When the sun did come out yesterday it certainly warmed up quickly.
As of 06:00 the temperature at 2280 meters was - 9, winds were 10-30 KPH from the ESE. At 1550 meters the temperature was - 6, 71 % relative humidity and the barometer is trending down. In the valley it is -6. No new snow!
For the updated Avalanche Advisory:
Avalanche Advisory
Fast moving Avalanche Footage from Colorado:
Fast Moving
Interesting facts about Mts Blanc & The Matterhorn:
Tall Mountains
Will be a busy week end in the back country. Read the article below and reflect on what your experience level is and how much risk you are willing to accept.
Factors Contributing To Recreational Avalanche IncidentsThere are a number of common mistakes that many backcountry recreationists make that put them at increased risk of being involved in an avalanche accident. These include:
- Poor trip preparation
- Lack of knowledge of recognizing avalanche terrain
- Inability to assess snow stability
- Unskilled backcountry search and rescue techniques
The basics of these skills, however, can be learned through avalanche awareness courses or by traveling with experienced people, and then refined over successive winters.
Other sources of information available to backcountry travelers can be found from many sources including the Internet, guidebooks, maps, information centers, and people who have been in the area.
Increasing Chances of Survival Through Risk AvoidanceAvoiding putting yourself at risk plays a large part in eliminating as many factors as possible that contribute to avalanche incidents. To this end, understanding the causes of being caught in an avalanche and anticipating them before and during the trip need to be considered. Steps that can be taken to do this include:
- Designating a leader to help ensure effective decision-making
- Putting people at front of pack who are skilled at assessing snow stability or selecting routes
- Ensuring that “back in the pack” people don’t simply follow the track, but pay attention to the terrain or snowpack
- Don’t fall into the “blue-sky” attitude that draws recreationists to upper slopes where unstable snow can remain days or weeks after a storm
- Don’t focus on being goal oriented even after learning of unfavorable conditions such as rain, heavy snowfall, drifting snow, 0° C temperatures and poor visibility
- Knowing when you are tired so that fatigue doesn’t cloud judgment and narrow the margin of safety
- Recognizing that a sense of “it won’t happen to me” invincibility can be fatal
It is important that experienced members of a group assume the lead in determining where, when and if to proceed on a backcountry trip. Taking the opportunity to get together during the trip for important decisions on assessing snow stability, the route, and possibly changing weather conditions is always advisable. Sometimes a quiet voice asking, “But why do we think that slope is stable?” can prompt a careful re-assessment of the situation and lead to a sound decision. Also, involving less experienced people in route selection and stability assessment contributes to the experience of every person in the group that will pay off on subsequent trips.
From Dary Hemmons
4.5 Danialls 100yr cycle
A new meaning to clear cut. There is a lot of timber in that debris.
Not sure if CARCA would help much here, Click here for : CARCA
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