Powder in the Valley Blanche! The heat is on!!

Hiking up the Periades yesterday for a great descent!

Wow it's been hot in the Valley, 22 degrees down at Passy and about 16 in Chamonix today!

It snowed up high at the weekend and so we've been riding the Valley Blanche for the last couple of days with a great surprise powder descent of the Gross Rognon followed by a hike up the Periades and a great steep untracked descent down that started with cold powder and finished with steep spring snow. A Great Day!

Today was like the perfect day though.

A superb descent of the 'Vrai Valley Blanche' which I hadn't done this season. Quite atmospheric with the Foehn wind blowing and the entrance to the descent weaves through big serracs and deep crevasses giving it a serious feel. Once you're through the first bit however it just opens out into a super wide perfectly angled powder fest (of course with big holes here and there to go around!). We traversed out to the Requin refuge for a quick drink and then descended the steep couloirs and the Envers exit for another great descent.

Back in the Valley it was the prefect day so I met Ruth and my girls at Gaillands where they were picnicking in the sun.

A short stop there and then home and out on my bike for my first ride since the winter began. A quick lap down from Servos to Plateau d' Assy and back. Not sure how that felt really, its been so long it's hard to remember how I felt doing it before and how fast I went but anyway it felt hard and I pushed myself but I think the long winter is taking its toll as I haven't had any time off now since December (except for 1 day a week between courses!). It was nice to be out on the bike again, its hard work but a kind of exquisite pain that feels very rewarding (I'm from that no pain no gain era/school of thought).

Anyway we topped the day off with a take out curry from Tiger Tiger in Chamonix which in my book finishes off a pretty much perfect day!

Heading up the Grands Montets tomorrow I think. If the weather is good we'll go touring up towards the Glacier du Tour Noir, otherwise we'll do laps on the top tickets lift and check out the Grand Mur for traces of cold powder.

Its forcast to snow quite a bit on Friday and Saturday, dropping down to 1300m over the weekend so could be good in the trees in Italia again and a good top up for next weeks 3 day Off Piste Clinic!

All is good!

Neil.