In Memoriam: VernsPics
Cause and effect...
Discussions continued and each person put forth their thoughts on the matter and we didn't all agree. The predicted weather and the thought of being hut bound then flying out were all major factors under discussion. I was keen to go and with the track visible below I had voted to walk out.
It was a tense moment but once the decision was made to go, all set to the task at hand. We were on the snow soon enough and following the track down to the glacier. There was a slight wind and the cloud had descended bringing whiteout but conditions were still good. I was out front following the previous tracks which were now from time to time disappearing on the icier sections of the walk.
We were heading up between the bottom of the ridge and the first heavily crevassed section of the glacier when I heard a feint sound. It was unusual to hear anything other than feet on snow or ice. Curious, I turned and looked toward the sound. "Avalanche!" I could see it now through the white. We all began to run laden with packs and trying not to trip on ropes. A large chunk of ice had broken off above and had caused the snow below to avalanche.
Stopping just metres from the track behind us I found it very bizarre that in the entirety of this place that this was the first avalanche or even hint of avalanche I had seen. And here it was right behind us. We had avalanche transceivers on in case we had been caught in one, but in truth, of all the things on the mountain that I could fear, being caught in an avalanche was the highest on my list. Seeing it so close was quite an experience. Not far from here we would head away from the ridge into the centre of the glacier where the only risk would be crevasses...
The tracks we were following were disappearing, and this just at the time when we were approaching the most obviously crevassed section of the glacier. With compass and GPS I navigated as best as I could crossing snow bridges and weaving through small open crevasses and with a few discussions on routes we made our way to the centre of the glacier.
This shot gives a good idea of whiteout conditions that we were navigating through.
Cause and effect...
Discussions continued and each person put forth their thoughts on the matter and we didn't all agree. The predicted weather and the thought of being hut bound then flying out were all major factors under discussion. I was keen to go and with the track visible below I had voted to walk out.
It was a tense moment but once the decision was made to go, all set to the task at hand. We were on the snow soon enough and following the track down to the glacier. There was a slight wind and the cloud had descended bringing whiteout but conditions were still good. I was out front following the previous tracks which were now from time to time disappearing on the icier sections of the walk.
We were heading up between the bottom of the ridge and the first heavily crevassed section of the glacier when I heard a feint sound. It was unusual to hear anything other than feet on snow or ice. Curious, I turned and looked toward the sound. "Avalanche!" I could see it now through the white. We all began to run laden with packs and trying not to trip on ropes. A large chunk of ice had broken off above and had caused the snow below to avalanche.
Stopping just metres from the track behind us I found it very bizarre that in the entirety of this place that this was the first avalanche or even hint of avalanche I had seen. And here it was right behind us. We had avalanche transceivers on in case we had been caught in one, but in truth, of all the things on the mountain that I could fear, being caught in an avalanche was the highest on my list. Seeing it so close was quite an experience. Not far from here we would head away from the ridge into the centre of the glacier where the only risk would be crevasses...
The tracks we were following were disappearing, and this just at the time when we were approaching the most obviously crevassed section of the glacier. With compass and GPS I navigated as best as I could crossing snow bridges and weaving through small open crevasses and with a few discussions on routes we made our way to the centre of the glacier.
This shot gives a good idea of whiteout conditions that we were navigating through.