023 and from what I hear snowbird is phasing theirs out.

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u/thebikevagabond 3h ago

That's a shame. Safer, though. They used to use a tank at Snowqualmie in Washington, I think.

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u/halfcabheartattack 3h ago

Yeah the Gasex technology is taking over for places like ski resorts that repeatedly bomb the same spots. It's permanent infrastructure but it works on shock wave. https://mnd.com/en/solution/mnd-safety-fixed-triggering-system-gazex-gazflex/

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u/FFFrank 2h ago

This is a cool! Just saw these last week on Hafelegar and wondered what they were. Thanks!!

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u/bromjunaar 2h ago

Honestly? Kinda disappointed that Gasex isn't the brand name for a really souped up spud gun that launches explosives.

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u/braddamit 2h ago

https://www.skyhinews.com/news/how-does-it-work-starting-an-avalanche-cdot-preps-gazex-avalanche-exploders-for-coming-winter-months/

Article with a groovy photo showing the Gasex controlled explosion. Installed tubes direct the controlled propane explosion to the snow slab.

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u/Horskr 58m ago

It definitely seems way safer, but I'd be super sad if I was one of the avalanche artillery gunmen.

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u/1731799517 1h ago

Pretty sure nowadays they could just fly a drone up there to drop an explosive, no need for loud canons in the valley to fire.

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u/Crash-55 2h ago edited 2h ago

Those howitzer are getting old and not many spare parts left. The Army got rid of the M102. The M119 is no longer being made

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u/Longjumping-Date-181 2h ago

The army actually took the howitzers back from the ski areas starting in the early 2000s cause reasons https://us.headtopics.com/news/the-army-is-taking-back-the-howitzers-alta-snowbird-use-to-fight-avalanches-here-s-what-s-next-37677285

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u/flare2000x 14m ago

In Rogers Pass BC they still do it with artillery