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With temperatures rising and ski resorts shutting down for the season, skiers and snowboarders will increasingly be heading to the high-altitude backcountry for their fix. With that in mind, the Utah Avalanche Center has posted to Instagram a quick video demonstrating one of the late season's most dangerous arrivals: the wet slab avalanche.
Filmed on a steep slope covered in warm, wet snow, the clip shows how even a small amount of slush can pick up a dangerous amount of momentum. No one is in danger under the somewhat-controlled conditions shown, but that's not necessarily the case in less-controlled conditions, such as one might encounter on a remote peak. Even if one avoids being buried, a wet-slab slide can flush skiers and riders over cliffs or into trees.
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For more information on staying safe in the backcountry, check out TGR's Safety Week series.
