As forecasted

La qualité du hors-piste était:

OK

Les conditions de neige étaient :

• Croûtée
• Durcie
• Affectée par le vent

Nous avons parcouru:

• Pentes alpines
• Pentes convexes
• Forêt dégagée
• Pentes raides
• Pentes ensoleillées

La journée était:

• Froide
• Ensoleillée
• Chaude

As forecasted,.. but better than expected. The snow below 1600m, on anything that sees the sunshine, was firm with rain runnels. Lots of pinwheels and death cookies to avoid. Above 1600m would soften during the hours of direct sunshine (less so each as temps dropped a couple degrees per day). We didn't travel too low on North aspects, but found a more consistent 'soft' few cms of snow on top of the crust, but a lot of chattering debris to avoid under all rock faces.

Plenty small wet loose avalanches and glide cracks from the warm weekend prior. All the snow had fallen off the trees below 1500m. Wind scouring on ridge top and open terrain from mostly south-south east winds.

No recent instability noticed or felt as we stepped into steeper terrain.

235cm snow pack on a south east slope @ 1730m.

Pit at same presented no reaction. 2" breakable crust down 10cm. Increased snow density at 35cm + 60cm down (4-1 finger and back).

3/4" of surface hoar present.