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.


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


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


The sun came out and it turned blue bird.


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


Looking east from the Waengi


and further up we go


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.


Looking towards the Klausenpass


Glatten on the left and the Laeckistock on the right


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


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


Jon is right behind him.


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.


Looking East from the Vorfrutter Huettli.


For once the boarders are first.


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


Can you find the huts?


Further up we go past the Maercher Stoeckli.


Looking west from the Klausenpass.


The Schaechentaler Windgaellen.


The Point!


Yes, that's where we are heading.


Our group fully assembled on the Rau Stoeckli.


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


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


That's some powder farming!


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


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.


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


Still holding up after the knee flex.


After a few strong jumps the slope came.


Flo trying out another rutsch block.


Michael inspecting the weak layer.


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


... and here it goes.


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".