New Year snow conditions 2009/10
More New Snow for the New Year – Is it safe out there?
With all the new snow/rain, changing temperatures and changing wind directions, how can we tell if it’s safe? Our response is, “It depends on you: where you go and when, how you go down or up and how well prepared you are”.
Putting together pieces of the puzzle:
To decide where you go and when (the first answer to the question), you need to first consult the Météo France avalanche forecast bulletin (or Italian, Swiss or Austrian… bulletin if you are in other countries), which comes out at the end of the afternoon for the next day.
You can see a summary version in English and/or the full French version at the office of tourism or on http://france.meteofrance.com. You can also go onto my blog www.getoffpiste.com and see the full avalanche forecast in English for Savoie and Haute Savoie in the left hand column close to the top.
The avalanche bulletin has a hazard rating with a specific definition that you can find in English on www.henrysavalanchetalk.com then in the menu go to ‘Free Information” and click ‘Avalanche Risk Scale’. The bulletin and the hazard rating are two very important pieces of the puzzle that can help you to begin to formulate an idea of how to have fun and be safe the next day. More pieces of the puzzle start the next morning by asking local professionals what they think (Pisteurs are good people to ask because some of them have been up on the mountain before it opens or they have been talking to their colleagues who are already up there).
Once I’m on my way up, I also start looking around for recent avalanche activity and compare that to what has been reported in the forecast. Recent activity will tell you if and where there seems to be instability. For example if you are headed for a North facing slope first thing, and on your way to that slope you see that all similar slopes have avalanched, then that gives you some important information – important pieces of the puzzle!
Lastly, on a fresh snow day, I always start the day out on low slope angles and away from slopes that are steep enough to avalanche (e.g. I stay on slopes of about 25° or less – about red run steepness and less). Then I may go steeper or content myself on the lower slope angles if I feel that going steeper is too risky.
Tune in next week for the second answer to the question, Is it safe out there? It depends how you go down or up.
Have Fun and Be Safe!
Off Piste & Avalanche Awareness Talks: Week of 3 January:
Monday 15.30 sharp Basic Talk at the Moris in Val d’Isère Tuesday 17.45 sharp Basic Talk at the Bagus in Tignes Weds 18.00 sharp Basic Talk at the Pacific Bar in Val d’Isère
You need to show up at least 15 mins before the talk to take advantage of the deals on food & drink!
Tickets are €7.50 (one person under 18 per adult free) and includes great deals on food and drinks at each place! Pre-booking on line price is: £6 on www.henrysavalanchetalk.com (if you can’t come to a talk see our on-line talks on the web site)
HAT is taking the Talks on-snow this year for people who want to learn more in Val d’Isère & Tignes!
See www.henrysavalanchetalk.com for more info on these practical short courses.
