Snow report Alpenostrand, 01/06/2018

Snow condition

Still very good (at least from approx. 1200m). Especially the alpine plateau (Sonnschienalm / Sackwiesenalm, approx. 1500-1600m) and the high plateau (around 2000m) very well snowed in.

Snow quality

The problem is the quality of the snow. Due to the rain, everything is de facto covered with a rough icy glaze. The sun was only strong enough to soften the crust on the extreme south side and further down (below approx. 1600m).

Many past signs of spontaneous (minor) snow slab activity (apparently from the last fresh snowfall, where numerous slabs then dissolved themselves in the subsequent rain). Otherwise (smaller) wet snow slides from the sunny rocky and steep terrain. In the immediate skiing area, however, avalanche danger was not an issue. The famous steep runs (Südkare) of the Hochschwab were not an issue for us anyway due to the icy conditions.

Overall impression

Lots of sunshine, no wind (with the exception of the immediate summit area), very good visibility and a beautiful, snow-covered landscape make the hearts of ski tourers looking for an ascent beat faster. Hence 2 stars. Of course, there was no real downhill fun today ...