Matier NW Face

Skied Matier NW Face approaching from the north ridge. Bootpack up the north ridge produced pockets of wind affected snow. CT result 19 20cm down, PF. Triggered a size 0.5 and 2.5 from the top of the NW face while ski cutting the slope on belay. Read the avalanche section for more details.

Bootpack to the summit of Matier via the north ridge showed signs of wind affected snow on the upper ridge. A quick CT showed a planar fracture 20cm down on 19 taps on a smooth surface. With some uncertainty of the reactivity of the recent 20-30cm of snow on the NW face and if/how it was wind affected, we decided to ski cut the entrance to the NW Face on belay. Initial ski cut from skiers right to left across the opening of the face triggered a size 0.5 slab avalanche on the smooth crust layer. It did not step down. A subsequent ski cut left to right to a rocky outcrop again triggered an initial size 0.5 wind slab avalanche, but this time it continually stepped down the face, initially just 10-20m wide, then across to the north for ~75-100m (what is seen in the photo) producing a variable thickness 25-50cm crown line. Final result was approx size 2.5. Our group of four skiers made our way down the face skiing the cleared path.