Avalanche raises lake level

A group of professional mountain guides may have triggered an avalanche in the Remarkables Range yesterday afternoon that raised the level of Lake Alta by 7cm.

Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence said the avalanche occurred about 3pm on an east-facing slope above the alpine lake, about 200m outside the ski area's boundary.

The group skied through the fringe of the avalanche zone on their first run. They found the "head wall'' created by the avalanche when they returned to the area for a second run.

It was possible they had placed stress on the slope during their first run, causing the avalanche to trigger after they left the area.

No-one saw the avalanche, which was about 80m wide and ran for about 90m into the lake. It was of a size that could destroy a building, he said.

Ski patrollers from the skifield established that no-one had been caught in the avalanche.

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