Snow report Grisons, 01/17/2017

Snow condition

On the whole, it was simply sobering, because it seems that the north-facing accumulations of the past few weeks were not able to penetrate as far as the Albula Pass to create a really freeride-suitable snow cover. Above 2400m it's probably around 70cm on average, below 30 - 40cm, i.e. the rocks bite at the top, the undergrowth beats at the bottom.

Snow quality

The influence of wind and sun has been noticeable. Where the cold and (wind) shade were able to preserve the powder, the snow was quite good, otherwise you'll find a lot of broken snow that makes your thighs burn.

"Wumm" noises on the ascent and the numerous snow slab cracks in the steep shady slopes underline the warnings of the LWD. The unfavorable old snow cover is present from approx. 2200m upwards and, given the scarce snow conditions, is probably easy to approach!

Overall impression

With bluebird, crisp winter temperatures and moderate wind, we managed to escape from the WEF elite. The snow conditions and sometimes the snow quality were rather sobering. With a little Zen meditation, you could take in the idyllic mountain panorama with ptarmigans flying past and forget the noise of the circling interceptors for a moment.