Tag: skyway

Winter Season

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The summer has come to an abrupt end with the arrival of the first winter snows. My first day out on the Midi was an incredible run on Glacier Rond’s hanging glacier (my gopro didnt work in the cold that day so I posted the iphone footage in an intsgram reel here https://www.instagram.com/reel/CklTpfSoAGf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. It was so good, better than any turns last season. that we bootpacked back up and skied it a second time before flying off the serac and back to town. While we still need more snow for more conventional runs without a wing, there is nothing but snow on the forecast for the next two weeks. I will definietly go over to Skyway, which just opened, and check out some more mellow stuff in the upper Valley Blanche.

So here’s a photo gallery of some of last years highlights to get you in the mood for skiing and climbing this winter. If you are looking for guiding services then please get in touch as soon as possible as bookings are flooding in. All the best, Ross

The Best Runs of 2020

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The best ski runs from 2020. We started the season down under. New Zealand must be one of my alternative spiritual homes, a place I’ve visited several times and feel completely at home. For skiing it’s like my Super Bowl. You may make all the moves and just be out of luck with high winds making you question the sanity of opening the outside door. But make the finals and on ‘The Day’ NZ will show you her magic and allow you play your A game. With @davejsearle we added a 700 m line to the Caroline Face, skied the 2nd known descent of Bowie Couloir and did another lap on the East Face of Cook. Back in Chamonix just as the season got good lockdown came and we had a wait of 2 months confined to our homes before restarting the season with a run on the Midi North Face to start the high mountain season. Dreaming of skiing during lockdown 2, hopefully it will be over soon.

Skiing Col de la Brenva

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Spring 2020 in France was a strict 2 month lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic. I didn’t see a soul for 55 days except for the gendarmes policing the lockdown outside my house, freely handing out fines to the unfortunates for minor misdemeanours. As soon as lock down lifted I went back to my spiritual home in the mountains with my friends and skied the North Face of Aiguille du Midi. What joy to be back skiing after a 2 month hiatus. The post lock down season would be a short one for me with the lift only open at the weekends and a massive project on a scale that was hard to comprehend drawing all my energy. However we made some nice days, Tacul, Gervasutti Couloir, Contamine Negri, and Col de la Brenva to finish the season. Soft spring snow made for relaxed skiing and some cloud in the Brenva Cirque made everything feel very atmospheric, oh an a massive rimaye at the bottom made for an exciting exit onto the debris cone. The slog back up the Valley Blanche in desert heat wasn’t so fun but the bars were open that night for the first time and the cold beer never tasted so good.

    Rating: 1 out of 5.

    The Wild Side

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    The Skyway area with its 1500 m high faces stretching from Tour Ronde to the Grandes Jorasses is locally referred to as the Wild Side. Yesterday with strong wind it was living up to its reputation as we opened the Marbree Couloir and the shoulder of Aiguille d’Entreves.