You can see in the picture below the a snow that is being broken loose. This snow is called SLUFF.
Looking up at the same face you can see the amount of snow that broke loose dropping into the bowl the chute below it.
Sluff is referred to as the snow that you break loose every time you
make a turn on a slope. The steeper the slope the more sluff you have
to deal with. When in the Back Country sluff becomes a big issue because it can seek up on you as it builds and take
out your legs from under you.
Each time you make a turn snow breaks
loose and travels directly down the fall line taking the fastest route
to the bottom of the hill. Sluff also builds onto itself. Each turn
generating more snow and more power behind it. Sluff is really just
refering to a small avalanche most of the time. Sluff can often trigger
large cracks in the snow which create avalanches.
A few ways to help avoid SLUFF issues are:
Ski/Ride fast enough to keep ahead of your sluff.
If you are dropping into a chute make a few turns above it, stop,
and wait for your sluff to funnel through. This will help to clear away
loose/unstable snow that can take you out or blind you from seeing your line below.
Make your way across a fall line trying to keep your turns
staggered. Link a few turns and then get out from under those turns by
going across the fall line a few yards and then linking some more.
