Snow report Belledonne, 01/24/2017

Snow condition

Only a little snow in the valley. Above 2000 m there is about 60 cm. On the north side just above the meter, downhill runs are partly no longer possible. Last snowfall 20 and 21 January. There is a base in the Alps and stones are reasonably covered, but you should be careful underneath and approach with old material.

Snow quality

Below-average snow quality. Although it's cold, the snow cover is reduced daily by evaporation. What remains are rock-hard moguls, completely tracked variants and nasty broken snow. With a bit of brain power, we were also able to find some powder. There is still a little more snow in the couloirs of les 7 Laux than in the rest of the area and it is possible to ski down without hitting rocks.

Thought it would be relatively relaxed after 1.5 weeks of snowfall and the larger cracks have all gone in the first few days. Then I was surprised that the snowpack was quite unstable in places. We triggered a small slide below the Col des Oudis at 2300m. In terrain not steeper than 40 degrees (N-W), a 40cm block slid off in the immediate vicinity after 3 loose rattles during the slide block test. We were extremely surprised at how ready the whole zone directly below the col was to trigger. Probably overlooked some older wind signs. Despite little snow you shouldn't underestimate the danger, there are some hotspots that can easily be triggered with a bit of bad luck. LLB gave a 2 for Belledonnne but warned of local drift snow packs near the ridge

Overall impression

Quite a nice day despite the poor snow conditions. We were able to try out a few new couloirs and there were also a few square meters of pow at the end. We were also in les Deux Alpes the last few days. The snow conditions here are even more modest. "Hors Piste" here is only recommended with an ice axe and I would take a few repair candles with me on the slopes to be on the safe side.