Sa sz.2.5 on Shark

Activity

Skiing

Total in the group?

2

People fully buried?

0

People partly buried with impaired breathing?

0

People partly buried with normal breathing?

0

People not injured (caught but not buried)?

0

People injured (caught but not buried)?

0

People involved?

0

Terrain shape at trigger point

Unsupported

Snow depth at trigger point

Average

We skied to a ridge crest at treeline, up tracking in the safe trees. Our plan was to ski down the mellow shoulder and back into the trees avoiding a large steep start zone on our left. As we descended the ridge the first skier triggered the avalanche, but stayed high and skied safely into the trees. Profile dug near the slope (N aspect at 2250m) showed 75cm HST overlying a thin crust. Density above crust was mostly F, with 4F at bottom 20cm. Compression test hard RP x2.

There was widespread and ongoing loose dry avalanches out of anything steep, but we didn't see any signs of recent slab avalanches.

We were right to be conservative and chose a mellow line, however we should have given a wider margin to the start zone.

Were back to a winter snowpack!