Facets, Crusts, and Windskin

Quick report

Weather

cloudy

Ride Type

alpineSlopes, steepSlopes, mellowSlopes

Stayed Away

convexSlopes

Riding Quality

terrible

Snow Conditions

windAffected, hard, crusty, powder

Toured up to Nak - Thar col to access the N bowl. Solid sun crust on the S slopes of Thar (ski crampons recommended). The entire N bowl was affected by the outflow winds leading to a variety of surfaces: faceting dry snow, dry snow capped with either a skier supportive or a breakable stiff wind slab (~1-4cm thick), or the bare melt freeze crust where all recent snow had been stripped. Highly variable; in some places you could get all of the above within two turns. These surfaces will warrant caution with incoming snow. Some pics of Thar couloir on our exit for beta.