LEXICON: Sluff

Loose snow often triggered to fall by riders on steep slopes over 45 degrees. Slopes in excess of 45 degrees tend to naturally purge snow as sluff and are therefore less prone to avalanche. However, riders in the steeps can also trigger sluff so if you choose to ride lines in excess of 45 degrees you're going to have to learn to live with it. It's unlikely that sluff will result in a full burial but it can easily sweep you off your feet and potentially put you into a terrain trap so you'll still want to avoid it and plan your route accordingly. This is often referred to as sluff management. All the best sluff managers have eyes in the back of their head.