Snow report North chain, 01/19/2017

Snow condition

The snow conditions are still good enough to ski down to the Hungerburg (via the 3-person descent) and above the Seegrube the snow conditions are good and there is rarely any contact with rocks.

Snow quality

Snow quality is now very dependent on exposure. A cap has already formed on slopes with direct sunlight. On slopes that are a little more inclined to the east, there is still powder snow. With a good eye, you can still find beautiful powder turns.

As there is at least no pronounced old snow problem on the south side of the Nordkette and the drift snow has already settled well due to the influence of radiation, I would rate the avalanche situation on the south-facing slopes as good. Very steep slopes such as the Kemacher have also already been skied. I haven't seen any snow slabs on the south side. Due to the soaking of the snowpack, there are loose snow avalanches from steep, sunny terrain.on the north side, I rate the situation as much more critical! From a distance, you could see that a large slab of snow has fallen on the north side below the Mandlscharte. This was probably caused by ski tourers who had climbed up to the Arzler Reise. I would personally avoid the north-facing slopes, as the old snow problem mentioned by the avalanche warning service is present there.

Overall impression

In the last two days we did two beautiful splitboard tours on the Nordkette 19.01.17The eastern Kaminspitze combined with the via ferrata has a lot to offer in terms of ascent and descent. Crampons absolutely necessary, via ferrata set is also recommended. The rope lies under the snow in places. Would only recommend this tour to experienced alpinists who already know the via ferrata and are very sure-footed. Permanent no-fall zone in the ridge area. You will be rewarded with very beautiful views in all directions, a challenging ridge route and a great downhill variant.20.01.17The long saddle offers a more moderate ski tour and some opportunities for drops on the descent. From the Frau Hitt chairlift, walk up the ridge for a few minutes. From there, there is already a very well-worn track that crosses to the west. Skin up at a suitable point and ascend towards the long saddle. Due to the cornice at the top, ascend on the ridge rather than in the gully. The tour is currently quite feasible with an early ascent. You can descend to the Höttinger Alm, where you cross back over to the forest path for the 3-person descent. In my opinion, the Nordkette is currently a worthwhile destination for ski tourers as long as you stay on the south side and don't start too late.