cornices build on wind exposed ridges and summits, suddenly breaking off with little warning. They can be triggered from a distance, too, easily triggering slab avalanches on slopes below.” data-image-caption=”Cornices can be incredibly hazardous features in backcountry travel. As the winter goes on, cornices build on wind exposed ridges and summits, suddenly breaking off with little warning. They can be triggered from a distance, too, easily triggering slab avalanches on slopes below.
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Overhung cornices often reach much further back than expected, stretching onto flat ridges and catching travelers by surprise. They can be quite destructive on their own, even the smaller ones, and their ability to trigger avalanches below make them even more of a hazard. Travel on corniced ridge lines should be done cautiously to avoid situations like the one below.The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, avoiding cornices is a necessary step to traveling safely in the backcountry. A probe can be used to determine the existence of real, hard ground underneath snow if necessary. Additionally, areas underneath cornices should be avoided, given their ability to trigger large avalanches and the ability for larger cornices to easily crush a human.
Snowboarder caught in a cornice fall.
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