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Snow on the way - what to expect and hidden dangers

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Snow is finally arriving in significant quantities over the weekend. Finally! So it's time to get out there and shred it.

Well, I have been in the Western Alps since October and over the last few weeks I have seen some conditions that will ensure I closely scrutinise my decision making.

The snow pack is extremely thin for this time of year as I am sure most of you are aware. So the first danger will be rocks, and plenty of them. Not just a danger to your ski bases, but also for ripping them off your feet and sending you flying. Route choice and care will be extremely important in this regard.

A long prolonged spell of stable conditions with little precipitation has predominated until recently. This created some impressive surface and depth hoar, and in the Vallais area of Switzerland a few weeks ago we skied knee high faceted snow with almost complete continuity through the snowpack. Where snowdrifts were present, this resulted in releases with limited loading. Last week, the day before the mild conditions hit with rain at high altitude (over 3000m), we had some light snowfalls with medium to strong winds. This created windslabs that were releasing over the faceted layer on alarmingly gentle terrain.

The rain and mild temperatures, whilst spoiling the skiing, did do much to reduce the faceting issue, which we felt that until that point was at least as bad as last year - conditions that led to much reporting in the press regarding dangerous off piste conditions. The rain really was what we needed, although it was hard to agree with this at the time as, where the snow persisted, a fairly horrific rain crust dominated.

With the new snow, in many areas this will fall on a largely stable consolidated snowpack. However, in some areas, particularly on North facing slopes at altitude (above 2400m?), a persistent weak layer of faceted snow that remains will mean that on these slopes the danger will be high. With the nature of this type of snowpack, the underlaying weak layer will become well hidden, and hence forgotten. Skiers will do well to take note of avalanche reports and when planning routes take into consideration this hidden problem. The word being used to describe avalanche conditions in forecasts is 'treacherous'.

Time to play, but take not of all the dangers, especially human factors when checking out those tasty lines on North facing slopes.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Diverskify, indeed!
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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?
@Diverskify, how lucky am I to be skiing with someone so thoughtful and knowledgeable?! See you very soon, I know I will learn a huge amount.
Very Happy
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Granny and sucking eggs spring to mind.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Think I mentioned the likely hood of a possible repeat of last year's weak layer a couple of weeks back, if we were to get the rain and subsequent freeze, which we unfortunately did.

Anyway any new snowfall should always be treated with respect.

And hopefully most people will only be exposed to knackering their nice new skis rather than get caught in a slide.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
@Swissie, my initial response but then we are not all so knowledgeable, nor so thoughtful. Nice post, @Diverskify, IMO. We should all be mindful, of the risks we take.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Swissie, I think that is a very unfair comment to make.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Hells Bells wrote:
@Swissie, I think that is a very unfair comment to make.
Hear, hear, completely uncalled-for. Evil or Very Mad
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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.
Swissie wrote:
Granny and sucking eggs spring to mind.


Speak for yourself, very grateful for this kind of info personally
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I've ridden with a few grannies and I don't think they'd be impolite enough to bitch about well intentioned advice, even about eggs.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Diverskify, a very useful post, thank you,

from a granny
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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.
Proberbly best wait til all snows melted just to be on safe side Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Great post and a timely reminder, thanks @Diverskify,
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Especially as someone killed in an avalanche today.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@emwmarine, Geez - where?
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Diverskify, great post snowHead

@Swissie, not to those who don't know or blinded by heuristic traps...

@Jon e, no, just take the advice; it's well founded.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Good post @Diverskify, there's never a bad time to post this sort of info.
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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?
Feast wrote:
@emwmarine, Geez - where?


Auron, I think.

Paper says two pulled out Ok but the third was in cardiac arrest and couldn't be revived.
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