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Cornices.—Owing to their potential avalanche hazard, cornices should wherever possible be avoided. If they cannot be, they must be cut or tunneled through. From above, one of the party, belayed, should approach the edge afoot and select the region of lowest angle for the break-through. If the overhang is severe, the tunnel should emerge well back from the lower part of the cornice, so that it will clear the skier should it collapse. The party should remain afoot until reaching slopes of low and safe angle, well below the cornice—but few slopes below a cornice can be truly safe. From below, the procedure is reversed, with the exception that it is easier to select the spot for the attack, and harder to make it, or to tell how secure the cornice will be. Accordingly, it is all the more essential that the leader start tunneling well in past the overhang. Ordinarily the ski will serve as a digging tool. |
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