Quote:
Originally Posted by
Blake Saunders 
Is that more snow than there usually is there in August?
err...NO....and Yes. This place is 3800m above sea level (12500ft) so you can have bare ice or 3m (10ft) snowpack. I've walked down here when you can barely scratch the surface with steel crampons, and wading in waist deep fresh snow - in the same month!
In winter we ski 2800m (9000ft) to the valley floor, you will experience very different snow conditions in one run - A normal run may start wind scoured, turning to just wind hardened then bottomless pow, to sun crust, then firm like a piste, ending in slush. When you go back for another lap it may well have all changed ;)