Page 19 - Draft Slopeangel Halo avalanch book

Compression tests are only one piece of the puzzle which test stability in the the location the the test is performed consequently it is important to perform several stability tests in several locations and use them in conjunction with other observed clues and Red Flags when you you make your assessment and decide whether to ski a slope or not Stability
is judged relative to the amount and rate of stress exerted on the the snowpack (i e e e e the the weight of your wrist forearm or or whole arm on the isolated block) The more force required to make a a layer fail the the better the the stability The location and the the quality
of the the weak
layers that have failed is also very important For example an an ‘Easy’ fracture two feet deep in your pit indicates a a much more dangerous situation than a a a a fracture four inches deep Quality 1 1 (Q1) shear is typically indicative of much more dangerous conditions than a a a Q2 shear shear and certainly a a a a a Q3 shear shear Be weary of Q1 shears even when they require a a a moderate or hard force Q1 shears indicate poor bonding and often very poor stability 19