What a Winter

So much skiing and so little time to write about it. What a winter it’s been so far. The people I have been skiing with have been so open to so much adventure in such amazing and changing conditions. Chris was so stoked to ski glacial powder in -17C. Alex and I got back up Mount Lollitop for a big day out. Bobby and I were psyched to ski some of the fine couloirs in the Val d’Anniviers, untracked, 2 weeks after the last snow storm. And that’s straight off the lift! With Franco and his boys, I felt like I was back in Hawaii, riding the huge wave of Combe d’Orny on my snowboard. What amazing g-forces felt, arcing turns through deep, untracked powder, from the top of the Trient Glacier to the forest trails below Champex Lac. It was awesome watching the Hartley’s kids tear down a 45 degree Arpette couloir in the morning, then follow me, perfectly, one at a time, at the right time, down another wild couloir into the Val Ferret, with chamois and deer bouncing along the sheer cliff we hugged. And with friends, wonderful Fi, and Steve and Cherries, and Marie-Lou. So fine, so fine, you all. Thank you!!!

Winter started will a Big Bang, got hot, snowed again, dried up, snowed again then got glacial. It’s just turned mild and is forecasted to snow again. The Vermont Boyz are arriving and will certainly be missing our minus 17’Cs from last week. But with a little dump tonight, they could enjoy deep powder without too much skinning.

Here’s some photos with some stories…

6 thoughts on “What a Winter

  1. Hans Solmssen Post author

    It is a small world, especially the ski world! So nice to hear from you guys. Hope we can all ski together some day. Let me know if you want me to try to set something up. Could be fun to do 5-7 days with some of the old boys here in these Alps. Happy turns!

  2. Hans Solmssen Post author

    Ha! So cool to hear from you Pete. Of course I remember you. That would be a blast to ski with you. You would love it here. So many fun things to do. and with lifts to push you way up into the hills to start your climb. 🙂

  3. Peter Delaney

    Hi Hans;
    I am a Vermont boy now, about 10 years ago I skied with you in Thompson Pass with Coombs.

    Would love to ski with you again based on your photos.
    Peter

  4. Mike Fennelly

    The Vermont boys from Smuggs in the early 80s? Dana? Frank? The Rasta repairmen from Jeff. That was a lifetime ago for me, but the best of times.

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