Approach to Armchair Glacier Avalanche

Activity

Skiing

Total in the group?

2

People fully buried?

0

People partly buried with normal breathing?

0

People not injured (caught but not buried)?

1

People involved?

1

Terrain shape at trigger point

Convex

Snow depth at trigger point

Shallow

Terrain traps

• Gully or depression

Working our way to lower part of armchair glacier through the trees and came to a small gully to cross.

The treed slope we were ascending was very crusty and wind scoured. We saw signs of slabbing in the top 3 cm, but below it was very firm.

Entered the gully below a convex roll to traverse and remotely triggered a shallow slab 30m above spanning the gully immediately. Slab was formed from wind deposited snow.

Carried by avalanche for 250m, and run out stopped another 150m below.