Tag: alpine conditions

Hotter than the Sahara.

Its times like these you need spanking paddles on your feet. Born in the Chamonix Valley these preceded poor imitations such as ‘verts’ and enable easy bootpacking in chest deep powder. 

Minna about to cut the snow on the rope.

Making the turns count in the hanging couloir above the cliff before we went over the marshmallow on the left to the hanging snowfield.

 

Someone needs to put in a bolt anchor in these climate change years as the old one on the spur is out of reach with skis on now forcing a tough transition to boots to bounce test the dark age slings. There’s good rock on skiers right that doesn’t have water ice under the snow like old anchor on the rib, perfect for skiing into the anchor.  Titty deep, you can’t argue with that.

Cold snow lying undisturbed with handfuls of hoar frost, above and below the last layer.After the technical turns in the couloir it was stunning to just let rip down the meadows to Buet.