On Monday 9th Feb I undertook some avalanche training with Icicie Guides based in Chamonix. We used snowshoes to access areas above Vallorcine and took plenty of opportunities to assess the snowpack in different locations and practise using transceivers for both single and multiple burials. My experience of evaluating snowpacks has largely been based in Scotland and the Alps in Summer and so it was interesting to compare things to the Winter Alpine environment. A Ruschblock test showed that the slopes were pretty stable in the second area that we used although just around the corner in the first area there was evidence of recent avalanche activity and while in the area we witnessed a powder slough from a band of rock up high which then triggered more debris from a fairly steep snow slope below - a good reminder that while slopes may be stable in one area, local factors may make things very hazardous closeby.
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