Mont Dolent
Posted on | August 22, 2010 | 1 Comment
We climbed this pretty summit on the Swiss, French and Italian border under a perfect blue sky. Though not technically difficult, fantastic views abound. We spent the night at the Fiorio bivouac to break the climb into a couple small chunks. It is a cute little hut, reminding me of what most of these alpine huts used to all be like. Take a cook stove, food and a couple of spoons to prepare your own food since this bivi is not guarded.
Rock Climbing near Verbier and Chamonix
Posted on | August 20, 2010 | No Comments
Summer is over and I have not published a thing! Too much time to do too many things!
The weather is back to summer-time temps, reflecting again the in and out weather in the Alps this season. Most recently, we did a couple of real fine climbs on perfect granite. One, up the Val d’Arpette, which many of you know from winter ski season. The other on the Pointe Lachenal above the Chamonix valley.
Olivier Roduit’s route on the Six Carro in the Val d’Arpette is one of the nicest climbs anywhere! The rock is stunning, with all sorts of cool forms, from cracks to knobs. The Contamine Route on the Pointe Lachanel is another supreme route, offering the aspiring, clean, crack climber the opportunity to protect his lead with the sole use of rocks and friends.
Tags: Chamonix > Pointe Lachenal > Rock Climbing > Val d'Arpette
Verbier Rock Climbing
Posted on | June 8, 2010 | No Comments
The weather is just starting to resemble summer-time in Verbier. At 1500 meters above sea level, the cold temperatures and clouds tend to linger longer in Verbier in Spring… like two months longer! But the alpine rock is coming quickly into shape now. We climbed Eureka, one of the 5 pitch climbs on the north face of the Pierre Avoi. The moves on this fine, moderate, 6a route, are all real nice, and on a good quality of limestone. Bring a 55 meter rope for the 3rd pitch.Though the sun doesn’t get on it until afternoon, the forecasted 0 dgrees at 3800 made it warm enough by mid-day to stay warm. No photos this time…
The forecast calls for more warm weather with afternoon thunder showers for the next few days.
Greenland Again
Posted on | April 30, 2010 | 2 Comments
We are back in Maniitsoq, Greenland again to heliski. It has so far turned out to be some of the best, classic, corn snow conditions ever. Yesterday was just so wonderful and my 4 clients seem to be quite blown away by the quality of every run. They are a group of 4 men that are acting just as childish as myself, laughing and giggling with each new run. Landing at 1500 meters, roping over a cornice, then skiing 45 degrees of deep corn, turning left after the flats into another steep couloir and riding that down to the lower flats, then over another drop to a long glacier to the heli sitting on the beach… It really is too much. I so wish all my friends and clients I skied with this past season could be here now to experience this wonderful playground.
Getting a good angle to take fine pictures has been tough. But here area few of the ones I have taken so far.
The Magic of Skiing
Posted on | April 28, 2010 | No Comments
What is it about skiing that unites, so intensely, such a large group of skiers from all walks of life? At least for me, I feel connected to people in a way that bonds us all so closely together. The PDG was one example of that. Sure, many folks don’t like the crowds and media generated by such an event. But to see coming together, all the different people from all over the world, from all different backgrounds and beliefs, really shows what a closely knit group of people we are. And talk about different ways of experiencing the thang we call skiing! From skiing a steep North Face in Spring, to floating through a winter forest while it’s absolutely dumping, from cruising perfect corn down Creblet, to touring up an isolated valley, nothing can really match the splendor and magic of skiing with friends.
I’m off to Greenland for my 10th season, to play in the glaciers and fjords along the West Coast near Maniitsoq. The helis are in place, the fuel cached, the boats are organized, and the volcano in Iceland has stopped erupting. So it looks like we might pull it off again! Have a look at Greenland Heliskiing where I hope to send a few updates over the next 3 weeks.
With Verbier’s winter season coming to an end, I already miss my gorgeous community of clients and friends. I hope we get to experience more wonderful adventures in the hills soon again.
Easter Friday’s Deep Powder Day
Posted on | April 4, 2010 | No Comments
It was one of those perfect, blue bird days again. I felt like putting on my Sheriff’s badge and being a real goof ball. First lift up, standing at the top of Mt.Fort, surrounded by a bunch of local skiers and guides, no one appeared to listen to my commands of “Wait for me. I’m not ready yet…” Allan snarled at his client that she was the reason they were not first off the Back Side. I joked at Fiona as to the whereabouts her guide was, since this was obviously a guided only descent.
We then proceeded to skip down Mt. Fort, two times, on this highly charged and crowded day. And what a day it was! With 40cm of fresh up high, and cold temps providing cold smoke on all aspects, we packed 3 days into one. Jane, Rob and Nick were excellent ski companions, skiing the steep with respect, allowing us to push ourselves into a truly memorable Easter Friday. Barry’s Bowl and the “Hot Chocolate” couloir were a couple of added bonuses to our “only” 3 run day.
The forecast calls for good weather for the next 2 days. It should warm up considerably Tuesday, then another front will move through Thursday.
Winter-Spring Alps Perspective
Posted on | March 20, 2010 | No Comments
What a cold winter it has been! Our wood stove hase consumed twice as much wood as last year. We certainly can’t complain about conditions though. There has been enough snow. But the cold temps have not been good for the stability. The deep, buried facets have not gone away. This means that on every descent, I have been cautious, avoiding the weak spots on every slope and staying where the snow is deepest. (In general, while skiing a suspect slope, one should always stay where the snow pack is deepest. Trigger points are usually where a rock or other terrain feature sticks up out of the surface. This area will probably be the weakest link on the slope.)
Spring snow has finally developed on the southern aspects. It is the first time I have really skied corn all year! We had a few good runs this week, first in powder, then corn. We have been traveling to neighboring valleys and countries to get the good stuff. Skinning 2+ hours has helped us get to some truly memorable runs. Enjoy the following photos here and on Facebook…
Supreme Powder on Mount Lillytop
Posted on | February 19, 2010 | 1 Comment
We had a Gulmarg like experience today. It has not really snowed in these Alps since well before I left to India one month ago. So things have gotten realy tracked up. Plus, there has been lots of wind high up, and the persistent cold temperatures for well over a month have realy done some damage to the snow. Facets are present throughout the snow pack, cause one’s skis to go right through the whole snow pack.
But we spent a couple of hours yesterday skinning to the col de . A few more steps got us to the summit of Lillytop where we found fabulous powder amid 3 other tracks. The 1500 meter run took us down 2 really nice unskied slopes. It was like Gulmarg all over!
The forecast calls for some snow today, then variable weather for the next few days. It has finaly gotten a lot more mild. Temperatures at 2000 meters should be around -3. It does not look like we will get enough snow to pull out all those bad grains in the snow pack. But hopefully the high temps will help.
India- Kashmiri Curry Powder in Gulmarg
Posted on | February 9, 2010 | 1 Comment
I’m back from incredible India. Though traveling to Gulmarg to ski deep powder amongst the ancient pines is the reason to go to India, one realizes immediately that just going to India is the real reason. Living with these people for even a few days makes one marvel at our obsession with material things and our apparent misery with our added wealth and income. To be with these lovely people, and see how happy they are with just so little, always makes me so content. Just siting on the plane in Geneva, leaving for India, I feel relaxed. The plane is delayed, meaning I may miss my connecting flight. But because I am already in India’s touch, I sit relaxed, knowing only that whatever happens, will happen. I am completely open for the next event, whether it is making the next flight or not, perhaps meeting another amazing person, or getting to know the weeping woman sitting next to me. (She is obviously a bit more tense about making our connection…)
Rumors circulate there is no snow in Gulmarg this year. People have returned very disappointed. I meet John and Paolo at the hotel and see the smile in their eyes. Can’t wait to ski tomorrow. We climb the half hour on skins from the lift to the summit, ski down over variable terrain, then finally dip into the untracked Kashmiri forest as I start to launch myself off of every snow covered stump and bump I see. Howls of glee erupt from deep in me, I see my clients smiling ear to ear, hugs all around as we make the trek back to the hotel, wood stoves, beer, chai, khava, curry, more beer then bed.
India, Incredible India. January 22 – February 5, 2011
Early winter roundup
Posted on | January 19, 2010 | No Comments
Oh my! How time flies! December and January have flown by. It’s time again for Kashmir Curry Powder- and I have not even written about the 40 days skiing I have done since my last update. The 3 rain events we had early winter have played a major role in route decision this early winter. The Avalanche danger was at level 3 until last week. And it’s not like those weak faceted layers have gone away or anything. They are just being bridged by a thicker layer on top and/or have gotten so general that a collapse in the snow pack would mean a slide of loose facets rather than a slab. It sounds like a bit what is going on in Gulmarg right now.
But it has meant that I have searched for higher elevations. That rain left the valley floors quite dry, and the summits caked with a thick layer of powder. Mt.Fort summit was left to the guides for weeks, since the front slid and left the piste with bare ice. That was kind of nice, not being chased by a group of helmeted freeloading “Freeriders” everywhere I went. We skied into the Val d’Heremence several times, Fionnay, Hidden Valley while it was still hidden, and recently been re-discovering the fine cappuccinos the Italians can do.
The people I have been skiing with have been outrageously open for adventure and we have come home fully satiated with emotions of outdoors. The snow at higher elevations has now been battered by the North, South, East and West winds. But the mid-elevations are still offering up fine pow for those willing to climb for it. Here are a few of the shots…
