Approach to Armchair Glacier Avalanche

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Approach to Armchair Glacier Avalanche

Information

Activity
Skiing

Group details

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 details

Terrain shape at trigger point
Convex
Snow depth at trigger point
Shallow
Terrain traps
  • Gully or depression

Comments

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.