How to Cut a Snow Cornice

Snow cornices are wind-loaded deposits of snow that often overhang a slope. They are beautiful mountain features that can be deadly when they fall and cause avalanches. Cornice cutting can be lots of fun, but it can also be very dangerous. Cutting a snow cornice is a fantastic way to test a slope for snow stability. Cornices often weigh hundreds of pounds, much more than a skier. When a cornice careens down a slope, if the snow is unstable, it may cause an avalanche. If no avalanche occurs, the snow may be safe enough for you to ski. When you cut cornices, it is important to take safety precautions to ensure you do not get injured.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 100-foot nylon parachute cord

1. Tie knots in a parachute cord every 18 inches with a small weight in the middle of the cord. This will act as a saw when you cut the cornice.

2. Take one end of the prepared cord and your ski partner will take the other. Stand on the far ends of the ridge where the cornice you want to cut is located

3. Hold on to your end of the cord and toss the middle section of the cord over the cornice. It will dangle below the cornice. Pull it snug against the bottom side of the cornice.

4. Stand as far back from the cornice as you can. Cornices often break farther back than you would expect. If you can, tie another rope to a tree or have a third person belay you so that if the cornice falls, you do not fall with it.

5. Saw the cornice with the rope. When you pull, your ski partner releases tension and vice versa.

6. Watch from a safe distance as the cornice tumbles down the slope. Use the results to help you make the safest backcountry decisions.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also kick cornices down, but this can be dangerous if the cornice breaks behind where you are standing. Practice cutting small cornices before you cut big cornices.
• Cornices often break well behind where you think they will. Whenever you use cornice cutting as a stability test, use other stability tests to help you make the best decisions. Learn about avalanche terrain before you go.

Resources

• AIARE
• Avalanche.org

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