You're going to the Alps for 4 days? You wont get much done

[theboymoon]

..... 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

Edited by theboymoon on Friday 20th March 15:38

[theboymoon]

Marcellus said:

Stu...should have called mate..... still only round the corner... doing a lot of short breaks at the moment...... seems people can't justify a week away but will come for 4 days!!

Sorry mate, was a bit of a whistle stop effort!

[theboymoon]

Clambake said:

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.

That is a gloriously random photo! Good work!

[theboymoon]

So as of a couple of hours ago i am now moving back to Cham permanently. Got to get a wee bit of work done on my knee but should be there and on the hill from January onwards....



if any of you peeps are out do drop me a msg