February 3, 2016

gulmarg avalanche

What does the scale above mean to you as a skier or rider in the Gulmarg backcountry? Read more here.

Snowpack Discussion

Yesterday skiers were nearly caught in two separate skier-triggered avalanches in the backcountry on Mount Apharwat.  This is a clear sign there are reactive wind slabs on all aspects in the alpine in the Gulmarg backcountry.  The two avalanches from yesterday were on East and Southeast aspects, and were triggered between the hours of 1100-1400.  As was advised yesterday, if you choose to go in the Gulmarg backcountry, you should stick to ridge lines and keep your slope angles low. What that means is, if you do not want to trigger an avalanche, you should stick to ridge lines and keep your slope angles low (less than 25 degrees).  The danger of triggering an avalanche is that you will be caught in it and injured or buried and killed.

Choose to ride in groups in the forests of Gulmarg. http://www.deepsnowsafety.org/index.php/. We now have enough snow in the conifer forests above 3200 meters for skiers and riders to get trapped in tree wells. Read more about this phenomenon in the link above. It causes several fatalities each year in other ski regions of the globe.

https://avanet.avatech.com/

See daily snow observations, snow pits, and data from Luke Smithwick and the Gulmarg Ski Patrol. Sign up for a free Avanet account.
See daily snow observations, snow pits, and data from Luke Smithwick and the Gulmarg Ski Patrol. Sign up for a free Avanet account.

Avalanche Problem #1-Wind Slab

Wind-Slabsgulmarg avalanche

Problem Description
Release of a cohesive layer of snow (slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Wind Slabs form in specific areas, and are confined to lee and cross-loaded terrain features. They can be avoided by sticking to sheltered or wind-scoured areas.

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Avalanche Problem #2 – Persistent Slab

Persistent-Slabs gulmarg avalanche

Problem Description –

Release of a cohesive layer of soft to hard snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

The best ways to manage the risk from Persistent Slabs is to make conservative terrain choices. They can be triggered by light loads and weeks after the last storm. The slabs often propagate in surprising and unpredictable ways. This makes this problem difficult to predict and manage and requires a wide safety buffer to handle the uncertainty.
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Weather Discussion (for 3250 meters): Clear skies and Light winds forecasted for today through Friday.

gulmarg-gondola-beacon-shovel-probe

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Gulmarg Ski Area (green zone) Timings for 3/2/2016:
Phase 1 – 0830 -1630 (last cabin at 1600)
Phase 2 – 0900 – 1600 (last cabin at 1530)
Chair Lift – 0900 – 1600 (last chair at 1530)

beacon-searchBeacon Training Center on Merry Shoulder is OPEN with 2 BEACONS. Come by Gulmarg ski patrol base at mid mountain to learn the location of the beacon training center and hone your search skills and times.

349955770_640Next avalanche talk is Wednesday, 3 February, 2016 at 7:30pm at Hotel Hilltop. Hotel Hilltop is located across from the ice skating rink in Gulmarg meadow. Talks will continue every Wednesday night at 7:30 pm through 30 March, 2016.