01-20-2009
I rolled out of bed about 10 and headed off to Crévoux for more tree skiing. Got there about 11 and reached the top at about 11:30. There were fresh tracks everywhere all day in the 20-40 cm received atop an ample base. Snow quality was excellent on top (500m) but a little heavy at the bottom (300m). Fortunately, they closed the left side due to level 4 avi risk, so probably not all of the 20 people there tracked up that side. The black piste remained a fresh powder run all day! Only the 40º stuff way left was sloughing hard, but everything else was stable. My legs are now officially cooked after turning my 183 Bros into tree skis (nothing like a 33m turn radius to get you in shape!). I managed to get a few photos but motivation was tapped as the day wore on, the clouds rolled in, and it snowed harder. Plus, we were too busy schralping and dodging slough in the higher angle trees!
Looking at the right side about 11:30
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Looking straight down at some hero pow.
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A nice run down a gully for a warm-up.
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The black piste wasn't getting much traffic due to avi closure so it made for a fine second run, and remained a pow run all day!
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Neither was the woods!
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Killer right side tree skiing is pretty fun. Both those tracks are mine!
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More snow rolled in and reduced visibility for good photos as we focused on the higher angle trees.
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Not even working for freshies...
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01-18-2009
flingle and I climbed
Cousin Hubert today while waiting for some snow accumulation. Ice conditions in les Hautes Alpes are excellent after a couple lack luster years.
Cousin Hubert, 5+, 130m is the thin center ice line with the forming Cigar des Violins, 6, 150m on the left and Les Visiteurs, 5, 160m on the right, Freissiniéres, France, January 17, 2009.
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flingle leading the 1st pitch of Cousin Hubert, 5+, 130m, Secteur Cascade des Violins, Freissiniéres, France, January 18, 2009.
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jumpturn leading the 2nd pitch
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flingle following the 2nd pitch.
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flingle rapping off.
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01-23-2009
Did the Grand Envers and the Cosmiques yesterday with bluebird skies. There was nice POW on top of the Grand Envers but things were a little tracked down lower. The return involved considerable walking and some modest up hill. The Cosmiques was tracked but nevertheless good in the afternoon. There was lots of avalanche debris on the Bossons and a 3m huck to get through the seracs. Kind of rocky on the return. Some pics will follow, but the conditions will change dramatically with the dumpage that is occurring now.
A key point to note is that there is a hard sun baked layer under the newer snow that provides a surface for sliding skiers or snow. When people scrape off the surface you get this layer to ski. Where the wind has hit, the hard layer can be exposed as well. It was exposed in spots on the Grand Envers as well as on the Cosmiques.
A first-bin snowboarder being rescued from a crevasse on the Col du Plan. He went in about 3m but was OK and surfed out.
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Dropping into the Gand Envers. Note old surface exposed by only three previous skiers.
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A nice bergshrund to jump on the second drop of the Grand Envers.
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Surfing the lower Cosmiques.
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01-24-2009
Went over to Courmayeur today and bumbled around the trees in bottomless POW -- like probably 1m or more because it didn't rain. We were slacking when they opened the lift, so we only got a couple pow runs on the piste, but we were happy in the trees with sometimes too deep fresh. What that means is falling in way too deep standing on your skis or submarining a tip and having to struggle out with bottomless poles from time to time!!!
After lunch, we bumbled onto a nice steep tree gully system leading down to town, and we knew we had the goods when the pro skiers zoomed down the exit. In the context of a major shark frenzy by the cham and Courmayeur locals with only the lower mountain open, we did quite well without the line and timing beta. Photos tend to suffer in these circumstances, but we got a couple.
Telemarking in bottomless POW found on every run.
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Jumpturn emerging from the woods in bottomless POW.
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Dropping out from the steep trees onto the exit and the zone of death (major couloirs and snow fields above and right).
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Moving right along in the monster runout zone.
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01-25-2009
Skied the Grands Montets today. Got the first run down the Pendant in awesome conditions. Did a couple more fresh runs and then met up with some friends for the Couloir Rectiligne. We got first tracks on it in great conditions. The top was kind of slidy and needed some careful cutting, but then the couloir skied fine one at a time. An underlying rain crust kicked in about half way down the moraine to the raps. The usual rap was skiable and the exit couloir had good, if somewhat variable, coverage. Because the train was close, we were obliged to ski down to Chamonix for a 2300m (1300 +1000) descent. Another fantastic POW day with euro terrain!
Crowds racing down behind Dan and Valerie from the Grands Montets for the already tracked Pas de Chevre.
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Upper Rectiligne with Valerie in the foreground.
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The lower Rectiligne. Note nice run from cleaning up the top!
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Yum, fresh and steep!!
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Jumpturn conducting stability tests in the mid couloir.
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Exiting the couloir and crossing the bergshrund (by the rock).
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Negotiating crevasses to get onto the Glacier Nant Blanc.
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Dan and Valerie telemarking the Glacier Nant Blanc.
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Jumpturn route finding on the Glacier Nant Blanc.
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Traversing off the glacier onto the moraine with the Couloir Rectiligne in the background.
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Telemarking below the Dru on the moraine. An irritating rain crust kicked in at the bottom of this.
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Tracking the day's activities.
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