 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Think I would have moved on a little bit further down the piste rather than standing and watching. The slope above the guy who filmed it looked like it was the same aspect, same steepness and might have had some cracks in the snowpack.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
rob@rar, yep, that's what I thought. Ever more so the person standing right next to the avalanche!!! mental. that would have been hard digging that debris!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
The filmer was saying that the trees would hold it all up......
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I think it was down hill of them, still I would have been moving back up hill if I were as close as the fella down the bottom.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Wonder if it was one of those things or whether someone set it off further up the mountain?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Could you have moved further down the piste - to me it looks like the avalanche debris is on the piste lower than the skiers are standing. I was wondering how they were going get past it and get down the mountain. Is it above or below (further down the piste) than the guy that filmed it? It wasn't a very steep slope either was it? Do slopes of that angle often 'go'?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Megamum, no, not so often on that angle slope (although video can be deceptive in terms of portraying how steep a slope is). But that didn't look like a regular slab avalanche. Looked like it was a wet snow avalanche, but has it suddenly spiked up in temperature in the last three days?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
I've only seen two occurances of avalanches hitting pistes and both those occurred when the piste was shut - In Switzerland one dumped a load of snow onto a red run (it was fairly steep above, but not much of it - short steep section below a mountain road then onto the piste, but it took the piste basher to clear it and closed the piste, and in the Orelle valley an avalanche closed the bottom section of the blue one day, but IIRC it's a fairly big slope of some angle above that bit. I've actually seen anything like that video and tbh I don't think I want to!! 
rob@rar, So a warm spell could cause something like that then?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Have seen the result of a number of slips over the years on that piste. Scary seeing the volume of snow coming down
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Les Crosets? Where is that-Les arcs?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Megamum wrote: |
| rob@rar, So a warm spell could cause something like that then? |
Yes, temperature can have a very significant effect on snowpack stability, with warm temperatures often leading to natural avalanche activity in the afternoons if the sun has been on the slope all day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| spencerbski wrote: |
| Les Crosets? Where is that-Les arcs? |
It's in Switzerland isn't it? Part of the PdS?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Specialman wrote: |
| Wonder if it was one of those things or whether someone set it off further up the mountain? |
Looks like a natural point release to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| rob@rar wrote: |
| spencerbski wrote: |
| Les Crosets? Where is that-Les arcs? |
It's in Switzerland isn't it? Part of the PdS? |
THats what I thought. Off The back of Avoriaz. Looks like one of the liason tracks. i'd really like to know for sure
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Les Crosets is part of the PDS bordering France/Switzerland. Im not sure but that to me looks like the Grand Paradise red run which is right at the back of the piste map ad you look at it. Its under the Dents Du Midi. I could be wrong though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
You don't get a great view on the video but it does look like a point release, it does seem much wider than I'd expect for a point release though by the time it runs out
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| Les Crosets is part of the PDS bordering France/Switzerland. Im not sure but that to me looks like the Grand Paradise red run which is right at the back of the piste map ad you look at it. Its under the Dents Du Midi. I could be wrong though. |
When we were there at x-mas there were signs of similar ones all over the area Though not over any piste that I saw. Seem like the result of the snow falling on wet, un-frozen ground and the whole snowpack either sliding over or tearing the grass up and sliding down. More akin to land-slips than usual avalanche. None seem to have spread very far as the slope leveled out so I guess relativly slow moving like that one. There were some HUGE cracks in the snowpack to be seen from the lifts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Can't see the Facebook post (blocked at work) but the runs above Les Crosets from the Point d'Au chair or below the Col des Portes du Soleil are prone to slides. It is possible to avoid one of the chairs en route from Champoussin to Les Crosets by taking a high off piste line across those slopes but it often crosses avalanche debris.
As adithorp, says there was evidence of some big slides after Christmas with deep "crevasses" through the snowpack right down to bare earth.
Can't believe it is this again as there has been so much snow recently. I'll have a look when I get home and see if I can identify the exact spot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
DJL, Its looks like the run from Mossettes round to Champossin and as you say usually has lots of debris from previous slides but this looks a lot bigger than whats gone before..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not been there for years, so can't be really certain where... I was thinking it's on the bit from Pointe de l'Au down to either Champoussin or Les Crosets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Don't know if you lot have heard of HAT, Henry's Avalanche Talks (google it). A good way to learn a lot. It does scare me how many people head up a snowy mountain in winter without a clue what might happen, when and how.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That's an interesting photo. The avalanche doesn't have an obvious crown scar, certainly nothing like the depth of snow exposed on the far side of the photo behind the pisteur (?). Doesn't look like a standard slab avalanche, but too wide at the top to be a point release.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
I think that is the run down from the Pointe d'Au chair. Looks like the Mossettes chair in the background left hand side.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Following is copied from Summers post on the PDS thread in Snow Reports from Monday 9th. I wonder if it is the same slide?
Quote
Please be careful skiing anywhere tomorrow, there have been three avalanches here on Swiss side today. One near Pointe du Porte du Soleil return piste to Les Crosets. Dogs and pisteurs were still searching late this afternoon. Hopefully nobody involved. Also small slip near Planachaux piste, Vorlaz/abricotine piste. Champery Bar du Guide is abuzz with stories of daring do and near misses. I have friends who are pisteurs here and please bare in mind if you ski somewhere silly you put yourself at risk but also the rescue services. Reports of skiers in crazy crazy places, high mountain guides here are reluctant to venture on off piste routes currently, this must be show how unsafe things are. Otherwise on a brighter note- the snow on piste is chuffing marvelous. Due to be sunny all week and judging by Avoriaz today- super quiet! Yeehah!
Unquote
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar, I wondered whether it started off from an existing crack in the snowpack perhaps? At the top there appears to be evidence of an old crown covered by new snow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Cumulus, maybe. If it's the same slide as the one in the video it didn't look like a typical slab avalanche.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
what do you do when you come across one these ? presumably take the skis off and walk all teh way back up to the last lift you came off if you cant find another piste - you certainly wouldnt ski through it ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Plenty of full depth 'creep slabs' visible & falling off in the last day or two in Verbier (including one this afternoon which crossed (just) the piste 'track' leading to the Mont Fort hut on the way down from Col des Gentianes). The avalanche bulletin quite clearly states this danger:
| Quote: |
| In all regions of the Swiss Alps, full depth snowslides which may attain medium size can be expected at any and all times below approximately 2500 m. This applies in particular on steep, grassy slopes and road embankments in eastern, southern and western aspects. |
- quote taken from tonights SLF bulletin for Switzerland.
And yesterday's bulletin (for today) included this:
| Quote: |
| All regions: full-depth avalanches reaching up to medium size are to be expected at all times below approximately 2400 m. This applies in particular on east, south and west facing steep grassy slopes and road embankments in particular. Exposed transportation routes can be endangered. Caution is to be exercised in areas below glide cracks. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| offpisteskiing wrote: |
Plenty of full depth 'creep slabs' visible & falling off in the last day or two in Verbier (including one this afternoon which crossed (just) the piste 'track' leading to the Mont Fort hut on the way down from Col des Gentianes). The avalanche bulletin quite clearly states this danger:
| Quote: |
| In all regions of the Swiss Alps, full depth snowslides which may attain medium size can be expected at any and all times below approximately 2500 m. This applies in particular on steep, grassy slopes and road embankments in eastern, southern and western aspects. |
- quote taken from tonights SLF bulletin for Switzerland.
And yesterday's bulletin (for today) included this:
| Quote: |
| All regions: full-depth avalanches reaching up to medium size are to be expected at all times below approximately 2400 m. This applies in particular on east, south and west facing steep grassy slopes and road embankments in particular. Exposed transportation routes can be endangered. Caution is to be exercised in areas below glide cracks. |
|
THe french version says pretty much the same http://france.meteofrance.com/france/MONTAGNE?MONTAGNE_PORTLET.path=montagnebulletinneige%2FDEPT74#chablais (and has for a week or so). I was in PDS over Christmas and new year and the risk on glasy slopes and rock scree was mentioned 1st week of Jan. Some signs of big fractures on south and east facing slopes pre and post Christmas. I've done a multi day avalanche course and always carry tranceiver shovel etc but I'm not sure this sort of slide is easy to envisage (or be dug out of)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I meant grassy slopes of course
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Commentary from HAT on wet slab avalanches
| Quote: |
Now, the more observant amongst you will have noticed that the slope angle is quite gentle. Those of you who have been to our talks will know that we discuss slope angle as a critical safety factor. This is because we know that a cold dry slab avalanche cannot release on slopes of less than 25 degrees. So this forms a critical part of our safety advice. Cold dry slab avalanches are the ones that we can trigger ourselves. So how come we can get slides at less than 25 degrees and how do we avoid them?
This video shows a wet slide in warm conditions. These are not often triggered by skiers, they occur naturaly and spontaneously. In this case we believe it is due to a thick snowpack that was a single layer. The snow fell on warm ground in December and this week was lubricated by warming temperatures.
I am guessing this was a scary incident for the piste patrol as the avalanche released over a piste. The group who filmed it enjoyed the spectacle. But however tempting that is please notice that the skiers should not have hung around watching the event. Once it was clear that the snow could release on slopes at that altitude aspect and angle, they should have got as far away as fast as possible.
How can we avoid this?
Well, keep your eyes open for slopes with cracks going down to the ground. Record what the altitude, aspect and angle of the slope is and relasie that simialr slopes could do the same. if you do have to cross any slopes like that. Do it quickly and consider your islands of safety. (trees do not offer this as was commneted in the video). This will tend to be slopes with E to SW orientation where they get a lot of sun. It is more likely at lower altitudes. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
The slide at Les Crosets looked huge when you had to ski around it - dreadful iphone photo, but the rescue team & their dog were dwarfed by the debris.
That black dot in the middle is a bloke & his dog
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
