Andorran Cyclist Ares Masip Escapes Avalanche on Familiar Ski Slope
Training cyclist Ares Masip and her dog narrowly avoided injury when an avalanche swept toward them on Hortell peak in Ordino, despite low risk.
Key Points
- Masip skiing up 2,400m Hortell peak in Ordino triggered avalanche but escaped unharmed with dog Cim.
- Low avalanche risk (level 1-2); peak skied 7-8 times that winter, fresh tracks that morning.
- Felt foggy and unmotivated; chose short outing over demanding one.
- Shared video to highlight vigilance: 'Risk zero simply doesn't exist.'
Andorran cyclist Ares Masip triggered an avalanche while skiing up Hortell peak in Ordino on Thursday, but she and her dog Cim escaped unharmed after a large mass of snow rushed toward them.
Masip, training for the cycling season with winter skiing and indoor sessions, posted video of the incident on social media from the northeast-facing slope at about 2,400 metres. The footage shows the snow sliding close but not striking them as they moved downhill. One report described the avalanche carrying her partway down the mountain, though she stressed it ended as "just a scare and a personal lesson."
In her account, Masip noted the peak's familiarity: she had skied it seven or eight times that winter, including three visits in the past five days. Indicators pointed to low avalanche risk, at level 1-2 out of 5, with fresh tracks that morning on the tree-lined slope. She had felt foggy and unmotivated that day, choosing a short outing to tire Cim rather than a demanding one.
Several elements contributed to her sense of security, she explained—recent visits, low reported risk, known terrain, and modest plans—creating what she called a "heuristic trap," a mental shortcut that overestimates safety in familiar spots. "Conditions didn't seem unsafe; they just appeared that way," she wrote. "Risk zero simply doesn't exist."
Masip shared the video to underscore vigilance even in trusted areas, hoping it prompts others to stay alert.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: