Article and images in 20 Minutes online. Two folks "shaken up", no one hurt.
http://www.20min.ch/ro/news/faits_divers/story/La-montagne-se-decha-ne-25445292#
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http://www.20min.ch/ro/news/faits_divers/story/La-montagne-se-decha-ne-25445292#showid=44730&index=0
Big Slide in Crosets ski area in Portes du Soleil Sunday 26th Feb
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Both, it's right back to the bare mountainside. This slide (and lots of others) is being blamed on early season rain which fell on unfrozen ground. Now the snowpack is warm and now heavy with moisture, it loses it's grip, and all of it comes away at once. The slope does not look steep either, but it may get a lot of sun, I have no idea of the direction it faces.
It's great that no-one was injured, and a graphic example of why the current risk level is Considerable (3).
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Started by Bandit in Avalanche Safety 26-Feb-2012 - 4 Replies
Bandit posted Feb-2012
Snapzzz
reply to 'Big Slide in Crosets ski area in Portes du Soleil Sunday 26th Feb' posted Feb-2012
Is that grass or rock that has been exposed?
Skied: Arinsal, La Plagne, Alpe D'huez, Flaine, Les Arcs, Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Sauze, Courchevel, Val Thorens
Bandit
reply to 'Big Slide in Crosets ski area in Portes du Soleil Sunday 26th Feb' posted Feb-2012
Snapzzz wrote:
Is that grass or rock that has been exposed?
Both, it's right back to the bare mountainside. This slide (and lots of others) is being blamed on early season rain which fell on unfrozen ground. Now the snowpack is warm and now heavy with moisture, it loses it's grip, and all of it comes away at once. The slope does not look steep either, but it may get a lot of sun, I have no idea of the direction it faces.
It's great that no-one was injured, and a graphic example of why the current risk level is Considerable (3).
Snapzzz
reply to 'Big Slide in Crosets ski area in Portes du Soleil Sunday 26th Feb' posted Feb-2012
I was just thinking that.
Surely for it to strip back completely like that it MUST be the effect of early season conditions. I think i remember a few discussions about this back in early december that this kind of event was on the cards.
Surely for it to strip back completely like that it MUST be the effect of early season conditions. I think i remember a few discussions about this back in early december that this kind of event was on the cards.
Skied: Arinsal, La Plagne, Alpe D'huez, Flaine, Les Arcs, Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Sauze, Courchevel, Val Thorens
Edited 1 time. Last update at 26-Feb-2012
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Big Slide in Crosets ski area in Portes du Soleil Sunday 26th Feb' posted Feb-2012
In Verbier there are many full depth cracks and they are growing with each week passing.I think locals call them "whale mouths". Funny season weather wise with most of December snow falling when it was still warm. And with warmer temperatures now they will inevitably be slides.
Edited 1 time. Last update at 26-Feb-2012
Topic last updated on 26-February-2012 at 19:48