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  • Diploma in Avalanche Studies
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  • Forecast Tutorial
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• Online Avalanche Course:

  • INTRO
  • BASICS
  • - Snow and Snowpack Layering
  • - Triggers
  • - Avalanche Types
  • - Avalanche Size
  • TERRAIN
  • - Slope Angle
  • - Aspect
  • - Altitude/Elevation
  • - Common Trigger Points
  • - Terrain Traps
  • - Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale
  • CONDITIONS
  • DECISION MAKING
  • SAFE TRAVEL TECHNIQUES
  • ROUTE FINDING EXERCISES
  • RESCUE
  • - Transceivers
  • - Digging
  • REPORT OBSERVATIONS
  • YOUR NEXT STEPS

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Online Course - Terrain - Altitude/Elevation

Altitude/Elevation

As a general rule of thumb, when you travel higher up a mountain the temperature gets colder. Both the wind strength and snowfall tend to increase, and because of this, there is usually more avalanche activity at higher altitudes.

This is not always the case. A typical NZ storm will have rain in the valley and snow up high. Should the freezing level rise, then rain can fall onto the existing snowpack. This adds weight and heat into the snowpack making the potential for avalanches greater.

Read your altitude on a topographic map if you know your position, or measure it using a GPS/Altimeter.

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