20101130 Tateyama Avalanche
(image from JAN)
Senior members of the Japan Avalanche Network have posted their report here
Summary:
Size 2.5
34 degree start zone
North aspect
Crown wall between 10 and 150cm high
Weak layer was a 2cm thick layer of 1mm facets
2 dead, 3 injured, 6 in the party.
Location topo map here
The SPIN snow profile is here, look for profile number 000439 submitted on date 101201
Comments
Not a good start to the
Not a good start to the season... Looks like it should have been avoidable?
Hi Chris - All the
Hi Chris - All the ingredients were there for an avalanche when they woke up that morning. Indeed they often are in the Hakuba/Kita Alps area. The problem is that often nothing happens due to the maritime snowpack we have. When all the warning signs are there people still ski avalanche terrain and come home safely. They also come home with a false sense of security, and in the end, something happens. The event is usually large and costly due to poor decision making routines and poor travel habits built up over long periods of thinking everything is ok.