Finding good snow conditions for off-piste or ski touring is something that every skier strives for. Below are a few general tips to help you understand how to get it right.
On a typical ski tour you may find different types of snow, some of which are harder to ski than others. Ideally you should be confident with all types.
The easiest to ski is probably ‘spring snow’ which is frozen overnight and then the top couple of centimetres are softened by the sun, followed closely by powder snow on a hard base. You might also encounter hard snow which can be good to ski, unless it is also icy! Snow conditions which are more tricky to ski include deep powder with no base (sublime but sometimes difficult) and the hardest is probably breakable crust. The priority here is to survive without falling or breaking through the crust.
So how do we find the good snow which is easy to ski, versus the hard conditions which can be extremely challenging? This requires a little planning and experience. If it’s been snowing lots the chances are you will find good powder conditions on all slopes which will remain good for a while if the temperature stays cold. The North facing slopes tend to keep the powder for longer periods whereas the sunny south facing slopes will start to transform over time. Melt freeze will occur on slopes that face East South and West and this is where you will start to experience breakable crust… pretty nasty to ski!
