Snow report Dolomites, 04/22/2017

Snow condition

The snow conditions are very poor. It must be carried on the west or north side up to approx. 1900-2000m above sea level. From this altitude there is enough snow. Especially in the Canalone Neri and the Cima Brenta north flank, the amount of snow was good, there was hardly any ice to be seen and the gullies were filled with enough snow. Only the entrance to the Cima Tosa north gully was just barely skiable.

Snow quality

On the lower, sun-exposed slopes, we encountered some of the finest firn. At the same time, the conditions on the northern flanks were quite good. There was an old, settled layer of snow on which people could easily carry or trudge their skis on the ascent. On the subsequent descent, the snow was relatively grippy to be able to ski properly.

Due to the long dry period and the good weather in recent weeks, the snow cover was stable and the risk of avalanches was low. There was no danger of wet snow or sliding snow avalanches on our tours.

Overall impression

We had a perfect weekend with the best weather, the brilliant tours and this magnificent landscape. What's more, there were no other ski tourers on the way. Due to the lack of snow, Refugio Valesinella is probably the best choice as a starting point for both tours at the moment. As I was in the mountains on Monday and Tuesday, I didn't manage to write the CR earlier. Nevertheless, I think it would still be worth going there in the next few weeks.