Its Started – Winter 14/15 Kicks off at Verbier
Tag: Scarpa
Grandes Jorasses North Face – Polish Michto Variation
Last weekend I got a chance to go back to the Jorasses for the first time in 7 years. I teamed up with Ben Tibbetts and we were joined by Misha Gopaul and Jeff Banks for a social day out. I had managed a day acclimatising up the Midi skiing earlier in the week so it wasn’t a straight from the office hit which Andy Houseman and myself had done the last time on Colton Macintyre. After the warmest bivi ever in the mountains at montenevers, we walked in during the early hours, therefore avoiding a bun fight at the overcrowded Leschaux hut. It was a beautiful starry night and Ben caught a fantastic shot of the face under the stars with several teams well established on the Colton Macintyre, Croz and Polish routes. As we arrived for first light the face was relatively quiet and we quickly got to work climbing neve for several hundred metres. A few goulottes of ice and neve followed with fun climbing that was never hard up to the summit ridge where we were treated with gorgeous autumnal milky light over the Peuterey Ridge and the Aosta Valley.
Big thanks to Ben (Misha and Jeff) for a memorable day and the photos!
The Polish Michto Variation on Grandes Jorasses North Face (2011 photo Ben Tibbetts)
Our comfy bivi at Montevers
Climbers on the Desmaison, Colton Macintyre and Croz/Polish Routes
Gearing up to go 
Steep Sugar Through the Bergshrund
A Happy Team
The First Goulotte Section
Ben Tibbetts
Ben Climbing a Thinner Seam as We Catch a Spanish Team
Me Pulling Through a Steep Section
Typical North Face Icy Mixed Terrain 
Ben Pulling Through onto the Summit Snowfields
Gorgeous Warm Day 
Climbing into the Sun on the Summit Ridge Snowfields
Ben Savouring the Summit Ridge Views
Pointe Marguerite – Named After the Queen of Savoie
Mont Blanc and the Peuterey Ridge
Martin Elias descending after an ascent of Directe de l’Amite with Korra Pesce
Ben Approaching the Reposoir at Sundown
Let the Ski Season Begin
I managed to sneak away from work for a few days in the hope of some mixed North Face climbing adventures but the weather over the weekend was miserable. As it cleared on Monday the mountains looked plastered and it seemed like I could combine an acclimatisation trip with a few turns. De Masi was keen so we headed up the Midi with no real expectations. As we descended the arrete it was clear that there was more than a dusting. I put on my skis for the first time in a couple of months and looked down the south side which was looking tempting but slightly loaded. A brief conversation followed along the lines of:
“Hey Dave, think it will stick?”
‘Dunno, what do you think?’
“I haven’t formed an opinion yet. I’m going to wait for those guys to walk past the bottom so they don’t get sluffed. The shrund on the left is gaping open, what is it like straight down?”
‘Dunno.’
“Eyes on then.”
First turn into the pow made me remember why I love skiing so much. Leaning over hard into smooth silky velvet… After that we went down Gros Rognan for a bit and cut back to the Valley Blanche and skinned into Cirque Maudit for a look around before skinning back to the Midi. That last bit felt like a slog with no acclimatisation and I was happy to get down the lift quickly!
Camping Time
This week we Dave Searle and myself went back to the Miage Glacier under Mont Blanc’s Himalayan sized West Face with the idea to have a semi-rest day and camp on day 1 and then get and early start and ski a line mid-morning before it got too hot. I had some expedition kit to test out so this provided the perfect opportunity. 
At the foot of the Miage. We soon got bored of load carrying in the heat and set up camp.
Chilling out in the evening.
My touring set up this season.
Dave’s disco tent
Our line for the day on looker’s right
Dave at the start of the 1100 m bootpack
The shrund was bottomless and we roped up
Sunrise
Upwards, on and on.
The snow deteriorated due to being worked by spindrift so we skied the good stuff
Friday’s Freeride
I headed into the neighbour’s back garden the other day with the usual suspects; Liz Daley (armed with her perma-stoke), Davide de Masi and Dave Searle. Our efforts were well rewarded and we found exceptional rip-able powder waiting for us in this long hallway. A fantastic day which was ended with a beer ontop of a mountain in the sun.
All quiet, the cirque to ourselves
Let the dance begin
Perma-stoke
Searler, Liz and de Masi wishing they had spanking paddles (snow plates) in the deep pow
This is going to be sick
Dave Searle
Liz Daley
Davide de Masi superstylin
Our line
Heading to the bar for a well earned cold beer
Ross Hewitt Guiding 