Two more prefect days to finish off a perfect week!

Breaking trail up to the Col du Floria, a hard 2 hours of thigh deep trail breaking!

An amazing week this week, one of my best ever I think. There's not much we didn't do, not much else I'd have wanted to ride and the conditions were amazing!

After an amazing first 4 days (see previous news) the weather stabilized with very cold but clear conditions.

Dick leading the team nearing the top of the exposed ridge on the Grandes Autannes.

After Thursdays Grandes Autannes outing (see photo above of the climb) where we found some absolutely amazing powder on the way down (in fact we didn't have to look so hard as it was everywhere and no tracks anywhere!) I was going to have to come up with something special to keep the dream alive!

The steep ascent to the Col du Floria.

Nothing for it then but a Col du Floria outing in the Aiguille Rouge. With no tracks leading up the steep couloir above the Index lift at Flegere I set about braking a trail in waist deep fresh snow. 2 hard hours later we were at the top and looking down the steep 45 degree North Face that was in perfect condition and not a track in the whole valley below!

Just our tracks in the whole valley! half way down the Floria descent.

Amazing powder all the way until your legs were burning and at the bottom you could hardly stand and definitely not stop grinning.

The steep 45 degree slope is behind Dick and Ian on the Floria descent.

the second hike up to the Col du Berard is always a bit of a slog but with breakable crust all the way and another 2 hours of trail braking I decided not to do a big squatt session in the evening. The descent from the Col du Berard was also pretty good although a bit more tracked than we were becoming used to although and we found a real nice line with the perfect pitch and deep untracked cold powder. A massive day but with some amazing riding and a fantastic mountain day, definitely one to remember!

So what to follow that up with?

Sunday, the last day dawned cold and clear. I'd thought about getting a bit more extreme with the guys as they'd taken everything I'd thrown at them with gusto so far.

The South Face of the Aiguille d'Entreve has been waiting for me to revisit its steep flanks for many years (I last did it in the late 90's with a group in spring conditions). A massive steep 45 degree 500m slope of steep and deep, fully engaging from start to finish with rock bands and crevasses to negotiate followed by a smooth long steep glacier that is, at the moment, totally filled in and perfect!

The Entreves had our names written all over it as we headed round to Italy and up the Helbronner. From the top lift an hour long Glacial hike gets us to the Col d'Entreve from where I take a look and decide on an entry strategy whilst the guys look on in nervous anticipation. It looks pretty serious and the constant chat has suddenly stopped. After some super steep and technical side slipping through a narrow entry couloir the face opens out a little and we regroup and survey the situation.

A big slightly delicate traverse out right to where the slope aspect is more South East brings us to perfect snow at around 45 degrees angle and from here we drop in and let it run for about 300m vert of steep and deep. The Glacier below is excellent and we're back at the mid station for 1pm.

On the way up first time I'd been checking out the steep couloirs below the 2nd cable car. This is serious territory, steep, hard to get to and there's only one way out through the cliffs below. A quick bite to eat and we're on our way up to the top.

The entry to the face is guarded by a hanging glacier which we pass to the right of. The slope is getting steeper and a big drop below threatens. A rocky ridge to the right needs to be traversed over in order for us to gain access to the couloir that I have chosen for our next descent and so we slide onto a ledge and take our boards off. Under foot the terrain is a bit loose and the big drop below gives it an air of extreme exposure. We traverse carefully around to a snow field where I dig a ledge and we get our boards on. From here we traverse again around into the couloir which is steep, straight and airy.

the snow is for the most part pretty good and we make controlled short turns down splitting it into sections for group and sluff management. The exit is steep and everyone rides it in good control out onto the completely untracked glacial slopes below.

We finish the week with some more amazing fresh turns down yet another completely untracked mountain side and ride to the valley below.

An extreme days riding, I think I was probably more nervous at times than the guys were as you've got to always try to be one step ahead, checking out all the possibilities, the risks and the calculating the possible outcomes. It was another great day out in the office and the last day of an amazing week!

Big respect goes out to Mike, Dick and Ian for coping with it all so well, 6 big days, and for joining me on one of my best weeks riding and guiding in a long long time.

And so it all starts again tomorrow evening when I meet the next team for next weeks backcountry Intro.

The conditions are good and my expectations are high so bring it on!

All is good,

Neil.