LIABILITY WAIVER This mountain conditions advisory is provided as a public service by Aspiring Guides Ltd. It is intended as an advisory only. Those endeavouring to travel into any of the areas mentioned do so at their own risk. Backcountry travellers should be well informed about current weather, snowpack and avalanche hazards and should not travel alone. All members of your party should wear a transceiver (457khz) and know how to use it. In addition everyone should carry a shovel, and a probe. Travellers should advise someone where they are travelling, and when they will next make contact.

23 July 09
Lots of new powder - 20-30cm deposited by westerly front. 
Reported by Whit Thurlow

20 Aug 08

As good as it gets. Excellent ski touring conditions especially Back door. Pls check www.avalanche.net.nz and with the Treble Cone ski patrol before venturing out of the ski area boundary.

Oct 18, 2007

Boot top powder at the summit. Reported by Russell Braddock

Wednesday 15 August 07

Towers Ridge past Corner Peak: Good conditions on low angle terrain. Natural avalanches observed on most aspects. No slope settlement in our area. Some slab developing with NW winds. Good facetted snow for our ski tour.

Written by: Marty Beare

Wednesday 1 August 07

Great powder skiing on Eastern aspects at lower levels well below ridge lines and on lower angled terrain. The higher slopes are wind-affected (variably). Snow stability is FAIR, with potential for avalanches on steeper slopes and rolls, especially on wind loaded aspects and near ridge crests.

Written by Marty Beare

 Towers ridge 15/7/07 

Great touring conditions backcountry Treble Cone... plenty of untracked for everyone. Photos: Jean

The storm cycle of the 3-5/7/07 produced approximately 35cm of new snow on top of a very firm base (overall snowdepth backcountry is 65cm at 1800m). Overall the Backcountry Hazard for the Treble Cone region on 06/07/07 is MODERATE. Backcountry travellers should avoid steeper terrain near ridgelines where isolated pockets of windslab have formed lee to the prevailing SE wind. Otherwise new snow coverage is relatively even and promises some great skiing and boarding over the next few days.

Written by Pete James 09/09/06:

Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Treble Cone region on 09/09/06 is LOW. Watch slide for life conditions during the earlier part of the day and upon shaded aspects below 1900m.

Written by Pete James 29/08/06:

Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Treble Cone region on 24/08/06 is LOW.

Written by Pete James 24/08/06:

Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Treble Cone region on 24/08/06 is MODERATE. Some great skiing to be had -especially in wind sheltered areas where there is up to 15-20cm of powder. Instabilities within the storm snow of the 18th-21st August appear to be settling out relatively well although it is likely that pockets of less stable snow exist on steeper and unsupported slopes SE-N above 1400m and on steep solar terrain below 1800m during the heat of the day. Backdoor and selected less steep runs within the Boldrush chutes are holding excellent snow but require a high level of backcountry awareness from any groups intending to ski them.

Written by Pete James 19/08/06:

Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Treble Cone region on 19/08/06 is HIGH. 30-40cm of new snow above 1700m has fallen in the last 24hrs. Winds are strong about the tops with moderate to intense snow transport expected onto slopes lee to the NW-SW 1/2 during the day and overnight. Another cold front is presently making its way up the Sth Island and is likely to bring more snow to the Treble Cone Backcountry region over the next 24 hrs. Travel in the backcountry without a qualified guide is inadvisable for the next 24hrs.

Written by Pete James 17/08/06:

Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Treble Cone region on 17/08/06 is MODERATE. Some great snow to be found on sheltered Southerly aspects like the boldrush chutes and  lower racers edge. Watch steep solar aspects below 1700m during heat of the day where the possibility of loose snow avalanches exists.

Written by Pete James 1130pm 30/07/06:

A low pressure cell and its accompanying frontal system are delivering significant amounts of new snow to the Wanaka region from the NW over the 30/31st July. The most significant weather events prior to this cycle were the wind stripping of the snowpack from the SW 1/4 on the 23rd July and the clear cold anti-cyclone conditions over the 5 days following that event. Consequently the snowpack prior to the current storm is relatively thin on aspects not lee to the SW and significant amounts of depth hoar and faceted grains are present within the lower layers of the snowpack on these aspects and wherever the snowpack is less than approximately 80cm deep. Where snowpack depths are greater than 80-100cm gradual rounding of deeper faceted layers is occurring. In such places a hard slab layer is offering significant “bridging” or “capping” strength, which would require quite heavy loading to initiate release within deeper layers.

The lack of any significant effects of solar radiation upon SW-SE aspects has resulted in some frost-drying of the upper layers of the snowpack where faceted crystals were observed within the surface layers prior to the current storm cycle. The current storm cycle contains a high degree of humidity and new snow is expected to bond quite well with the snow surface prior to the storm cycle –which was primarily rough in texture although highly spatially variable due to wind scouring.

Whilst precipitation estimates do not suggest that widespread instabilities will result from the current storm cycle care will need to be taken on S and E aspects where significant amounts of wind drifted snow may accumulate to trigger the release of slab avalanches –particularly at mid slope elevations and upon unsupported slopes and convex roll-overs, as the forecasted wind strengths are in the strong to gale force range about the tops and at ridgelines. Travel on S and E aspects should be restricted to lower angled terrain -keeping in mind that whilst the overall stability on these aspects is not likely to be less than FAIR there exists the potential for persistent deep weak layers to release when triggered by backcountry travelers both on and beneath avalanche start zones. Backcountry groups should avoid grouping together and keep well spaced keeping a keen eye on other members within the party at all times.

No data is available to indicate whether instabilities exist within the new snow currently being deposited within the storm cycle at this stage. Weather and snowpack information over the next 12-18hrs will help determine whether such instabilities do indeed exist. For the time being the backcountry avalanche hazard for the Treble Cone region is MODERATE.

Pete James wrote: Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Treble Cone backcountry on 28/7/06 is LOW. The snowpack is a little wind-scoured but the weather forecast predicts some good snowfall over the following 72 hrs.

Pete James wrote: The strong winds on the 23/7/06 stripped some of the new snow from the surface of the snowpack, however pockets of great powder skiing are still there to be enjoyed. The backcountry avalanche hazard has reduced to MODERATE. Caution should be taken on steep terrain facing lee to the S-SW above 1500m, especially unsupported slopes and below ridgelines.

Pete James wrote: Some great snow was skied around Towers Ridge on 22/7/06. Whilst the avalanche hazard for the region remains HIGH, guided parties who limit their terrain travel options to low to intermediate angle terrain can expect some great turns.

Pete James wrote: Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Backcountry Treble Cone Region on 21/7/06 is HIGH. Backcountry travel is not recomended without a qualified guide. Travel should be restricted to lower angle terrain away from potential runout zones and avalanche paths situated below steeper W-NE facing slopes.

Pete James wrote: Backcountry avalanche hazard for the Backcountry Treble Cone Region on 13/7/06 is HIGH. Backcountry travel is not recommended without a qualified guide. Travel should be restricted to lower angle terrain away from potential runout zones and avalanche paths situated below steeper NE-SE facing slopes.

Significant amounts of new snow have been falling throughout the last 36hrs with mod-strong NW-SW winds about the tops loading up NE - SE slopes, -especially immediately below ridgelines. Stability overall is FAIR with isolated areas of POOR stability on steeper NE-SE facing terrain that may release with the addition of further snowfall or the weight of a single skier. Further snowfall is forecast throughout the day from the western quarter.

Pete James wrote: Backcountry avalanche hazard for Backcountry Treble Cone Region on 10/7/06 is MODERATE.

Pete James wrote: Backcountry avalanche hazard for Backcountry Treble Cone Region on 6/7/06 is MODERATE.

Great powder skiing down Racers Edge, Towers Ridge and Gotliebs to mid height where rain crust surface conditions make skiing more challenging, but possible to valley floor for moderate to strong skiers and snowboarders. Overall conditions -backcountry Treble Cone touring conditions at present are fantastic!

A rain event during the last storm cycle has created a crust evident within the snowpack below 1900m. At elevations below 1600m the crust is sufficiently thick and the spatial variability of the snow so great that the overall stability is GOOD. Above 1600m - isolated pockets of wind slab on steep terrain may exist on S and E aspects containing FAIR stability, -otherwise stability above 1600m is GOOD.

Pete James wrote: Backcountry avalanche hazard for Backcountry Treble Cone Region on 28/6/06 is LOW.

Great early season powder snow coats almost all aspects and elevations to valley floor. Great skiing along Towers Ridge, down Racers Edge and Gotliebs to valley floor.

With the cold clear nights and relatively thin snowpack bonding within the snowpack is gradually being reduced. Whilst this does not represent a significant avalanche risk at present the hazard will rise dramatically when significant amounts of new snow are deposited upon the existing snowpack. Therefore take care when the next powder dump comes along...