Werner Munter
Werner Munter (* 1941 in Lohnstorf ) is a Swiss mountain guide and avalanche expert. Due to his services in avalanche research, he is sometimes referred to as the avalanche pope .
Life
Munter, who lives in Vernamiège near Sion , contributed to the spread of half-mast protection outside Europe, which is why the associated half-mast hitch is called Munter hitch in English . It is therefore often mistakenly assumed that he was the inventor of this safety technology. He also invented the Munterbremse, a forerunner of the descender .
Munter became known especially in the 1990s for his publications on avalanche science, which introduced a paradigm shift in practical avalanche assessment. The so-called 3 × 3 formula and the elementary reduction method are probabilistic decision-making strategies for winter climbers and especially ski mountaineers to assess the risk of an avalanche in unsecured alpine terrain. With his publications, Munter has triggered an intense discussion in mountaineering and mountain guide circles. In the meantime, his formula 3 × 3 and his reduction method, or similar decision-making strategies such as the graphic reduction method , the SnowCard or the Stop or Go Card are propagated by the Alpine clubs. Lively doubts that ski tourers can be safer off-road just by wearing an avalanche airbag , avalanche search device or sports helmet .
"People want 100 percent security and think they can be bought."
Honors
In 1995 he was named honorary mountain guide of the Swiss Mountain Guide Association for his services. In 1997 he received the Eybl Security Prize.
Works
- Avalanche education for skiers and mountaineers - ISBN 3-444-50158-7
- 3 × 3 avalanches - ISBN 3-76332-060-1
- Bernese Alps - ISBN 3-76332-415-1
- Mountaineering I Mountaineering and Rock Climbing - ISBN 3-44450-161-7
- Mountaineering II High mountain climbing and ski touring - ISBN 3-44450-167-6
Web links
- Literature by and about Werner Munter in the catalog of the German National Library
Individual evidence
- ^ "Avalanche Pope" Werner Munter: A life for safety. In: SRF. Retrieved December 4, 2015 .
- ↑ The latest trends worry me , Interview, Neue Zürcher Zeitung , November 12, 2010
- ↑ Risk is a human right , Interview, Tages-Anzeiger , January 28, 2015
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cheer up, Werner |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss mountain guide and avalanche expert |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lohnstorf , Switzerland |