A guide to probing, from Backcountry Access.
- Credit
- Wren McElroy
- Credit
- James Floyer
Pinpoint search is the act of using a probe to pinpoint the location of a victim buried in an avalanche. It follows a successful transceiver search to the point where the victim was buried. A successful probe strike is normally felt as a soft area at the probe tip, which is either the victim’s body or equipment.
Probing is done in a spiral or square, starting at the point where the strongest transceiver signal is found and spiraling outwards in 25 cm increments until a strike is made.
A successful probe strike is followed by rescue digging.