Greenland Heliskiing 2009
Posted on | May 15, 2009 | No Comments
I am back from the tiny village of Kangaamiut, Greenland, just north of Maniitsoq. It was colder than I have seen it in the 9 years I have been visiting, which made for really fine skiing conditions. We had soft powder on the North aspects and nice, squishy corn on the South. The trip was unique for me in that it was all about creating a film about world champion snowboarder Xavier Delerue. Ben Pugh of Between The Eyes was here for Relentless with his excellent team of camera men, sound man, focus pullers and all. I can’t wait to see the result. We had ideal conditions, with only one down day out of seven. Have a look at my Greenland Heli Skiing Site for more info on what it’s all about.
Here are few shots of this year’s trip. They are mostly ambiance shots from Tero Repo and Guido Perrini. For more action and what huge potential this place has for wild, steep terrain, mouse over the galleries here.
Seasons Change
Posted on | May 8, 2009 | No Comments
That’s it! The snow around my house melted last week, the southern slopes have avalanched and melted away, leaving supreme skiing at altitude. We were hoping to get on a few fine steep descents, but the weather has not cooperated completely. The Foehn here is blowing hard up high, and the south side has seen over a meter of fresh over the past week. But what a perfect winter! Snow fell often and in abundance, then when Spring came in late March, it got real hot real fast. Perfect!
I am in Greenland for another fine adventure of heliskiing. It has been cold and wintery, providing us with some of the finest snow conditions I have seen. Ben Pugh of Between The Eyes is here with his film crew creating a film of top snowboarder Xavier De Le Rue. This movie should appear on Relentless’s site soon. Have a look at some of the films they have made. They are very appealing. Certainly surfing a super thick wave, winter time in the Irish Sea, makes for a fine story.
Couloirs to Bars Ski Clinic
Posted on | March 27, 2009 | No Comments
We are into day 5 of the 6 day, Couloirs to Bars Ski Clinic, and it has again turned out to be another lively one. Maryana is back, showing off her Ukrainian style, cruising down one sweet couloir after another. We have skied Italian Corn snow, dug deep snow pits in search of faceted snow crystals, and more recently, bagged Mt.Fort back-side and Mt.Gele first tracks. It was so incredibly fat off the Mt.Fort, with my pole disappearing up to the handle on the second turn. Valery is getting his mind around the airy climbs and traverses, and is looking more solid skiing the steeps on his K2 Coombas.
It looks like it’s going to dump on the South side as we get some Foehn tomorrow. Then cool Bise and corn snow for next week. C’mon Spring!!!
Winter Returns
Posted on | March 27, 2009 | No Comments
Just when I was getting all warm to the spring snow scene, blammo! in comes winter! Off the back of Mt.Gele yesterday I measured 65cm of fresh snow! The face shots were a bit too much. I tried to turn differently to avoid the shock, but to no avail. I’m sure you feel sorry for me.
It is real warm this morning, +3. But it looks like Mt.Fort will open so we should get another day of powdah!
Spring in the Alps
Posted on | March 19, 2009 | No Comments
At last, we have touched the first spring snow of the season. Temperatures were quite high these past few days. The snow on northern aspects is moist from 2200 meters down. There is a solid crust from 2800 meters down on which to ski supreme corn snow.
I just returned from another very memorable safari, cruising these Alps from Verbier to Andermatt in search of fine adventure. With a changing weather forecast, high temperatures and winds, the challenge was to find new and fun runs to get to Andermatt.
The first 2 days were a challenge, though a real nice run of over 2000 meters descent and 15 kilometers long brought us all the way to Wengen. Bobby had not been back since he was 14, 95 years ago ( ha! joke! sorry…) We skied a real double black diamond trail in Grindlewald the next day. I thought this idea only existed in the US of A. Extreme! The lifts in Grindelwald seemed to go across the slopes and the runs seemed to go uphill.
But Monday brought us an unexpected blue bird day, high above the Sustenpass. We used the heli to ski 2 runs in powder, the second down a spectacular 50+ degree slope. Sloughing snow rekindled memories of Alaskan steeps. I was in skier’s heaven. Bobby skied like a kid, Jane flew, Rob ripped, and Nick roared down this fine alpine descent. After another hot skin, we descended another long and scenic valley, arriving at Andermatt with the setting sun.
Andermatt and the River House Boutique Hotel was such a nice place to stay and ski for the next two days. We found powder, steep couloirs and nice spring snow. On our last day we skied all the way to Airolo, in the Ticino, thereby crossing through 3 linguistic regions in our little 5 day ski safari.
The snowiest winter on record
Posted on | March 8, 2009 | No Comments
This winter just does not want to stop. Another 40cm fell yesterday, adding to the 2 meter base around my chalet. The skiing has been phenomenal. Each day has provided us with so much fun, and it just keeps going. One needs not think too much before heading out the door, which seems tough to some. Powder everywhere! (Who needs a guide right?)
We had such fine adventure last week, using the heli to ski the wild West Face of the Wildhorn. Though the north winds have been blowing, we found nice powder on this steep and exposed slope. We rode it all the way to Gstaad, sliding through the fabulous gorges of Gelten. The next 5 days found us wrapping around these Bernese Alps and back into the Pennine.
The forecast is calling for more snow! How about that?
Little Resorts That Rock
Posted on | February 13, 2009 | No Comments
I took no pictures to record yesterday’s ever changing light. But imagine a world of snow encrusted trees, as can happen in the North-East woods of Vermont, U.S.A. Then dashes of light, brightening your world of wind and snow outside of Gortex. Then the fog!!! thickening intensively, even so very thick in the middle of the forest where the visibility is fine, blasting down that fine line, you look left and right and see your friends still following, skiing down the ever steepening couloir.
Above, we’d launched ourselves off the work road into supremely deep powder, through wide open glades of Larch trees, conscious of our skis driving deeper as gravity’s pull intensified on the steepening slope towards the push to the valley below. We flew down steeper forested slopes, not even slowing where it got tight in the tight bush, seeing spaces appear behind trees that looked impossible before, lining your body in line with the gaps…
Riding the chair lift with the North wind on your back, hardly seeing them hunkered down on the chair in front of you, behind your goggles- inside.
My favorite little resort, a stone’s throw from Verbier- ROCKS. Another line, just the two of us, Kent amazes me with his ability to find the line as he flies past me, just exiting the couloir long enough to find the spaces above, before plummeting back in and hucking the little cliff band, landing deep below.
This was *it* for me. Skiing with a friend, down lines on intuition alone.
(OK, I gotta show you this picture of my Norwegien friend in the Italian powder of a few days back. Oh yeah! And the very mad girls I was so lucky to ski with in the variable snow before the snows…)
Finding powder
Posted on | February 5, 2009 | No Comments
The Foehn raged while I was away at ISPO, leaving, in many places around Verbier, ravaged and faceted snow. During the long period of clear weather in January, facets developed deep in the snow pack, even to the ground. Now the foehn has blown away that wonderful powder of last week, leaving a Lunar landscape.
But we followed Stephen’s secret plan to his secret stash and scored the goods. It was one of the most memorable runs I’ve done, down ramps and holes, through notches and pockets to more and more perfect powder.
Supreme Powder Skiing
Posted on | January 30, 2009 | No Comments
Since my update on January 20th, the skiing has been as good as it gets. The weather cleared on Sunday, and we have had day after day of deep powder skiing under clear skies since. It has been fun to go further afield with each day, allowing the avalanche danger to come slowly down before getting on steep and exposed slopes. Sunday’s heli with Marie, Alex and Edward was a huge day. We started in the Col de Creblet with the feverish crowds, then opened the left flank of the Vallon d’Arbit with intense quietness and feathery deep powder. I had a safe line in mind, so we flew up the Trient glacier to ski the fall line to the valley floor, 2000 meters below to the village of Trient. What immense beauty we found amongst the rock, snow and ice, high in the mountains. Our skis guided us effortlessly down through the powder and glaciers, where we took a last ride up to ski to Champex in the lovely Val d’Arpette.
I have only taken the small Nikon a couple of days, so thank Marie for the alpine shots. Yesterday’s photos of the “Colorodo Couloir” and marginal shots with the iPhone of the Couloir de Monts de Sion with Big Tom, Marie, and Mike round out the selection.
It looks like the big, bad Foehn will be with us next week. Too bad, ’cause that will certainly change this cold smoke to cement. Vivre corn snow!
80+cm of new snow in 6 days
Posted on | January 24, 2009 | No Comments
After a month of beautiful and stable weather and avalanche conditions, over 80cm of fresh snow has fallen around my chalet in Verbier! What a sight to see. The foecast is calling for a sunny day Sunday, so hang on! Be carefull, as the avalanche situation will be critical.
