The first snow on the glaciers heralds the start of a critical time for alpine tours: while many crevasses are already covered in snow, the snow cover is often not yet strong enough to bear the weight of a person. Only in the course of winter, when the snow has settled and the crevasses have been partially filled in, is there less risk involved in entering these icy streams again. Nevertheless, the general rule is that you should always be roped up on a snow-covered glacier.
The so-called Buuch is a glacial stream below Piz Bernina and Piz Palü, which breaks off in huge cascades several hundred meters into the basin of the Morteratsch Glacier, leaving behind an impressive jumble of crevasses and seracs. While it is almost impossible to get through here in the summer months, in winter a very popular ski touring route leads through this labyrinth of crevasses - including concentrated tension for all alpinists.
