Snow report Verbier, 03/04/2017

Snow condition

From 1700 there is a closed snow cover after the dumps. The 5-15cm was blown into the lee-side culoirs by the storm, which are then quite nice. It's a far cry from what you would expect from recent years and the descent certainly ends with a quarter of an hour's walk across the meadow.

Snow quality

The usual this year, where the fresh snow can be preserved, it can be perceived as such. Underneath is something indefinably soft to crusty. Otherwise, the good stuff bakes and melts away. On the south side, the snow is concreting and is very dull but stable and invites steeper action. Let's hope that the next two days lead to real winter mode.

Quite a mess. The snow changes three times within a 50m radius. On Saturdays, we were able to observe powerful wind-loaded north-east tribal snow slopes on their descents. However, this was in high alpine terrain in the direction of Dentes du midi. The couloirs around Marecottes look stable. Some avalanche cones from the middle of the week are all 35-40° below the permanently wind-charged slopes in the northern sector at around 2000m.

Overall impression

Prefer to get the all-purpose weapons under your feet before you get too much into powder, then it's fun. small steep stuff invigorates with variety. However, it's another challenge for the freeride retirement home if you're boiled in your clothes in the morning and then have a crystal face peel from lunchtime onwards.