Chocolate Freeride Off-Piste Reports

This past week we went on the hunt for snow. On Saturday, we found ourselves in the depths of the Valais skiing waist deep pow in the tiniest of resorts. There was so much snow in the area that the road was closed. The next day we headed to Andermatt. The total snow accumulation was 70cm. It had been very windy so the conditions were funky. On some aspects the wind was so strong it had created a soft crust. Nonetheless we had a great time and skied in the area Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday we returned to ski in Verbier, the conditions were excellent with 15cm of light snow that had fallen over the weekend. The Reports however were pointing to a small resort west of here called Les Marecottes. There it had snowed 20cm and there was more snow on the way. When we got there Wednesday morning it was snowing very hard. We skied thigh deep powder through the trees all morning. In the afternoon it opened up briefly, treating us to spectacular views of the surrounding Alpine. At that point we decided to come back the next day to ski the open bowl that was closed. Thursday proved to be a beautiful day. We skied 40-60cm of perfect powder all morning. In the afternoon the sun affected the southern aspects but the trees and shaded areas were still excellent. Today it is a sunny day in Verbier.

Avalanche Danger Scale
High Alpine	3 –Considerable
Mid mountain	3 –Considerable
Treeline	2 –Moderate

Current conditions

During the last week it has snowed less than 10cm in Verbier. Light to moderate westerly winds prevailed on Thursday. Midday temperatures at 2000 m were about -5 degrees.
“The snow layering is unfavourable in the southern Upper Valais… the new snow and the snowdrift layers lie upon a faceted old snowpack with very weak consolidation. It continues to be possible to trigger avalanches in the old snowpack. On the southern flank of the Alps, the thick layers of new snow are consolidating incrementally. On the northern flank of the Alps there are in places still trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations near to the surface.” Slf.ch

Snow Depth:

Ø 1500m - 25 cm

Ø 2200m - 129 cm

Ø 2950m - 110 cm

Snow Conditions:

Snow conditions are wind driven powder up high, and progressively deeper as you ski further down. The northern aspects are slightly better because it’s colder. More snow seems to have deposited on the lee side of the slope where it was more sheltered from the wind.

Off-piste Travel Conditions:

The Avalanche danger is still at 3 but in areas that have been skied and where the slope is less than 45 degrees it is reasonably safe.

Forecast:

“By Friday midday on the northern flank of the Alps, 10 to 20 cm of new snow is expected, in the remaining regions, less than 10 cm. Subsequently it will turn partly sunny, before new cloudbanks move in from the west. Midday temperatures at 2000 m will be minus 1 degree in western regions and minus 5 degrees in eastern regions. Strong westerly to northwesterly winds will prevail.

During the day on Saturday as well as on Sunday it will be sunny in all regions and very mild. The freezing level will climb to 3000 m. Due to the significant rise in temperatures, the avalanche situation will remain delicate.”

Condition Key

Extreme: Wide spread areas of unstable snow exist and avalanches are certain on some slopes. Backcountry travel should be avoided.

High: Mostly unstable snow exists on a variety of aspects and slope angles. Natural avalanches are likely. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.

Considerable: Dangerous unstable slabs exist on steep terrain on certain aspects. Human triggered avalanches probable. Natural avalanches possible.

Moderate: Areas of unstable snow exist. Human triggered avalanches are possible. Larger triggers may be necessary as the snowpack becomes more stable. Use caution.

Low: Mostly stable snow exists. Avalanches are unlikely except in isolated pockets.

Important Notice:
Snowpack formation and stability will vary as you travel throughout the mountains. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the backcountry traveler to be self-sufficient in being able to perform self-rescue should you, the traveler, be involved in an accident. Also, backcountry travelers are responsible for obtaining their own information concerning current weather conditions, snow, winds, snowfall, etc. and are responsible for educating themselves to the best possible awareness level.

Useful links

www.slf.ch

www.televerbier.ch