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Chapter Four

     The young couple spent a happy week, and by the end of that time Lucy was quite competent on her snowboard. Virgil was a good and patient teacher and she learnt quickly. The night before their last day it snowed, although the morning dawned bright and clear as only a New Zealand morning can.
     “Powder!” exclaimed Virgil, looking out of the window.
     “Not for me,” said Lucy.
     “I don’t know why not. You’re quite good now. It might be a bit of a hike to get in but I know a gully that’s not too hard. Lets go for it.”
     “Do you think I’m good enough?” asked Lucy.
     “Absolutely, and you’re not a bad snowboarder either!”

Two hours later the pair were at the bottom of the chair lift. Virgil removed his pack and took out a pair of devices not unlike mobile phones.
     “These are avalanche transceivers. Not that I would take you anywhere I thought there would be an avalanche, but they can happen at any time, especially off piste. You put them on transmit, like this, and leave them on all day. Then, if you get buried by snow, the rescuers can find you quickly. If I get buried you turn it to receive and then you can find me quickly.”
      Lucy put the transmitter in her pocket and then they caught the chair lift to the top of the mountain. The ride up was lovely. The mountains were sparking in the clear air, and she could see down to the green valley below. She smiled at Virgil. She couldn’t feel any happier or her heart would burst!

     Virgil raised the bar, as they neared the top and the pair slid smoothly from the chair. They strapped up and traversed along a path. Then Virgil stopped. 
     “We have to hike from here, but its not far.”
     It wasn’t but the snow was fresh and deep and they sank to their knees at every step. In the end it took almost an hour to reach the top of the little gully. 
     Virgil looked down it, no tracks. They were the first there. Behind them though came a group carrying skis, and behind them another group of snowboarders.
     ‘First here, fresh tracks,” he grinned. He reached down and formed a snowball, and tossed it down the gully. It sank into the powder. “Aim for where that ball fell, and turn just past it. Keep your weight a bit further back than you do on the piste, and we’ll meet by that rock about a third of the way down. OK?”
     “OK,” said Lucy. She’d not had the chance to ride powder before, but she had heard people talk about it. She was looking forward to this. The skiers had reached them by now. Virgil looked at them with a grin.
     “Sorry fellars. Too late!” And with a swoop he was off. Lucy followed, crossing his tracks. It was like flying! The feeling was amazing as she floated through the snow. She turned just past the snowball marker, and traversed the slope to where Virgil was waiting by the rocks.

     “That was amazing,’ she gasped, her hair blown wild, and her face flushed with the cold. She looked back up the slope and was surprised to see the skiers had not followed them. They were trekking to a steeper section on the other side of the gully. The snowboarders had reached the top and had strapped on their boards. Lucy watched as they set off down the slope. She took her gaze back to the skiers. They were above a small rocky step, and then there was a section of snow so steep Lucy could not believe it was possible to ski down it. Virgil had not noticed them, he was watching the other boarders.

     The sun was warm, and there was no wind in the gully. Lucy began to take off her coat, meaning to tie it around her waist, when a movement above her caught her eye. Virgil looked up, and then shouted, suddenly alarmed.
     “Stop! Go back!”
     The skier just waved at him, and moved to the top of the rock step. Virgil pulled Lucy to her feet, calling a warning to the other boarders, as he did.
     “Look out below!”

     Lucy wondered for a moment what all the fuss was about, then she realised the patch of snow the skier was standing on was moving! Like a stream it poured over the rock step, and then a whole section of snow began to move. Virgil was tugging at the straps of Lucy’s  board. As it came off he roared at her. 
     “Get up the sides, above the  rock. Try and get above it.” He could see the snowboarders below him, trapped in the gully, turn to look at the wall of snow as it moved towards them. Then he had to fight for his own life. Before the snow reached him he began to move, picking up as much speed as possible. He felt the increase of speed as the snow beneath him began to move. It was only his speed that could save him now. If he could just keep moving faster than the snow he stood a chance. As long as he didn’t fall over.        
    He saw a gully open up to his right and angled his board across the sliding mass of snow. A lesser amount of snow was pouring down the small gully, but it was enough to pick Virgil up and shot him down the side channel. The main avalanche was behind him now. He was safe as long as he kept his feet. At that moment he hit something in the moving morass below him and his board stopped suddenly. The momentum pulled him forwards and before he could stop himself he had pitched face forwards in to the snow. Frantically he moved his arms in front of him. The snow had almost stopped sliding and he needed an air pocket. 
     At last he came to a halt. His arms were in front of him, he had an airspace. Now all he had to do was dig himself out. His first thought was of a time in Switzerland where he had been avalanched and buried for several hours before Scott and John arrived to dig him out. Hopefully he could get out of this one himself. At least Lucy should have got clear, and be safe above the rocky ledge. He tried to move and at first the weight of snow on his back prevented him moving. He pushed his arms forward to create more space and then pulled his left arm back. He activated his watch with his teeth.
     “Virgil to base. Come in dad.”
     “It’s Scott, Virg. What’s the problem, I can’t see you properly.”
     “Avalanche,” said Virgil briefly. “I’m buried but I’m not too deep. I think I can get out of here. There were other people in the gully. You might have to alert the authorities here. And stand by in case we need more help.”
     “FAB. Where’s Lucy?”
     “She should be above it. I shoved her up a rock ledge before it hit.”
     “Alright Virgil. I’ll radio the authorities, and then get back to you. If you’re not out by the time I radio back we’re coming out.”
     “FAB.” Virgil switched his watch off by the same method he’d activated it, and then turned his attention to the problem in hand. He compacted the snow in front of his face, and began to push hard. Gradually he could feel the snow coming off his back. Panting and hot, despite the snow surrounding him, he rested. Then, with alarm he realised the air was getting stale. He had to get out. Soon. He made a last desperate heave and pushed himself out of the snow. He had not been buried very deeply or he would never have got free. Rolling over onto his back, he swung round until his feet were below him. Then, after checking his bindings, he stood slowly up, on his board. At that moment his watch bleeped.
     “Virgil? This is dad. Are you alright?”
     “Fine dad, I’ve dug myself out, but I’m in a side gully. I don’t know where Lucy is or where the other people are. There where 5 other people in this place when it started to slide. Plus the skier who started it all. I’m going to climb back up. I’ve got to check Lucy is alright.”
     “OK, but take care. Scott is on his way as a precaution, and Alan is following in Thunderbird Two, with Gordon. If you don’t need them, they can always turn around. Scott should be with you shortly.”
     “Ok dad, thanks.”
     Virgil unstrapped his board and began the long climb up the gully. He soon realised how lucky he had been. Only a small amount of snow had been channelled into the side gully. As he reached the top he looked into the main channel. Two skiers were moving down the slope, avalanche transceivers sweeping in front of them. Virgil looked up towards the rocky ledge, where he had last seen Lucy. The ledge was above the channel gouged by the avalanche, but there was no sigh of her. He looked frantically around. Another skier had joined the other two, but there was no sign of the snow boarders, and none of Lucy.
     “Hey!” Virgil hailed the skiers. “Have you seen a girl, she was above the ledge, up there, before the avalanche hit.”
     “She slipped,” came the chilling reply. “She fell into the avalanche.”
     “There are some snowboarders and a skier trapped too,” called another man, further down the slope. My mates gone for help, but I’m afraid they won’t be here in time.”
     Virgil felt the blood roaring in his ears. Lucy was somewhere under the snow. Buried.  Turning away from the others, he flicked the control on his watch. 
“Virgil to Scott.”
     “Loud and clear, Virgil. What’s up?”
     “Lucy got caught by the avalanche. She’s buried somewhere.”
     “I’ll be with you in 10 minutes, and Alan’s only 5 minutes behind me. Don’t worry. We’ll soon find her.”
     Virgil didn’t bother to reply. He switched off his watch, and set of across the snow to a point below where Lucy had last been seen. Taking the avalanche transceiver out of his pocket he switched it to receive, and began scanning the snow. Almost immediately he picked up a signal. Moving towards the sound he located the spot. With a quick prayer it was Lucy, he began to dig.
     He tore at the snow like a demented animal. It was hard and compacted after the slide, and soon his gloves were ripped and torn. He took no notice and dug on. Soon he saw a patch of red. Lucy’s jacket. He dug faster, calling out her name. Then he pulled at the coat. It came away in his hands. It was Lucy’s coat but not Lucy. The transceiver was in the pocket. 
     Casting his mind back, he remembered Lucy taking her jacket off and tying it around her just before the avalanche hit. If the jacket was here Lucy shouldn’t be far away. He began to tear at the snow again, his hands now swollen from the cold. 
     The roar of Thunderbird Ones jets woke him from his frenzy.
     “Scott. Lucy’s buried and she’s not wearing her transceiver…”
     “FAB,Virgil. Alan will be here in 5. He’ll locate her with the ultrasound. I’ve been in touch with the authorities and they are on their way. Don’t worry we’ll find her.”
     “OK, Scott. Alan, get a move on. And come straight here, I’m on slope NH46. She’s under here somewhere.”
     “FAB, Virgil.” Alan’s voice was not as calm as usual, and he pushed Thunderbird two to her limits in his attempt to get to his brother as soon as possible. 
     “Gordon, stand by with the ultrasound.”
     “Standing by.” Gordon sounded as tense as his brother. This was not going to be an easy rescue.

On to Chapter Five.