Wednesday, February 25, 2009

J+S Guide course, Urnerboden - February 2009


Here are a few pictures from the J+S guide course (Gruppenleiter Winter) I participated in on the Urnerboden. Monday was mostly theory lessons and some field training with the avalanche beeper.

On Tuesday it was snowing hard all day. We did some training in rope work, glacier travel and at the end of the day we had a nice ride down in about about 40cm blower snow.
photo by IridePow

It kept snowing most of the night and the next morning we had to break trail through 60 cm of fresh snow.
photo by IridePow

Thomas Good's group is also on the way up to the Waengi.
photo by IridePow

The sun came out and it turned blue bird.
photo by IridePow

Coming by the deeply snowed in trees. Skintrack is hip deep.
photo by IridePow

Looking east from the Waengi
photo by IridePow

and further up we go
photo by IridePow

At the Vorder Orthalten we learned the V-snow digging method, did some snow profiles and later went up to the Fisetengrat. Some of us trying to figure out all the peak names on the wonderful panorama.
photo by IridePow

Looking towards the Klausenpass
photo by IridePow

Glatten on the left and the Laeckistock on the right
photo by IridePow

After some great turns we continued our training. Here we are just done with an emergency bivouac.
photo by IridePow

After the hard work digging the bivouac it was time for some more fun. Michael is enjoying the deep powder.
photo by IridePow

Jon is right behind him.
photo by IridePow

On Thursday the avalanche danger was a bit lower and we went down the valley towards the Klausenpass for a tour on the Rau Stoeckli.
photo by IridePow

Looking East from the Vorfrutter Huettli.
photo by IridePow

For once the boarders are first.
photo by IridePow

Paul (our mountain guide) and Flo are taking a break.
photo by IridePow

Can you find the huts?
photo by IridePow

Further up we go past the Maercher Stoeckli.
photo by IridePow

Looking west from the Klausenpass.
photo by IridePow

The Schaechentaler Windgaellen.
photo by IridePow

The Point!
photo by IridePow

Yes, that's where we are heading.
photo by IridePow

Our group fully assembled on the Rau Stoeckli.
photo by IridePow

Even Mr. Mc Chrystal made it onto the Rau Stoeckli. (Peter and Andrea from one of the other groups.)
photo by IridePow

Snow conditions were great and we could enjoy some awesome turns on the way down. Paul is loving it!
photo by IridePow

That's some powder farming!
photo by IridePow

Looking back from the Urnerboden to where we were just about an hour ago.
photo by IridePow

On Friday the clouds started moving in again and instead of fighting through low visibility on a tour we did another training day. We had a great exercise with riding on the rope, falling into the "crevasse" and hoist the fallen companion up with the Oestereicher system.
photo by IridePow

After that we did some snow stability test. Here we are preparing for a rutsch keil.
photo by IridePow

Still holding up after the knee flex.
photo by IridePow

After a few strong jumps the slope came.
photo by IridePow

Flo trying out another rutsch block.
photo by IridePow

Michael inspecting the weak layer.
photo by IridePow

Flo going up again trying to collapse the lower layers as well.
photo by IridePow

... and here it goes.
photo by IridePow

All in all a great course. We could really experience all kind of conditions from strong snowfall to high avalanche danger and bluebird days. A big thank you goes out to all the guides and the "Glarner Fachstelle Sport".

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