More splitboarding! Col du tour Noire today!

Great shot of Phil charging the Amethyste Galcier on the Jone Solution splitboard today!

Mixed weather over the weekend and snow up high brought good conditions for the first day of this weeks Splitboard Intro course which saw us riding fresh lines in Courmayeur (again!) on Monday. Rising temperatures saw some interesting condition changes in the afternoon with some heavy wet snow slides going off on all aspects were ever it was steep enough for the snow to slide.

We stared with a good transceiver training session in the Courmayeur Arva park before heading out to ride some trees (a bit sticky) and then the Youla couloir, which was perfect!

in the afternoon we rode of the summit above the Arp, again good snow down towards the Val Veni couloirs and then the snow got a bit heavy, although still fun to ride.

More rain in the valley last night but again more snow up high and blue skies this morning so we headed up the Grand Montets, rode pretty good powder down the Lognans glacier, good and soft although pretty tracked underneath. We found a few good lines on the way down then headed out onto the Argentiere Glacier and changed to split mode to begin the long tour up the Amethyste Glacier towards the Col du tour Noire.

Starting out up the Argentiere Glacier.

The Beautiful ambiance of the high mountains.

Then it starts to head up hill!

There were a few teams out ahead as we headed up but with a crafty shortcut before the top (as the clouds were starting to boil up from the valley) we managed to cut in and get fresh tracks all the way down the left hand side.

Loads of room and loads of fresh snow!

Craig gets some fresh turns!

Carl charging!

Simon gets his fill.

Dermot diggin deep.

I also explored a variant exit down the left earlier in the year and so knowing this we headed hard left at the bottom towards my secret exit which proved to be in great condition and completely untouched.

Bob leads on down my secret exit, Beautiful backdrop!

Any of these tours up the Argentiere Glacier are big days out on the hill and the guys did well for their first ever splitboard tour and for some their first big 'McNab' BC tour.

A few tired legs tonight though so probably an easier riding day tomorrow!

We'll see!!

All is good!

Neil.