You're going to the Alps for 4 days? You wont get much done
Discussion
..... that was the phrase that made its way across the office as i left last Wednesday.
I know there are a lot of skiers on PH, so i thought i'd share these with you. I quite like my skiing (as i think a fair few ph'ers are aware) and this is sadly the first winter that i've not spent considerable time in the Alps for about 6 years.
So with time at a premium, it was necessary to pack as much in as possible. Late Wednesday night arrived in Chamonix. Late Sunday back in the UK. Here's what happened in-between...
Thursday
Headed straight up the midi, we heard there was some big snow up high
what we heard was right. Headed over to the Petit Enver. First pitch pretty deep
Light was brilliant but enough and the snow was fairly good!
We got down out the Vallee Blanche by lunchtime so headed up the valley to ski on the Argentiere glacier for the afternoon.
Weather was better
But snow nothing like as deep. Still good though, fast chalky and grippy.
So day 1 and we have polished off 2 routes.
Friday
Friday we climbed the col du passon and skied the Tour Glacier.
First bin up the cable car and it seems we haven't quite got the hang of lightweight touring kit.
Plan is to head down to the Argentiere glacier, cross the glacier, skin up the otherside, boot pack up the col and then ski the Tour Glacier down to err Le Tour!
Slight hiccup when one of the girls had a tumble and twisted her knee. Badly strained MCL but still intact. Needed to call Pascal tho....
we carried on down and traversed the ice
and then started the long climb. As you can see, other people had the same idea
then boot pack
View at the top
And back from where we came
Time for some skiing?
First pitch pretty mellow
But the Passon always delivers further down. And didn't dissapoint!
Pitch after pitch like this
and this
and this
and this
Even the exit was fun!
Got down to Le Tour by mid afternoon so time for a skite round the pistes and a sit down in the sun
Saturday - more touring
This time in the Aiguilles Rouges, over the Col Crochue and then a long sweaty boot pack in blazing sunshine up to the Glacier Mort.
First skin up to the Crochue
Top of the Crochue
View over to the second climb up to the Mort (yes that big slice of snow arcing up to the right)
It was HOT on the way up with the sun beating down
View at the top
Team getting ready to go
Dropping into a nice shaded N facing couloir - snow was perfect
Lower pitches pretty mellow but still loads of freshies
and the best bit. You end up at a train station with a bar
Sunday
Rectiligne couloir
Promising early conditions if a little bit cloudy...
But we dropped in too early. Snow was sun affected from day before and like concrete. Really. not. fun.
Made it out the exit into the relative safety of standing under several tonnes of ice... time to keep moving methinks
Headed across the glacier and into the sunshine
To be rewarded by some beautiful easy pitches in yet more powder
Even the lower sections were fine. Plenty of snow and only 1 rap needed down over some trees
Just enough snow to get all the way back to the carpark. just.
and even time for a couple of hours charging around the pistes of Brevent in the afternoon
oh, incase anyone thinks it was all ski and no fun, there was plenty of this too
I know there are a lot of skiers on PH, so i thought i'd share these with you. I quite like my skiing (as i think a fair few ph'ers are aware) and this is sadly the first winter that i've not spent considerable time in the Alps for about 6 years.
So with time at a premium, it was necessary to pack as much in as possible. Late Wednesday night arrived in Chamonix. Late Sunday back in the UK. Here's what happened in-between...
Thursday
Headed straight up the midi, we heard there was some big snow up high
what we heard was right. Headed over to the Petit Enver. First pitch pretty deep
Light was brilliant but enough and the snow was fairly good!
We got down out the Vallee Blanche by lunchtime so headed up the valley to ski on the Argentiere glacier for the afternoon.
Weather was better
But snow nothing like as deep. Still good though, fast chalky and grippy.
So day 1 and we have polished off 2 routes.
Friday
Friday we climbed the col du passon and skied the Tour Glacier.
First bin up the cable car and it seems we haven't quite got the hang of lightweight touring kit.
Plan is to head down to the Argentiere glacier, cross the glacier, skin up the otherside, boot pack up the col and then ski the Tour Glacier down to err Le Tour!
Slight hiccup when one of the girls had a tumble and twisted her knee. Badly strained MCL but still intact. Needed to call Pascal tho....
we carried on down and traversed the ice
and then started the long climb. As you can see, other people had the same idea
then boot pack
View at the top
And back from where we came
Time for some skiing?
First pitch pretty mellow
But the Passon always delivers further down. And didn't dissapoint!
Pitch after pitch like this
and this
and this
and this
Even the exit was fun!
Got down to Le Tour by mid afternoon so time for a skite round the pistes and a sit down in the sun
Saturday - more touring
This time in the Aiguilles Rouges, over the Col Crochue and then a long sweaty boot pack in blazing sunshine up to the Glacier Mort.
First skin up to the Crochue
Top of the Crochue
View over to the second climb up to the Mort (yes that big slice of snow arcing up to the right)
It was HOT on the way up with the sun beating down
View at the top
Team getting ready to go
Dropping into a nice shaded N facing couloir - snow was perfect
Lower pitches pretty mellow but still loads of freshies
and the best bit. You end up at a train station with a bar
Sunday
Rectiligne couloir
Promising early conditions if a little bit cloudy...
But we dropped in too early. Snow was sun affected from day before and like concrete. Really. not. fun.
Made it out the exit into the relative safety of standing under several tonnes of ice... time to keep moving methinks
Headed across the glacier and into the sunshine
To be rewarded by some beautiful easy pitches in yet more powder
Even the lower sections were fine. Plenty of snow and only 1 rap needed down over some trees
Just enough snow to get all the way back to the carpark. just.
and even time for a couple of hours charging around the pistes of Brevent in the afternoon
oh, incase anyone thinks it was all ski and no fun, there was plenty of this too
Edited by theboymoon on Friday 20th March 15:38
d. 
Stu - sounds like you made the most of it. Shame Rectiligne wasn't quite in condition.
The Crochues - Berarde is a fun jaunt when you don't have the death march down to Le Buet. No probs with the snow at the moment I guess.
Came across this ibex that had fallen off the cliff just below the climb up to Col de Berarde. Some enterprising guide had hacked its head and hooves off so we built a little kicker and started jumping over it.
The Crochues - Berarde is a fun jaunt when you don't have the death march down to Le Buet. No probs with the snow at the moment I guess.
Came across this ibex that had fallen off the cliff just below the climb up to Col de Berarde. Some enterprising guide had hacked its head and hooves off so we built a little kicker and started jumping over it.
I'm off on Sunday and the conditions appear to be perfect!
I won't be doing any of that trecking though; I avoid polling if I can
ETA that I've just been told that to ski back to my chalet it's a challenging bit of off piste and rather than walk I will be taking that option!
Thanks Dad; so much for "ski in ski out"
I won't be doing any of that trecking though; I avoid polling if I can
ETA that I've just been told that to ski back to my chalet it's a challenging bit of off piste and rather than walk I will be taking that option!
Thanks Dad; so much for "ski in ski out"
Edited by 13th on Friday 20th March 20:18
Edited by 13th on Friday 20th March 20:20
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