pente raide – Page 3 – Ross Hewitt Guiding

Y Couloir, Aiguille d’Argentiere

21st Mar 2015by rosshewittguiding1 Comment

All the North wind we have had has filled in the right hand branch of Y Couloir really well this year and I have been wanting to go there for some time. I was weighing up going solo to Croullante or going to the Y but persistent afternoon cloud on the Aiguille du Midi made it an easy decision to go for Y off the first Grands Montets bin. Late in the afternoon my friend Kirsti Lehtimaki from EPIC TV messaged me saying she wanted to ski and had a friend coming too. Next morning her friend Matthieu Vigier came along with Chloe Laget and Couttet Berbere so we had a sociable skin up the classic Millieu Glacier. The lack of snow meant very firm conditions on the way up and we used ski crampons for the 1400 m climb.

On the summit there was a cold 5 kph wind blowing and I didnt linger long wanting to find the entry to the couloir, having only skied the left branch before. In the couloir it was thankfully a bit warmer and after passing 5 m of rocks at the top we put on our skis on flat corning spring snow.

Y Couloir (TD, 45 degrees, 5.1/5.2 600 m) as seen from Col des Courtes. Its the big line branching below the summit of the Aiguille d’Argentiere (3901m). Y Couloir with the 60 m step at the base with the stunning golden granite spires.

Julbo Aerospace goggles – the ultimate variable venting bootpacking and touring goggle. The big lines of Couturier and Au Coeur du Monde or Col Aiguille Verte right hand (1st and only? descent by the Scottish extreme ski legends Paul MacLeod and Ewen Moffat with the Dane Thomas Husted in 2001).

The North Wall of the Argentiere Glacier – a lifetime of extreme ski dreams in one place.

Me happy on the summit.

I was really happy to see such good conditions and lots of direct sun.

Matthieu skiing cautiously between softer patches. The Black Crows Navis Freebird is an astonishingly good ski.

Kirsti skiing ice axe in hand!

Me in the upper section, Thanks to Kirsti Lehtimaki for the photo.

Still on firm snow at this point and putting in the chop turns to avoid any uncontrollable build up of speed.

Skiing After the Wind

15th Mar 2015by rosshewittguiding1 Comment

A fantastic day out with the Finnish House Mafia team to the Breche Tacul which offers jaw dropping views to the mythical North Face of the Grandes Jorasses. Its been 6 months since we were all climbing there in all time conditions and the face now looks a lot drier but still good enough for young Brit Tom Ballard to solo the Colton Macintyre in 3 hours on March 8th. A great effort considering how dry the upper pitches look.

Our ski descent was on sublime spring corn with buttery turns with the only negative for Friday 13th being my Sony RX100 dying after a fews years hard service. Many thanks to Mika Merikanto for the photos. Check out his awesome photography and blog at http://mikumerikanto.blogspot.fr/

Me with the Jorasses in the back ground.

The Navis Freebird is proving to be an all time favourite touring ski of mine.

Mikko H and Jesper

Mikko above and below

Mika MerikantoMy last ever shot before my Sony RX100 died.

Blower

29th Jan 2013by rosshewittguidingLeave a comment

Combe des Glaciers Plan de l'Aiguille

Les Courtes, Croulante Couloir

28th Jan 2013by rosshewittguidingLeave a comment

The 600/700 m line of the Croulante Couloir in red. I skied Angelique on the left last year – http://rosshewittblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/couloir-angelique-traverse-of-les-courtes/

After having the Chamonix ‘cough’ for a couple of weeks I was getting fed up and wanted to get some long days training in. With high wind forecast at altitude and 60% sun we decide to go the long way to the Courtes from the Midi with the idea as the weather deteriorated, we could turn round. It is a fair hoof in there but 6 hrs of up was just what the doctor ordered.

Gimp cave.

Still miles away.

Getting closer. Just as well, the sun beats down in the Talefre basin like the Sahara.

I tried this route 15 years ago, solo, from first bin in February. That time I was nuked by the sun by this point.

Flat light as some high cloud comes in. The snow was hard anyway.

Cold Smoke

22nd Jan 2013by rosshewittguidingLeave a comment

Today I wanted to get out and put some miles in my legs. On the back of the pre-Christmas Scottish Winter Climbing season and very little road biking this summer they are even more spindly than normal and we started the ski season with a fair bit of touring. So with great snow conditions I have the chance to get some strength back. I left the SLR at home in order to go light and enjoy the skiing more but had a little point and shoot.

I was joined by Max Turgeon and we kicked off on Brevent to take advantage of the fresh snow on the lowers. Cold, sluffy blower was lying in wait and we had a lot of fun playing with sluff.

The plan praz couloir. Max skiing below.

And again here.Me ready to open Bellachat after pushing off a bit of cornice and watching the sluff go airborne.

Max skiing.

After Brevent started to warm up I switched to the darkside and had some sweet runs off the Plan going flat out. Then as the sun came round I decided to head up the Midi and do a Rond or Cosmique. For a change I went for the Cosmiques which is always lush in the afternoon sun, all to yourself, no one trying to kill you with rocks from above, and overhead blower so cold I wished I had a gimp mask.

Only 2 or 3 tracks today.

Me enjoying the warmth of the sun after the cold on the Midi. My leg muscles were well warmed up by the time the para came round and it felt good to finish the day on such a good slope arcing out the GS turns.