Wind Scouwered Smut

domobad94 , Monday 17th February, 2025 12:15PM

Conditions approaching Smut/Smutwood Pass are highly variable. Strong winds have created a 10 cm thick, concrete-like wind slab beneath 5 cm of fresh snow, with a grainy, faceted snow layer below. No whumpfing or cracking was observed during our ascent, but due to the significant amount of wind-affected snow, we turned back before reaching the pass. Skiing was challenging, with frequent transitions between wind-affected and non-wind-affected areas. The wind slab was extremely firm and nearly impenetrable while skiing. We observed no serious signs of instability and conditions improved as we reached lower elevations.