31/1/2010
Awesome Powder day at Le Tour/Vallorcine.
A few routes done in deep fresh powder:
The Posettes mountaion down to the car park. Fresh lines on 3 different routes!
Les Jours sector to the reservoir before hiking back out to the Tete de Balme chair.
Les Posettes Couloirs- Le Praz de Lys, into Vallorcine.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
HELLISPINS
A white out in Le Tour and a blizzard in Les Houches meant the only real option was the kicker in the car park!
A few grabs and the attempted 360's began. 3rd time lucky and they were landed!
A few grabs and the attempted 360's began. 3rd time lucky and they were landed!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The one-pieces come to Italy, and Unfortunatly back home again!
3 skiers, 1 Sweedish snowboarder and a telemarker left Chamonix in the mist bound for Courmayeur, Italy!
After Charlie tried to give Spongebob the window cleaner to the toll booth man we were allowed into the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Half way through the tunnel barriers and red lights appeared, blocking the route. With a brief recolection on previous issues with the tunnel we were forced to wait for the unknown "obstical" to disapear!
Eventually we were allowed through and were greated by glorious sunshine!
Heading up to the top of the Arp, 2755m, we were greated by untouched snow for as far as the eye could see. Everyone eager to get fresh tracks we ran down the stairs donned skis and hit the the fresh Pow! OR the top 2 cms of fresh pow ontop of sheet ice! A long descent finally put us back on the piste after emerging through a hole in the fence, approx 1200m lower down.
A few HIGH speed runs later, Lunch was calling. With tables mounted on skis it had to be a winner. The Youla led to another back-country route where some fresh tracks or a nicer kind were found, leading into a gully and finally heading back to the bottom of Zerotta for coffees!
Yeah I'm not too sure about the outfits!!
After Charlie tried to give Spongebob the window cleaner to the toll booth man we were allowed into the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Half way through the tunnel barriers and red lights appeared, blocking the route. With a brief recolection on previous issues with the tunnel we were forced to wait for the unknown "obstical" to disapear!
Eventually we were allowed through and were greated by glorious sunshine!
Heading up to the top of the Arp, 2755m, we were greated by untouched snow for as far as the eye could see. Everyone eager to get fresh tracks we ran down the stairs donned skis and hit the the fresh Pow! OR the top 2 cms of fresh pow ontop of sheet ice! A long descent finally put us back on the piste after emerging through a hole in the fence, approx 1200m lower down.
A few HIGH speed runs later, Lunch was calling. With tables mounted on skis it had to be a winner. The Youla led to another back-country route where some fresh tracks or a nicer kind were found, leading into a gully and finally heading back to the bottom of Zerotta for coffees!
Yeah I'm not too sure about the outfits!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
To Buet, or Bust!
Well after last weeks "HardCore Tuesday" epic failure we thought we'd go for sumthing a Little Simpler!
The "Crochues-Berard Traverse"
Starting from the top of the "Floria" poma at Flegere just above cloud level, a 50min skin up to the Crochues ridge at 2701m had us back in the mist. A descent down and around the Aguille de Belvedere puts you at the base of the Col de Berard, requiring a 30min skin back up, before a long descent beside the river, through the forest to Le Buet!
Hardcore Tuesday Team
A complete mix of snow conditions on the route down from mellow powder fields (5-10cm) to nice icy avalanche run off kept us on our toes. Especially with the survival skiing through the trees with bumps branches and even a river jump to contend with.
Everyone survived and with very little in the way of disasters I reckon next week we'll be ready for anything!
Being such civilised human beings as we are the day was rounded off with Tea, Coffee, home baked cookies and Scones at Clives as we were left pondering the days adventure and possible routes for the future.
Some ideas for the future:
Cosmique Couloir - Front side of Midi
Cunningham Couloir - though with a route description of; 'In Short, this is not a very attractive route and that is why, having skied the first descent in 1979, I have never been back to this couloir,' Aneselme Baud. It doesnt sound tooo appealing!
Aguille Tour - Two day?!? from Le Tour
The "Crochues-Berard Traverse"
Starting from the top of the "Floria" poma at Flegere just above cloud level, a 50min skin up to the Crochues ridge at 2701m had us back in the mist. A descent down and around the Aguille de Belvedere puts you at the base of the Col de Berard, requiring a 30min skin back up, before a long descent beside the river, through the forest to Le Buet!
Hardcore Tuesday TeamA complete mix of snow conditions on the route down from mellow powder fields (5-10cm) to nice icy avalanche run off kept us on our toes. Especially with the survival skiing through the trees with bumps branches and even a river jump to contend with.
Everyone survived and with very little in the way of disasters I reckon next week we'll be ready for anything!
Being such civilised human beings as we are the day was rounded off with Tea, Coffee, home baked cookies and Scones at Clives as we were left pondering the days adventure and possible routes for the future.
Some ideas for the future:
Cosmique Couloir - Front side of Midi
Cunningham Couloir - though with a route description of; 'In Short, this is not a very attractive route and that is why, having skied the first descent in 1979, I have never been back to this couloir,' Aneselme Baud. It doesnt sound tooo appealing!
Aguille Tour - Two day?!? from Le Tour
Friday, January 22, 2010
Backflips and Nachos
An early start had us in Verbier for first lifts, accompanied by Anja, Andy, Nick and Birthday Boy Charlie complete with bottle of Vino we headed for a warm up run.
Birthday boy himself displayed an awesome switch to wipe out followed by a collision, before deciding that he'd rather be in the pub!
Leaving us to head over to the park with a 5ft kicker into a HUGE air bag.
About 5 attempts later and the first backflip was landed!
Anja & Andy hit their first jumps, both succesfully pulling some big air!
After such a sweet day only one thing could follow! The grand Nachos at MBC!
Sorted!
Birthday boy himself displayed an awesome switch to wipe out followed by a collision, before deciding that he'd rather be in the pub!
Leaving us to head over to the park with a 5ft kicker into a HUGE air bag.
About 5 attempts later and the first backflip was landed!
Anja & Andy hit their first jumps, both succesfully pulling some big air!
After such a sweet day only one thing could follow! The grand Nachos at MBC!
Sorted!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Cosmique Chaos
An 8.30 am Bin put us at the top of the Aguille de Midi, where we geared up and abonded are skis.
The Plan seemed simple: 1. Climb the Cosmique Arete
2. Ski the Cosmique Couloir.
Simple!
So eventually we made it down the arete weaving between the punters wanting to ski the VB, and started are boot pack round to the refuge.
The climb started off as a boot pack up the ridge, with the odd more interesting move. Time ticked on, lunch passed, with over half way still to go.
Last lift started to approach around the half way mark. "Its ok, we'll just ski down" we thought!
As the light was vanishing rapidly an escape plan was devised. A simple 140m abseil into the couloir. Rope up and cross the glacier. Eventually this was executed and everyone found themselves tied together at the bottom! An extremely cold, tiring and windy hike finally led us back up the arete and into the top station for 9.30 pm!!
The night was spent huddled together in the toilets of the top station trying to keep warm, whilst thinking about the amazing grand Nachos at MBC!
Sunrise came and as the light shone into the vallee we decided to finish are adventure with a cruise back down the Vallee Blanche, "Gros Rognan Variant" all the way into Chamonix
The Plan seemed simple: 1. Climb the Cosmique Arete
2. Ski the Cosmique Couloir.
Simple!
So eventually we made it down the arete weaving between the punters wanting to ski the VB, and started are boot pack round to the refuge.
The climb started off as a boot pack up the ridge, with the odd more interesting move. Time ticked on, lunch passed, with over half way still to go.
Last lift started to approach around the half way mark. "Its ok, we'll just ski down" we thought!
As the light was vanishing rapidly an escape plan was devised. A simple 140m abseil into the couloir. Rope up and cross the glacier. Eventually this was executed and everyone found themselves tied together at the bottom! An extremely cold, tiring and windy hike finally led us back up the arete and into the top station for 9.30 pm!!
The night was spent huddled together in the toilets of the top station trying to keep warm, whilst thinking about the amazing grand Nachos at MBC!
Sunrise came and as the light shone into the vallee we decided to finish are adventure with a cruise back down the Vallee Blanche, "Gros Rognan Variant" all the way into Chamonix
The HELLbroner
18/1/2010
"Team America" heads to italy, and unfortunately the Purple 2 piece came too!
Up the Helbronner to the Toule Glacier where we were met by Powder for as far as you could see.
Two epic descents complete with whoops and YEEHAAAAS, led us to the Compulsory lunch stop, as the liftys refuse to work between 1 & 2!
A final lift to the top to Ski the Italian Vallee Blanche "La Combe de la Vierge" with only a single track previously down it was an Epic last run to an amazing day.
A total of 5500m descent, all in Powder!
"Team America" heads to italy, and unfortunately the Purple 2 piece came too!
Up the Helbronner to the Toule Glacier where we were met by Powder for as far as you could see.
Two epic descents complete with whoops and YEEHAAAAS, led us to the Compulsory lunch stop, as the liftys refuse to work between 1 & 2!
A final lift to the top to Ski the Italian Vallee Blanche "La Combe de la Vierge" with only a single track previously down it was an Epic last run to an amazing day.
A total of 5500m descent, all in Powder!
NO GOATS?!!?
14/1/10
An early start had us in the first bin heading to the top of Grands Montet for a pretty speedy descent in virgin snow back down to the Mid station.
A handy reservation had us straight back up to the top, skipping the hour long queue!
From here we climbed the "Petite Aguille Vert" (3512m) Directly opposite the top station!
This was skied directly down into the "Pas de Chevre" which could only be described as EPIC!
An abseil of a tree later and we were having lunch sat under the "Dru" and looking down the Mer De Glace! Some more Bushwacking and an ice axe side step found as back at the bottom of the Montenvers Staircase!
An early start had us in the first bin heading to the top of Grands Montet for a pretty speedy descent in virgin snow back down to the Mid station.
A handy reservation had us straight back up to the top, skipping the hour long queue!
From here we climbed the "Petite Aguille Vert" (3512m) Directly opposite the top station!
This was skied directly down into the "Pas de Chevre" which could only be described as EPIC!
An abseil of a tree later and we were having lunch sat under the "Dru" and looking down the Mer De Glace! Some more Bushwacking and an ice axe side step found as back at the bottom of the Montenvers Staircase!
A trundle to the Talefre.....
12/1/2010
After a succesful first mission down the Vallee Blanche, a group of 5, later to be known as "Hardcore Tuesday" skied the Plan de Envers route again and started to hike across the glacier in the direction of the Talefre Glacier.
The Aim: CLimb up it, and then Ski fresh lines the whole way home!
The Result: A 3 hour meandre across the glacier, then a traverse home!
After a succesful first mission down the Vallee Blanche, a group of 5, later to be known as "Hardcore Tuesday" skied the Plan de Envers route again and started to hike across the glacier in the direction of the Talefre Glacier.
The Aim: CLimb up it, and then Ski fresh lines the whole way home!
The Result: A 3 hour meandre across the glacier, then a traverse home!
The Vallee Blanche is ON!
10/1/2010
It was a Bluebird morning when we decided to head up the Midi. At first we had a warm up down the "La Combe des Glaciers" with fresh tracks the whole way down. After a wee bush wacking session and a HUGE core shot we found our selves back at the Midi bottom station.
Back on the lift we found ourselves as part of the first group of people to be walking down the semi-equipped arrete to the start of the Vallee Blanche! Our team of 3, Charlie, Callum and myself traversed around the ridge and dropped into the "L'Envers du PLan" route with some fresh lines down to the Envers train station!
It was a Bluebird morning when we decided to head up the Midi. At first we had a warm up down the "La Combe des Glaciers" with fresh tracks the whole way down. After a wee bush wacking session and a HUGE core shot we found our selves back at the Midi bottom station.
Back on the lift we found ourselves as part of the first group of people to be walking down the semi-equipped arrete to the start of the Vallee Blanche! Our team of 3, Charlie, Callum and myself traversed around the ridge and dropped into the "L'Envers du PLan" route with some fresh lines down to the Envers train station!
December
Left Guernsey for 6 months in Chamonix!
And on the 5th Grand Montets opened its doors for the season! The next day we had our first Powder Day! BRING ON THE SEASON!
We then had snow, rain, hot, cold and thunder which left us with what can only be described as a very unstable snow pack! This was fully tested unfortunately and the back-country of Le Tour proved he was still king as I got a brief taste of what its like to be buried in Concrete! After requesting that once is enough for the season two days later at the back of Flegere I found myself this time digging "Team Sweeden" out of a rather large slab she'd decided to Snowboard under!
A few trips to Verbier and one to Courmayer and the season is in full swing!
And on the 5th Grand Montets opened its doors for the season! The next day we had our first Powder Day! BRING ON THE SEASON!
We then had snow, rain, hot, cold and thunder which left us with what can only be described as a very unstable snow pack! This was fully tested unfortunately and the back-country of Le Tour proved he was still king as I got a brief taste of what its like to be buried in Concrete! After requesting that once is enough for the season two days later at the back of Flegere I found myself this time digging "Team Sweeden" out of a rather large slab she'd decided to Snowboard under!
A few trips to Verbier and one to Courmayer and the season is in full swing!
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