 Poster: A snowHead
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"Not much snow, so no avalanche risk?" Wrong....
Avalanche risk is not linked directly to snow depth. It is far more dependent on how well successive layers in the snowpack have bonded together. In fact over the years stats show that seasons with low snowfall are among the most dangerous... this is because shallow layers do not bond together so well. Another risk is that offpisters tend to go looking for powder when conditions are poor, usually to be found where snow has been carried by wind - and wind-loaded snow layers are more prone to 'fail'.
"It hasn’t snowed for ages, so it's ok?" Wrong....
Especially on north-facing slopes which see little sun, it can take days, a week, or more, for layers to compress, stabilize, and bond. Extreme cold also slows the process. So if you’ve heard the “wait three days after a dump, then it’s ok” rule, don’t rely on it…. And of course, there’s always the risk of avalanche from wind-blown snow slabs, however long it is since it last snowed.
"Not a steep slope, so it's ok?" Wrong....
The French 'montagnards' have a saying... "All but a basin full of snow can take your life", which says it all really. For a start your guard may be down. And anyway, as mentioned above, the main factor in avalanche risk is the bonding of layers. Imagine a ‘small’ slab on such a slope, say 50 metres wide, 10 metres long, 10 cms deep. Not big maybe, but it adds up to 100 cu.m of snow, anything from 10 to 30 tons…. Plenty to bury you!
"It’s safe in the trees?" Wrong.... Well, partly.
The snow on the ground in pine forests is generally more stable than in deciduous forests. This is because the needles hold the snow on the branches longer, and when it falls to the ground it tends to be of a type that bonds well. Trees that loose their leaves don’t hold the snow well so the layers beneath are of similar quality to those beyond the tree boundary. True, trunks have the reputation of anchoring the layers but tree density is key, and in fact the only completely ‘safe’ forest is one you can hardly ski through! Other factors are lower vigilance, and of course if an avalanche does start, there is the greatly increased risk of injury from being thrown against the trunks.
"It’s safe when it’s the end of the season, or the summer?" Wrong....
As long as there’s snow on the ground, there’s a risk. Numerous avalanches after May 1st have been recorded.
"It’s easy to spot a slab?" Wrong....
Unstable slabs are behind 80% of avalanches. But … they are not necessarily hardpack, off-white in colour, or ‘hollow’-sounding. They can consist of powder through to hard snow, so obviously they won’t look/sound the same. They might be covered with a shallow layer of fresh snow, hiding them from view. Slabs can also form entirely in the absence of wind. Wind slabs themselves do not only form in the lee of a prevailing wind – mountain winds tend to gust in all directions, so slabs even can appear on a slope facing the prevailing wind….
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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 is especially true this week - take note before you travel tomorrow or even next week
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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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7 year old thread 
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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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I think he's still probably p***ed from a Friday night session 
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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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| rayscoops wrote: |
| 7 year old thread |
but it seems just like yesterday.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| rayscoops wrote: |
| 7 year old thread |
True. But some posts,along with the poster,have enduring value.
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| Quote: |
"Not a steep slope, so it's ok?" Wrong....
The French 'montagnards' have a saying... "All but a basin full of snow can take your life", which says it all really. For a start your guard may be down. And anyway, as mentioned above, the main factor in avalanche risk is the bonding of layers. Imagine a ‘small’ slab on such a slope, say 50 metres wide, 10 metres long, 10 cms deep. Not big maybe, but it adds up to 100 cu.m of snow, anything from 10 to 30 tons…. Plenty to bury you! |
This bit doesn't make sense. The quote talks about angle of slope, and the reply talks about the area of the slope.
A better answer would be that the risk of a slope avalanching is considerably reduced on slopes less than 25 degrees, although you need to be aware of steeper slopes above which might avalanche onto a shallower slope below.
Slopes above 45 degrees tend not to avalanche as new snow sloughs off rather than building up.
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PG, Fair play to you posting that info. A lot of people who log in to snowheads would be interested to read your post as not many people really understand how avalanches are formed and triggered. Obviously we have a lot of "experts" on here but lots of normal holiday skiers will learn something from what you have posted.
The wind is the master builder of avalanches, something many people would not consider.
Avalanches don't realise you are an expert when they decide to kill you!
The more people understand the better.
PSG
"not an avalanche expert"
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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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I agree gilleski, Pete and Dave posted some good stuff back in the day.
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davidof, +1 from me.
The tree skiing bit always interest me as lots of people think its still alot safer, and most skiers would love to come across a big clearing in the middle of the trees and ski it, the way snow settles in these clearings can sometimes be very unstable 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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daehwons, you must have spent ages looking up this thread from times past. But PG did have some interesting posts back then.
Oceanic, good point and your wording is better I think. But it is all good advice with these changing conditions.
livetoski, trees have other problems as well, did you hear about the guy that skied into a tree and landed in the hole at the base. The tree then dumped the snow it held down on top of him and he was killed. Not a nice way to go. Think it was in the USA somewhere.
With the new snow that has started to arrive, the mountains are going to start playing tricks on all of us. There is some interesting advice over on the HAT web page.
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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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snowcrazy, yep tree wells and also rock wells are a major risk, a friend of my sons had to be heli lifted out of a rock well in St Foy a few years ago, they were both off piste, she fell and went straight down bouncing between the snow and the rock. She was OK but very shaken up, my lad was not very experinced back then but he had the where with all not to try and get her out by himself, I have also heard of the snow collapsing into rock gaps/wells etc when people have tried to pull others out with out the right gear.
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daehwons, U still bored?
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FAQ
