Walter Strolz, a member of the Avalanche Commission, is on his walkie-talkie as driving snow assails the holiday town of St. Anton, Austria. The picturesque sight of snow-topped steeples, pine trees and white wooden houses distracts from the dangers lurking on the icy mountain peaks. In the nightclubs, flashing lights and a thumping disco beat preoccupy the skiers. Outside, Strolz and his crew are preparing to head out into the blizzard, armed with explosives to blow up the avalanches. As the fluorescent figures glide out into the snow, the tourists continue to dance and down schnapps. By afternoon the next day, almost the whole slope has been cleared. But one avalanche rumbles on...As the pink light of dusk shades the tip of the mountain, a helicopter drops 30 kilos of explosives into the snow. Within minutes of detonation, a creaking river of snow transforms into a tidal wave. Clouds of billowing snow rise up and obscure the valley. Two hours later, skiers are skidding out onto the piste, whizzing down the slopes under a crystal blue sky.