Gear of the Week | Snow

Sometimes it frustrates us because it's a long time coming, and sometimes it comes in abundance, but actually we can't have enough of it: snow. It is the basis of our passion, because anyone who has ever gotten lost on sand or a meadow with their skis or snowboard knows that nothing glides as well as water frozen into crystals.

We know it in many different forms, preferably of course as freshly fallen powder snow or softened firn, but we can also enjoy it as blown drift snow, wind-pressed slabs, refrozen broken snow, wet slush and even as machine-made artificial snow. However, yellow or brown snow is definitely not recommended.

Snow consists of tiny crystals, which come in over 35 categories - just like the snow itself. To begin with, the classic dendrite, just like in a school book. Round grains are formed by degrading metamorphosis and crystals are mechanically destroyed by wind. However, a build-up metamorphosis can then lead to royally angular cup crystals or glittering surface frost.

However, there is also colored snow: thick layers of old snow can absorb the green, yellow and red components of light. What remains is a blue that runs from light to dark, as this is the optimum wavelength for penetrating water. Reddish algae, yellow Saharan dust or dark volcanic ash can also create exciting colors on the surface of snow.

But we can not only (not) see snow, we can also hear it. At cold temperatures, from around -10 degrees Celsius, snow crunches very loudly. This is due to the thin ice crystals that collapse under the heavy weight of our skis, which creates this sound. The fact that snow consists to a very large extent of air can also lead to noise when this air escapes. However, the well-known whump sound is not caused by air, but by the collapse of a weak layer in the snow cover. It is therefore regarded as the ultimate warning sign of avalanches.

It is very rare for snow to make a squeaking, almost singing sound. This happens either when very thin, hard layers lie on loose snow and start to vibrate, or when fine, dry snow is squeezed out sideways between the boot and the base in cold temperatures. The sound is caused by friction, which is intensified by the tread and breaks the brittle crystals.

But despite its uniqueness and beauty, two things should be pointed out here: For centuries, and even today, snow has meant danger for people in the mountains and polar regions, and therefore also for us winter sports enthusiasts. Avalanches can quickly turn the seemingly perfect element into a deadly weapon of nature. It is therefore worth investing in as much prevention as possible and sometimes exercising caution rather than indulgence on the mountain. In addition, environmental changes such as man-made climate change are leading to a decline in snow depths and snow cover across the Alps, which is why we would all do well to take quick and timely measures to counter this development before the joy of white gold is over once and for all.

Snow is the hottest shit, always close to the melting point, and if you want to know more about this non-white gold after these snow facts, we recommend our SnowFlurry section. Here, experts delve even deeper into this element. For example, you can learn how to read a snow profile correctly! Otherwise, after this ode to snow - in true Christmas style - there's really only one thing left to say: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!