Snow report Oberstdorf, 02/12/2017

Snow condition

The two-day rainfall up to approx. 1800m exactly 2 weeks ago has of course had a major impact on the snow cover, but on the north side there is still a very compact snow cover up to 800m in the valley. From last week there are two layers of 4-5 cm of powder, i.e. a maximum of 10 cm. This is still powdery in the pure north down to the valley. On the south side, the snow has already mostly melted down to around 1300m.

Snow quality

As mentioned above, you ski on a minimal powder layer on the north side. Underneath, you can feel the rain harsh cover sometimes more, sometimes less. A far cry from the brilliant snow quality until the big rain...

For some time now, the LLB has been issuing a 1 below 2000m. It's pretty safe here. Warming doesn't play a major role yet, the 10cm of powder have hardly any connection to the harsch cover but are too small to pose a danger.

Overall impression

Yes, here now the 5 stars, why is quickly explained, I have been waiting for this for several years now, to ski the more than 45 degree and rocky north flank directly from the Hochgrat summit in the full moon has long been my dream, now it was on. The avalanche and snow conditions have to be perfect, the sky has to be clear and you still have to be on the mountain. It's already difficult to get a good shot during the day, but even more difficult at night. Especially as, realistically, only 3 months of each winter are theoretically possible. Even if it then took another 3 attempts, first attempt on Friday, here it was densely cloudy, light snowfall, so descent with headlamp...Saturday brilliant sunset ride, but then too early back on the summit, the moon was not yet shining in the flank, again headlamp, yesterday then timing optimized, at midnight on the summit - and it went up almost perfectly....WOW, once in a lifetime time? OK, it was the day after the full moon, so it doesn't count