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Skating Safely on Natural Alpine Ice: A Tutorial by Alpine Ice Freestyle

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What’s better than alpine skating on an ice-covered body of water high in the mountains? Staying safe while doing it.

The creator of Alpine Ice Freestyle, Patrick Brunold, is back with another ice skating video. This time, he is providing us with important, lifesaving advice on how to be safe before venturing on natural ice.

“The water temperature is not just cold; it’s a shocking pain that hits everything it touches in your body,” says Brunold in the vid as he starts off with the basics.

Brunold instructs his viewers to never go out on the ice alone. He also emphasizes bringing dry clothes and shoes, a shovel (to test the ice), ice picks or other ice tools (to pull yourself out of the water), rescue rope, and a drill (to help measure the thickness of the ice). Two-inch-thick ice is safe for a single skater, and 3.25-inch-thick ice is safe for groups.

In the video, he also explains why measuring the ice multiple times is useful to get a more accurate measure of average thickness. Brunold says remaining calm is important if you fall in, as panicking can lower your temperature even faster. He also details what to do if you or someone else falls through the ice.

If you want to get into alpine skating, Brunold’s advice here is necessary information. Following his safety tips can let you freestyle on alpine ice safely and confidently. It’s advice that could save your life or someone else’s.

Runtime: 6 minutes

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