Tag: Pow
Cold Smoke
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.
Another Shift at the Powder Factory
A Rond, a Grand and a Petit
My first outing on the Midi this season felt great to be back in the big mountains and away from the frantic ski resorts which are hooching right now. No ropes on the arrete so we were able to ski it quickly. Following the westerly wind event, some caution was required so we went to Grand Envers which was blower and effortless.
A quick reset back to the Midi and I wanted to ski the Rond to get some training. The pow was so consistent and the bottom couloir was non stop to the Glacier. After tracking round to the Gare des Glaciers, we didn’t fancy traversing the para face, and the moraine facets would have been a wallow fest to the bench under the North Face. So we took the shot down the para face to the old station which was lush. Skiing in the woods below on refrozen crud was not my favourite.
After sprinting thru the gypsy camp and avoiding getting mauled by their rapid dogs it was back to the lift for one more. This time we went for deep pow in Moyen Envers which was a fine end to the day. Down at 4 Roger even hinted at one more – next week now the legs are returning!
Ross Hewitt Guiding 