Snow report Ammer Mountains, 01/12/2019

Snow condition

lots and lots of snow....

Snow quality

The marked increase in temperature was noticeable in the snow. It became increasingly sticky and I sometimes had problems with lug formation on the ascent because the top layer was damp but the snow underneath was still cold.

The avalanche danger was the minor problem today with a good choice of tracks. The main danger was the threat of snow breakage.

Overall impression

Going on a ski tour to the Laber was definitely not a good decision today.
The trees are heavily laden with snow. Perhaps the trees are so weakened by the dry summer that there is so much snow breakage at the moment. There have also been trees covered in thick snow in other years... I was able to watch live as a very large tree fell 150m away. The ascent track was also blocked by a tree. Someone had even taken the trouble to make new tracks at a greater safety distance from the edge of the forest, but many tourers still chose the ascent close to the tree. I don't think they were even aware of the danger.
I wanted to turn back, but the way back would certainly have taken longer in the dangerous forest than to continue quickly and ski down the open north-facing slope. Of course, many people were looking for untracked snow in the forest. I decided not to do that today, thinking of a great person who lost his life on Bloomberg when a tree fell.