Pulpit 1 exploration

Decent day exploring around Pulpit 1. Overall impressed with snow quality and stability until we reached alpine slopes. Approached the alpine bowl but turned back due to extremely variable conditions mixing facets, drummy wind slabs with shooting cracks and avy debris from the overhead hazards. Kept things chill in the trees and gully below. Crossed the lake, mushy surface in the middle of it and some cracking felt. Watched a huge cornice fall from the top of Waputik, probably wind caused?

Gusty winds were transporting lots of snow. Variable cloud cover throughout the day, majority overcast.

Variable snow throughout the day. Majority of surface snow on the approach to the pulpits is facets. At the top of Pulpit 1 snow changed to supportive powder. Much nicer than we anticipated! Snowpit at 2032m on E/NE face in protected but open trees. Consistent light Sugar/loosely rounded crystals throughout the whole snowpack. HS: 150cm 3cm Depth Hoar complex 35cm down CTX ECTX RB7 Sudden Planar on Depth Hoar complex 35 down.