Mountain Safety Collective Backcountry Conditions Report – Friday 14 July

July 14th, 2023
It’s been all about ice over the past few days and icy surface conditions will persist across the weekend,

Mountainwatch | Mountain Safety Collective

It was ice, ice, baby across the mountains this week. Temperatures warmed up after last weekend’s blizzard topped up the snowpack with some excellent powder, creating a solid glaze of ice on all aspects. This ice did soften on sunny northern aspects in some locations, but uphill travel required boot or ski crampons.

As we move into the weekend, the BOM has issued a Severe Weather Warning for damaging winds on Friday into Saturday morning as a cold front approaches the mountains. This front is unlikely to bring any new snow with the winds forecast to back off through Saturday afternoon into a fine Sunday and Monday accompanied by mild daytime temperatures.

The lack of new snow will mean icy surface conditions will persist and make for challenging travel in the alpine. Crampons (ski/board/boot) and ice axe are essential for safe travel on all aspects and elevations of the Main Range currently. Northerly aspects at lower elevations are likely to soften with daytime warming and solar input whilst the alpine slopes could remain icy on all aspects.

If planning a backcountry tour over the weekend, plan for icy ascents in the morning with the best chance of skiable lines on north facing slopes by mid to late morning. Exposed surfaces will refreeze overnight under clear skies and colder temperatures.

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 Centres at Hothamand a new one at Thredbo.

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