And we're off! Chamonix is open for business!!

Looking forward to some of this. Heading down Glacier Midi des Grandes with about 3km of untracked still to go!

The Grand Montets has finally opened for the the first weekend of the winter and the 2010/11 season is officially a go!

We've had some pretty good snowfall this last week and the whole valley is in full winter cloak. We're now into that final prep period before everything goes full speed a head and those little jobs that didn't get done, (like washing the van for example as it would now just freeze) are no longer a priority on the list and anything that got left outside is now buried and of no concern until the spring.

My bike is now firmly attached to the Turbo trainer in my newly renovated Garage/Gym (my successful Autumn project), my summer guiding kit is packed away and the winter goodies are getting ready to rock.

Yep! From now on its all about the ride and the slide!

One of the best gadgets I have received so far this winter is the new Ortovox 3+ transceiver. A very nice bit of kit, simple and quick to use, very efficient and powerful and it comes as a nice tidy package. It uses some thing that Ortovox call a smart antenna so as to always give and receive the strongest signal however the transceiver is orientated, especially useful in a burial!

Seems, very good for single and multiple signal searches, does just what it needs to do and nothing more so stays simple to use when everything around you might be getting a bit hectic!

Definitely the best transceiver I've come across in recent years and the one that will be firmly attached to me for this coming season. If you're looking at getting yourself kitted up for the Backcountry this winter then this is one bit of kit that I'd definitely recommend you put at the top of your list!


Ortovox 3+ very nice, check it out!

There is also a special Ortovox deal available to anyone booked on one of our courses and the Ortovox range of outerwear and merino wool layers are also very tidy!

This offer is only available to those that are currently booked on one of our courses this winter and if you want more info then give Ruth a shout.

Loads of you have also taken advantage of the Jones Snowboards deal we have running through the TSA so it looks like there will quite a few of us powering around on the Flagship.

Again an amazing bit of kit which is making me smile even whilst I'm busy writing in the office! If anyone wants more info on the Jones Snowboard deal and haven't had the info then please get in touch with Ruth. (Again this offer is only available to those that are currently booked on one of our courses this winter).

Well, its dumping with snow again out there so it's looking like the start of the winter that we've all been hoping for. Hope you're all getting excited about it, getting your fitness up, powering up the legs and feeling ready for some steep and deep.

All is good in Chamonix,

Neil.

More Snow in the valley, is this it?

Twin peaks tower above the sea ice and a frozen in place Iceberg, Liverpool land, Greenland.

It's dumping again in the Chamonix valley, however we had a mild spell last week and so most of the snow from the previous snowfall had melted away. I managed to get a couple of great days out on the bike, down the valley in glorious sunshine and 17C temps!

It's obviously got colder again and the forecast looks like its set to keep coming, snow is forecast for the next few days and then again after the weekend.

The Grand Montets was set to open last weekend but the snowpack was deemed to be to thin between 2500m and 2000m and so the opening has been delayed. Maybe this weekend things will be different after this latest storm.

The snow has just stopped falling at the moment and through the office window the Aiguille du Midi has appeared, beautifully white and ghost like against the white storm clouds behind. Very atmospheric and not a bad view for a morning in the office.

I've just updated and put details of the Greenland trip on line www.mcnabsnowboarding.com so check it out.

Check out the faces on these peaks, now that's what I'm talking about! Liverpool land, Greenland.

This trip will be very much a Jeremy Jones 'Deeper' style trip, using the Jones 'Solution' Splitboards to access, explore and ride the massive potential that the east Coast location of Liverpool land has to offer.

A massive amount of riding potential, Liverpool land, Greenland.

24 hour sunlight and endless possibilities. Liverpool land Greenland.


Imagine having an area the size of the Mont Blanc massif with Verbier, Zermatt, Sass fee and the Aosta Valley added on, all this area to yourselves and mostly never snowboarded in, and you're beginning to get the picture.

Winter is a coming, can you feel it?

All is good,

Neil.

Ok, its official, winter is here!

Ok, it's snowing, getting deep and and the kids are sledging to school, it's official, winter has arrived.

Time for me to start getting all my winter kit out, both for myself and the winter courses, I need to get the snow tyres back out and on the vehicles and generally get ready for 5 months of deep snow and winter whiteness.

I've just been going through the final details for the Greenland expedition this coming April/May. All is looking good now and I'm already very excited about this trip.

We'll basically use ski doo access to journey into a massive isolated mountain range in the area known as Liverpool land.

We'll build a self contained base camp and hike, ride, climb and explore the area and peaks surrounding our base.

We're talking steep and deep with a difference, ice bergs, frozen seas, midnight sun and endless peaks. We'll access everything by foot, splitboard, snowshoes or crampons and ride first descents every day in true Jones 'Deeper' style.

This will be the 2nd trip I've run to the east coast of Greenland but to a completely different area with a completely different feel. A bit more 'out there' and a bit more 'massive' in terms of terrain and potential.

Yep, I'm looking forward to this one already!

Well, I can just about still get out on my bike if I drive down the valley, but it is starting to get a bit colder now even down there and the snow line is creeping ever downward. Might have to resort to the turbo trainer in the Garage soon, nah, I'll keep braving the cold till snow changes play.

Looks like I'll be able to get out touring before too long if this snow keeps on falling. Amazing, I hadn't really thought about it all yet, up until 2 days ago I was still focused totally on riding ,my bike and now its looking like I'll be hiking and riding before you know it.

I hope the split boards arrive soon!

All is good in Chamonix!

Neil.