Amazing final run! BC Splitboard touring week.

After a great couple of days touring around the Grand St Bernard area we heaeded back to Chamonix and to make plans for the last 2 days of the winter season.

With once again mixed/bad forecast for Thursday and a possible good forecast on Friday I made the gamble to tour to a hut through the bad weather with the hope of blue skies and more fresh snow on the final day.

As we drove back from the Grd St Bernard and passed over the Col du Forclaz we gazed up at the immaculate looking Glacier des Grandes, the scene of my most recent powder riding activity.

The guys were psyched to get up there and so the plans were set in motion and the big tour was on!

Thursday morning dawned not to bad early on and we got some fresh lines down off the Lognan's Glacier off the top of the Grands Montets.

We changed over to touring mode on the Argentiere Glacier and headed across the flats to the steep first climb of the Col du Chardonnet, the first climb en route to our destination, the 'Trient refuge'.

Cramponing up the initial slopes towards the col du Chardonnet!

For the initial slopes we changed to Crampons and worked our way up towards the easier angled Glacier above as the weather started to take a turn for the worse!

Soon we were immersed in zero visability with thick cloud and snowfall. No wind as yet though so not too unpleasant and we continued up, now back on split boards, towards the hidden col above.

The Col du Chardonnet is always a lot further than you think and with Zero Vis the hike seemed to go on for ever. Eventually the rocks either side of the Col appeared through the mists and we changed to ctampons once again for the steep abseil down the other side.

Pete, descending from the Col du Chardonnet towards the Saleina.

The point of total commitment was now passed and as we stood below the col at the top of the Saleina Glacier the cloud broke for an instant, enough time for us to watch a massive Serrac fall trigger a huge powder avalanche down the North face of the Aiguille d' Argentiere, only a few hundred meters or so away to our right.

We did quite a lot of this!

I took a quick compass bearing and we ski'ed off traversing around the top of the Saleina heading for our next objective the Fenetre de Saleina which gives access to the Final leg of the tour, the Trient Plateau.

Another long voyage through the thick cloud which had returned and we arrived at the steep ascent towards the Fenetre.

Andy and Darren on the upper slopes of the Fenetre de Saleina.

We had now been on the move for some 8 hours in zero vis and cold temps. No wind still, made things not too unpleasant but the long day was starting to take its toll on a few members of the team (if not all!) and some tired faces appeared at the top of the Fenetre de Saleina after the steep climb from below.

The Trient Plateau is a huge flat featureless Glacial plateau, very beautiful in good weather but a navigational nightmare in zero vis. After navigating across this plateau numerous times (both summer and winter) over the years, I finally succumbed to modern technology and stuck the hut co-ordinates into my GPS which I now pulled from my bag. With an accuracy of 5 meters and the hut indicated at 2.6km away we now headed across the Plateau on the last leg of the journey.

Fortunately for the tired legs in the team most of this final mission was flat or even slightly down hill and so some of the team had to quickly learn the art of Snowploughing on skis through the now quite deep fresh powder.

After 9 hours on the move! the hut was finally ours and the long day was over.

Credit to the guys, spirits remained high all day and we settled in for some good food and a fun (but short) evening in the refuge.

As we went to bed that night we all must have thought the same thoughts about the next day, hoping that the forecast for clear skies would come true!

Early morning sunlight hits the Aiguille du Tour, it's going to be a good day!

Fantastic, then, to wake early in the morning to Blue skies and crisp deep powder covering everything and as we ate an early breakfast everyone was buzzing about the day to come!

The Trient hut is on the rocks behind as we get ready for the final hike.

A short ride down onto the Trient Plateau from the hut, a quick change to skinning mode and I started breaking trail through the deep fresh up towards the Aiguille du Tour.

Amazing!

One of those beautiful mornings in the mountains, quiet, clear, crisp, amazing views 360 and fresh powder underfoot.

2000m of fresh snow below! Dropping!!

After a couple of hours breaking trail we were at the top with 2000m of untracked powder beneath our feet!

We changed to riding mode for the last time and prepared for the last run of the season (here in Chamonix anyway).

The run starts up above the col behind, here we're charging the upper snow fields.

The first turns were amazing and told us of things to come!

Andy Mantle.

We shot through from the Trient Glacier out onto the top of Glacier des Grandes and just kept on riding!

Pete.

And riding!

Lee.

And Riding!!

Gwri.

Darren.

Andy Cook.

And then rode some more!!

Andy M again!

This has got to be one of the biggest and best descents in the Mont Blanc Massif and the snow was just pefect from top to bottom!

The exit couloirs are behind (and the main descent above left), even they were full of good deep powder!

Even the exit couloirs were in good condition!

Eventually the riding came to a satisfactory ending and after an easy hike out to the Col du Forclaz my BC Splitboard touring week was over along with my Winter season in Chamonix!

What a fantastic week and a great last run to finish the season with!

As a guide, exploring new areas (such as the Grd St Bernard tour) and taking on new challenges (guiding 6 guys for 9 hours through the mountains in a storm) is all part of the of the job, but when it all comes together with perfection, as it did this week there really is no finer Metier!

I now have a couple of days off before I try to throw together my next trip to Greenland!

Another adventure into the unknown, a journey into an amazing wilderness of high peaks and polar ice, 24 hour sunlight and a solitude that is hard to find anywhere else on the planet!

So much to do before I head off!

With such a busy season, it's been hard to even think 2 days ahead never mind planning for Greenland which always seemed to far off and suddenly departure is right around the corner!

Right better think about packing!

I can think about packing whilst riding my bike though right?

Why do things now when you can do everything last minute!!

Beautiful day and my bike is calling!

All is good in Chamonix!

Neil.