Mountain Safety Collective Backcountry Conditions Report – Friday 11 August

August 11th, 2023

The view from Etheridge towards the Western Faces before Thursday's storm. Still plenty of cover for turns up high

Mountainwatch |Mountain Safety Collective

We had the novelty of a small front delivering 10-15cm of new snow across the mountains on Thursday morning, providing a top up that led to some nice turns in the backcountry

yesterday afternoon. Accompanied by very strong winds, this snow has accumulated to depths of 20-25cm in the NSW Main Range on lee (East facing) slopes with slightly less in Victoria.

This storm was far off the season-saving dump required to reset the snow cover and we still have extensive vegetation exposed on sun facing Northerly slopes and wind scoured ridge tops. The surface crust underneath the new snow is still icy and will be exposed on windward slopes. Cover below the treeline is very thin and variable, with lower elevations back to grass and bushes in many areas. Creeks are flowing strongly and many snow bridges have collapsed or disappeared. It’s effectively October spring skiing conditions in early August.

Alex Parsons navigating the exposed vegetation on the ridgetops above Twin Valleys

Despite the snow cover, there have been very enjoyable days ski touring in the backcountry over the past week, with sunny days and fun turns on solar aspects once the surface has softened by late morning. Friday has started as another bluebird with clear skies and light winds before some cloud and snow flurries through Saturday. This clears again through Sunday, so there should be plenty of opportunities for pleasant touring through the weekend.

The pick will be finding leeward slopes that have picked up the bulk of the new snow whilst avoiding the ice that’s still present on windward and south facing slopes. It’s definitely worth keeping your ski crampons and other pointy tools in your packs if you do need to ascend icier slopes.

As always, pay close attention to any weather warnings and always fill out your trip intention forms for NSWor VIC. If you’re keen for some transceiver training, Mountain Safety Collective have set up Avalanche Training Centresat Hotham and a new one at Thredbo.

For more information on staying safe in the backcountry, visit Mountain Safety Collective.