Speed Riding North Face of the Aiguille du Midi

https://vimeo.com/42034125

Speed Riding

A small video of the days Speed Riding at Le Tour.

(click on the link to watch)

https://vimeo.com/39893996

Breche

After a tiring 5 hours of climbing and ski touring this was our little home for the night!



The Periades Bivouac, sat at 3442m its the size of a very small pig sty, with just enough room for 2 people and there bags. Though it does have one amazing view out of the front door!

Tour around the Vallee Blanche

The aim for the day: Breche de Carabiner

A quick descent down the arete and a ski across the plateau to the base of the Grand Capucin.

Petite Envers/ Vrai Vallee Blanche

With the celebrations for Hot Dog Day continuing into the evening it was definitely a leisurely start to the day, but when James had finally decided to get up we dragged ourselves over to the Midi!

Complete with my new tele binding heel piece we found ourselves almost alone on the Arete before descending down a deserted Vallee Blanche.

With a couple of fresh lines and a few more slushy ones further on we eventually caught up with the crowds at the Sal a Mange.

The James Bond track is now fully un-skiable in its entirety so we opted for the Train down.

Speed RIding

Col du Tacul

The Col Du Tacul, this was the second time I've skied this couloir and yet again I wasn't disappointed.

After a near 900m vertical climb we reached the top of the col.

Col du Passon

Hotel Face

With a slight dusting of new snow and Andy keen for as much skin as possible we headed up into the cloud of Brevent!

To our surprise however we popped out into glorious sunshine and a large untouched play ground.

After a few unpleasant powder runs over avalanche debris we traversed round to the Hotel Face, and were treated with good snow, a nice base and a lot of fresh lines!!

The rest of the day was then spent lapping the face before the snow finally returned and the visibility ended play

Verbier ski touring???

"Lets go ski touring in Verbier" says Linsay, so after just 2 hrs sleep we found ourselves on route to Switzerland.

Brevent to Flegere

Having a time window of just 4 hours what ever we were going to do we'd have to do it fast! A traverse from Brevent to Flegere was the chosen target.

From the top of the Cornu lift at Brevent we hiked up the ridge followed by a scramble and climb up the rocky outcrop to reach the summit ridge.

View from the top

From the summit ridge continue to traverse around to the right before dropping down a large coulouir ending up nicely back on the Flegere piste.

After all this however next time we try and get from one to the other I'd recommend just using the cable car!

Cosmiques Couloir

Wow! How conditions have changed!

So after a pretty lengthy wait before we could abseil into the couloir we were clipping into our skis.

The Cunningham

The Rond

Sat clinging precariously to the North face of the aiguille du Midi is the glacier Rond. A steep descent with quite a serious exposure level.

To access the route you must first traverse the west edge of the cosmique arête and directly behind the Abri Simond hut drop round onto the front face.

After a "tip off" that the route was "epic" the day before we decided to give it a shot.

In conclusion, I feel the snow conditions had deteriorated greatly as 3 cm off fluffy snow on hardpack was not that pleasant.

At the ridge you drop left into a west facing couloir which in the right conditions can be amazing. Today was not one of those days, and as we crossed the large bergshrund that's appeared at the foot we were both a little disappointed.

The Bosson glacier has recently been experiencing a revamp and the large blocks of broken ice do make skiing quite a challenge.

Though after the trauma of the morning we were finally rewarded when the final part of route turned out to be nice deep, soft, spring snow.

La Rectaligne & Grand Envers

My only unskied descent on the Pas de Chevres side at Grands Montets. So with our most recent dump it looked like a worthy opponent.

As we dropped into the 40 deg gully we weren't going to be disappointed. A nice deep powder that felt pretty stable too filled the couloir all the way to the glacier and foot of the drus! The base of the pas de chevres is also still easily skied right onto the mer de glacé giving you that extra bit of skiing before having to deal with the hike out.

La Poubelle Video

http://vimeo.com/36416465

Cosmique Couloir

Working Hard

The clients were dropped off at Courmayeur which gave us a solid 6 hr window free. Throwing everything in one van we headed off in the direction of Cogne, a small village in the middle of no where. After passing the 23rd ghost town without seeing a soul we arrived at the hotel de Barme.

A seemingly dead hotel from the outside, when inside it contained the bible of climbing routes in the region! Once we'd overcome the price of coffee being 2 euros for about 10 cups we set off into the forest in search of ice!

Under the watchful eye of a chamois we stomped up the snow to the foot of our goal! At this
time what we thought was a grade III waterfall.....

Courmayeur

After the fourth day in a row of minimal viz and heavy snow in Chamonix, we decided to take the trusty Polo to Italy!

As we left the tunnel we were greeted with beautiful sunshine, so with high hopes we arrived at Courmayeur! Unfortunately the sun was only out for intermittent times through out the day and the snow conditions are starting to seriously struggle with pistes being severely wind blown at the top. After a few high speed piste runs a few coffees where in order before heading home!

A new attraction was spotted through the trees so a return trip will definitely be required!

Cascade du Dard

After heading up the top bin at Grands Montets to be met with heavy wet snow high up and barely enough snow to cover the ice on the Argentiere glacier at the bottom we decided to call it quits!

On the way home however we decided the day might not be a write off just yet and drove up to the tunnel to see if the Cascade du Dard waterfall was in condition for a climb.

In conclusion.... It wasn't!! ....and was very much just a waterfall!

Mont Blanc du Tacul

A slightly to leisurely start to the day unfortunately saw us catching the 10 am bin up the midi instead of the intended 8.50 however we decided to ski across to the Mont Blanc du Tacul and check out the Chéré couloir. A grade iv climb with bolted belays.

However we weren't the only ones with our sights set on the route and our relaxed start had let another group get in front of us.

So we crossed the bergshrund and started the first pitch up 65 deg ice to the base of the rock. From here the gully starts and so did the barrage of crap being thrown down from above.

We soldiered on up and as the ice steepens we made it to the crux and next belay point. The temperature was a slightly unpleasant -25 with wind chill and as the day was rapidly disappearing combined with no longer being able to cope with brick size chunks of ice flying at my face we retreated back down to the Vallee Blanche.

A short walk back to our skis and there was a decision to be made..... Hike back up to the midi or attempt to ski the vb in under 50 mins to make the final train home.

The ski was ON. A combined dsfent of the Classic, Vrai and finally Petite Envers had as at the bottom in 38 mins with time to spare before the train left.

Cremerie

A warm up climbing session on the ice was they order of the day as no new snow had fallen in a week. The cold spell had fortunately left us with a good layer of glisse.

Glacier du Mort!

The Glacier of Death!

After a leisurely start to the day Andy and I headed up flegere to assess the situation. Super sunny conditions meant a tour was the only way fresh lines would be obtained.

A solid track had already been broken up the first col so we arrived at the top 1/2 an hour later. Just in time for a very French lunch of baguette and Brie. A short traverse skiers right puts you at the base of the second climb. Being late in the day the track was starting to get soggy making the skin up a little slipperier than usual. Though the view from the saddle is worth it. A final boot pack scramble puts you firmly at the top of the glacier.

Expecting untracked, unsoggy, beautiful snow we dropped in....It wasn't quite what we were hoping for but in places provided some fresh lines. Especially in the lee of any ridges it had escaped the recent destruction from the wind.

Following the vallee down you join a goat track through the forest and 20 mins later find yourself popping out on the beginner slope at Le Buet. Just in time to get a coffee before the train, bus and walk back to the car!!

Petite Envers to Requien Hut

With last seasons team re-assembled, Andy, Charlie and myself headed up the Midi. A nice earlier start gave us fresh lines all the way down the Petite Envers route of the Vallee Blanche to the Requein Hut!

Vallee Blanche et La Poubelle

So with Andy back out for a ski we had to get in as much as possible!!

With an early start we headed down the Petite Envers with nice soft snow and a good few lines still available!

As soon as we were finished we headed up to Grands Montets to finish up with a piste ski!

No longer than 10 mins later we were lining up at the top of the Poubelle with a gully full of powder awaiting us!

Video to follow! (https://vimeo.com/36416465)

Courmayeur

Its a Tough day at work when you have to drive to Italy and ski for the day!

Pistes are in pretty fine condition, however off piste is chopped up and cruddy. You can't win them all or that's what we thought.

A cheeky look over the back of the yula revealed a few unskied powder lines. 4 turns later and it's unfortunately over. Back in the lift it was to hit it again.

Realising that I was actually working a final Italian coffee stop was necessary before heading back to the van.

Pas de Chevres

After working from 4am till 9am Andy, Devin, James and myself headed up the Grands Montets to check out the Pas De Chevres. With a load of fresh snow there where plenty of lines to be had but

we headed down the Central Couloir to avoid any crowds.

Devins first real ski descent in 12 years was a success too as he scored some nice turns in untouched snow. Another epic descent down the final stretches with even more Pow then had us picking our way through the shubbery and onto the mer de glace.

With the Gondola STILL shut a hike back out the bottom of the glacier is still required!

The team when we made it to the top of the hike out!!