 Poster: A snowHead
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Thought you might like to see a couple of pictures taken today in the French Alps
Stef du Casset climbing on snowshoes
Climb
Davidof on the descent
descent
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 13-05-04 17:10; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wow, looks good... wish I'd been there. Conditions 'safe' enough then, after a couple of days to settle down?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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AT LONG LAST . . . someone getting to the top the right way . . . now if only he'd get a board and learn to deflower powder, not destroy it . . . look at all that washout.
Riding powder's a bit like kissing . . .
A boarder is kissing a v¡rgin (in anticipation), a skier is kissing a granny (with all the passion that involves).
think I might need to get out more . . . ! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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That looks gorgeous, davidof! 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Lucky *******
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Davidof, wow. One question, how tiring is the climb on snowshoes
compared to the use of skins?
I was thinking the whole winter about snowshoes....
Very nice pictures indeed, btw!
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Davidof, I'd like to know the answer to that as well. Are snow shoes better than skins in different conditions or vice versa? Is it easy to learn to snow shoe, and can you use them with alpine ski boots?
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I'm also another person interested in the best way to ski tour... shoes or skins???
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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And who took the pictures, and how? (helicopter?).
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That looks great - wish I had the energy, but 2000m is a long way to climb 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just unfair !!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| PG wrote: |
| Wow, looks good... wish I'd been there. Conditions 'safe' enough then, after a couple of days to settle down? |
The conditions were ok due to a good overnight refreeze (although you'd still want to be careful where you went) but now things are not so good. There is a weak layer in the snowpack buried beneath the fresh snow in the Grands Rousses and Ecrins which is worrying. Here is a bit more info.
http://www.pistehors.com/comments/299_0_1_0_C/
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| Quote: |
| The snowpack tends to collapse with the weight of a single person giving a typical whoumph sound. The fresh snow has hardened into slabs on this weak layer on northern faces. The collapse can fracture the bonds with the upper slope and the round grains act as a sliding surface - the are effectively like little ball bearings. On sun exposed faces the layer of Saharan sand deposited earlier in season and below the weak layer observed above seems to form the main sliding surface. |
On second thoughts, with conditions like that I think the fear factor would seriously outweigh any possibly pleasure I might derive from the experience!
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You know it makes sense.
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davidof, You mention the Saharan sand in one part of the report, does this New Scientist article with respect to the effect of soot particles also apply to layers of snow containing a sand element? Is there any evidence of more sand being deposited in the Alps in recent years?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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PG, my opinion, and this is only mine, I'm no scientist nor expert at anything, is that, on one side, as pistehors conclude the sand layer acts as a sliding media between the swon layers under and on it, while as the New scientist article says, sand dispersed in the snow act as a "matting" mean, reducing the light fraction reflected by the snowfields, and thus increasing the heat intake of the snow itself, thus contributing to an "accelerated" melting. I wonder, would an accelerated melting not act as a seaming factor between snow layers?
My anedoctal evidence 8 ( i.e. my memory) tells me that AFAIR at least once a winterr there has been a snow/rainfall mixed with desert sand.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Matteo,
Alpe d'Huez first week in March this year, the whole place was pink from sand storm in the Sahara,
Weird!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This Feb 1/2 term in Tignes - we were cutting white tracks in yellow snow! Our instructor said it was sand from the Sahara.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Slowplough, davehk, heh, mid march the pink (I like pink better than yellow...for obvious reasons  ) snow was coming down on my home too (and I live in the "flat lands" in northern Italy), it is not uncommon here, after a rainfall in spring and or fall, to have one's car covered with a browish/yellow film of sand....something to do wit how the winds at high altitude transport the saharan sand til here, and meet with perturbations at lower altituse carryingthe snow/rain to
the Alps.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Matteo wrote: |
Davidof, wow. One question, how tiring is the climb on snowshoes
compared to the use of skins?
I was thinking the whole winter about snowshoes....
Very nice pictures indeed, btw! |
Hi Matteo,
For snowboarding I would suggest snowshoes rather than approach skis or a splitboard. But you will need proper alpine snowshoes such as those made by TSL. You can climb up to a 45-50 degree slope on shoes once you are technically proficient.
for Skiing, other than short, lift served climbs I would suggest climbing skins and either touring bindings or a trekker type adapter.
here are a couple of links that may prove useful
Backcountry Snowboarding
Ski Touring Equipment
hope this helps
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Matteo wrote: |
PG, my opinion, and this is only mine, I'm no scientist nor expert at anything, is that, on one side, as pistehors conclude the sand layer acts as a sliding media between the swon layers under and on it, while as the New scientist article says, sand dispersed in the snow act as a "matting" mean, reducing the light fraction reflected by the snowfields, and thus increasing the heat intake of the snow itself, thus contributing to an "accelerated" melting. I wonder, would an accelerated melting not act as a seaming factor between snow layers?
My anedoctal evidence 8 ( i.e. my memory) tells me that AFAIR at least once a winterr there has been a snow/rainfall mixed with desert sand. |
That seems like a reasonble statement to me. I'm not sure the sand itself is a problem but it does make the layers between snow very obvious and PG has mentioned these layers in another thread. The increased heat intake you mention may make the snow layer more humid before the next snowfall... if this refreezes then it can present a hard crust onto which the fresh snowfall has difficulty forming a bond. But the same can be said for layers without sand. Fabien Licata, who is an FFME avalanche expert told me he didn't believe the sand was significant and some US experts have said the same.
It is an area for more investigation. And sand/snowfall in February (which is rare) may have a different effect from sand/snowfall in spring.
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Here are some pics from the 17th May from our climb to the Pic de Neige Cordier, a 3614 meter peak in the Ecrins moutains of international fame.
We started from le Casset from Guillaume Chastagnol's house where we were staying. Guillaume is a snowboarder some of you may have met. After crossing the terminal moraine of the glacier and seeing in the dawn we engaged the Brèche de la Plate des Agneaux which is a 250 meter couloir oriented to the east. To be consumed very early on a spring day. At the summit Ludo broke the corniche with his ice axe and we were able to climb to the summit. Around 2000 meters above our starting point. Only Ludo went to the very top as this was a mixed rock-ice climb. Then it was back down the ridge to the breche which was now thoroughly humid at 10am. There is a harder descent from the summit for those who like extreme skiing.
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Thank you davidof. It seems that I shall confine my activities to lift served offpiste
(not even those 30 minutes walk...)
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upps, double post.
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