In March I attended an avalanche course to try to better understand the dynamics of what causes masses of snow to suddenly roll down a mountain.

The Swiss Mountain Training level 2 syllabus didn’t disappoint and over the course of three days I was soon digging snow pits to study the layers and what causes them to occasionally release.

Shovels in hand I, along with my fellow students, was soon digging down to a depth of over 150cm. Probes revealed a huge temperature difference; from -11C at the surface to just above freezing at the base.