Greenland Splitboarding expedition 2011 (part 2)

McNab Snowboarding Greenland Splitboard Greenland Expedition continued....

Day 8: 29th April, 2011.

As evening falls on the 28th we start to get the first tell tale signs of an approaching storm as a cloud haze softens the midnight sun and further up the Glacier we can see the first signs of strong winds whipping the snow of the high peaks above.

As is forcast, the wind gets up during the night and another big storm blows in, our tents are buffeted by the wind and snow all night.

By morning the winds have dropped and the day is still and silent.

After the storm, the cross ridge of Alistair and Marks tent is just visible behind Matteo!

Large quanitites of snow have fallen over night and the small 2 man tent occupied by Alistair and Mark is almost completely buried and we have to dig them out!

Dave gets to work digging out the tent, we have to clear about half a meter of snow out from around the camp!

The weather isn't bad but the visibility isn't good as a low cloud hangs over the Glacier so the day become a recovery day for most, whilst Simon, Matteo and Mike decide to get to work on building a large communal Snow cave.

In the afternoon I run a Crevasse rescue session just beyond the camp and the weather begins to clear.

By the evening the midnight sun is back in business and as we sit and eat cheese and biscuits in our new extension 'sun lounge', complete with one of the best views I've ever seen, the mountains look amazing, cast in a golden glow and freshly cloaked in deep crystal light snow!

The 'Evening light faces' now look amazing and my one regret of the trip is not driving everyone out for a midnight assault of the 'Midnight Sun couloir' which was definitely beckoning.

Day 9: 30th April, 2011.

The light is a little flat in the morning but the sun is shining through the haze as we set off breaking a new trail back up the 'Morning Glory peak' to ride another new line from the summit.

We seem to be getting quicker every time we come up here and with no complications due to altitude, we now have the hike down to about an hour and a half.

Moody skies as we arrive at the summit and prepare for another big descent!

The weather is looking a bit moody with storm clouds out to sea so we don't hang around too long at the top and on arrival immediately get ready to ride.

There are some very nice looking chutes that descend from the top of the 'Morning glory peak' one of which is perfect at about 50 degrees and about 6 meters wide with parallel rock walls running throughout its length for about 200m before it opens out into a huge bowl, the walls to the left are very exposed but again there are some amazing future lines to be ridden here.

We're looking for something a little longer though and I've scouted out a super line from below, a huge steep chute about 20m wide, 45 degrees in and around 30 to 40 for about 300m.

It's a little windblown and icy at the top which makes it feel more exposed and a bit steeper and this is the first descent of the trip were I stop halfway to make sure things are ok as everyone rides in.

The light is a little flat still but the storm seems to be holding off and once we're all safely over the entry the snow improves and we're back in the steep and deep stuff that we're used to.

Simon charges towards the bottom of shooters couloir!

It's a great descent which we call 'Shooters wall' that brings us all the way down onto the Glacier with an easy descent back to camp.

The weather improves over the afternoon and we chill in camp enjoying the sun which is now burning through and a small team of us make plans for an 'evening raid' up the 'midnight sun' side of the Glacier.

Around 5:30pm we set off across the glacier and the evening sun lights up the perfect walls above us.

Breaking trail to the 'evening sun' side of the Glacier, our camp is right over the far side under the far peak.

It's about a 2 hour hike with some serious trail breaking on steep terrain in very deep snow but by around 7:30 we're standing at the top of the amazing looking 'Midnight Sun couloir' which I've been looking at everyday since we arrived.

It's beautiful, about 30 to 35 degrees, 20 to 30 meters wide and about 600m long and full of sparkling, deep, cold, fresh, never touched, crystal snow.

We can clearly see the camp out across the flat glacier as we negotiate the entry from the ridge and drop in. It's quite steep at the top but the snow is amazing and I go to full speed and charge down into the open couloir below.

It's one of those runs that you just never want to end, the snow is perfect, the light is amazing and the angle just right. By half way I can feel a slight lactic build up in my thighs as I power into some deep carves throwing thick waves of snow high into the still cold air.

Straight lining out of the bottom of the 'Midnight sun couloir'.

I can now see the bottom and the couloir opens out and I'm now charging down a huge face, so much space and perfect snow, I'm spoilt for choice and almost don't know where to ride so power a few more powder carves and straight line the rest with my hands pointing to the sky in celebration of another one of the best runs of my life in the bag!

Alan gets his line dialed down the Midnight sun couloir!

I stand almost in shock on the glacier at the bottom as one by one the guys come down with the same delirious/shocked expressions on their faces.

Everyone is buzzing as we hike back across the Glacier, knowing that we must ride this line again before the trip is through!

Tired legs this evening but Dave is cooking 'Steaks' so all good!!!

Day 10: 31st April, 2011.

More snow overnight, just enough to fill in our tracks from the previous day, great for the riding but it means some serious trail breaking again!

It's a little cloudy in the morning again but looks like it will clear so we wait it out and plan an afternoon raid to ride the 'Midnight sun couloir' again which has filled in and looks perfect once again.

Hiking across the ice cap above the 'Evening sun walls' to gain access to one of the many amazing lines to be found there.

The guys that didn't come out the evening before are keen and so as the sun burns through we set off back across the glacier following the vague remnants of yesterdays trail with Dave wading through out in front.

Once again, this time with the full contingent, we find ourselves standing above this amazing couloir, cast in the golden glow of the evening sun as one by one we drop in and charge down towards the glacier below.

I take the last drop this time and I stand for a moment taking in the atmosphere of our situation, untouched peaks stretch out to every horizon, the air is crisp and still as the sun simply rotates above us.

Our camp, our home from home awaits, a tiny speck across the other side of the vast glacier below, with one access trail that leads out from it lost under the wall beneath my feet, the only sign of movement.

Down below I can see the guys ripping it up, powder hangs in the air from their turns and I can hear their whoops as they charge down towards the final slopes before straightlining out on to the Glacier.

When everyone is down and the air is silent I once again drop in!

Although I'm the 9th rider into the couloir finding a fresh untouched line is not a problem and as before, I soon begin to feel the burn of lactic in my thighs as I power deep carves into the deep fresh snow before charging out to join the guys, big grins on all our faces as we each relive the run in our minds.

Dave and Al cook up some pork chops and with the heat from the stoves warming us and drying our kit, we settle down to another big card session in the mess tent.

The end of another perfect day!

Last riding day tomorrow as on Tuesday we have to pack up the camp and ship out!

Day 11. 1st May, 2011.

Well you couldn't have scripted this any better! Today we wake up to perfect weather, blue skies, no clouds and the air is still and crisp.

We've got work to do today, some big lines to ride and its the last day so we're up and off by mid morning, again heading over to the South side of the Glacier to ride the 'evening sun walls' where the snow is perfect.

Mike following the track towards the upper Ice cap above the 'evening sun walls', one of the couloirs we rode is visible up and diagonally right of where mike stands.

Our track from the previous evening is still in great condition and the going the ascent is quick, even though I've instructed everyone to take it easy and not push themselves going up this morning as we're going to be running laps up and down these walls today!

We're warmed up to this now, a smooth running machine, changes from boards to splits and back again are quick and silent.

We arrive at the top and everyone does their thing, jackets go on, drinks and food are passed around and boards are prepared.

We're warmed up to the riding now as well and I've definitely saved the best till last and today we're going to push it up to the next level for sure!

As the guys change to riding mode I quickly head scout out a couple of lines down the wall below, 2 lines that I have checked out from the bottom as we hiked up and from the camp with my binoculars.

I'm pleased to see we're in the right spot and below me lie to amazing looking chutes that join about half way down the face.

The right hand chute is only accessible through a straight line opening and an ollie over some rocks at full speed, after which it looks amazing!

The left hand chute is more open and mellow so I give the guys the option of which line they fancy.

Soon everyone is ready and in position.

There's nervous silence in the air as I line myself up above the right hand chute, I can feel my body buzzing, itching to make the drop.

It looks amazing, I play the line through my mind; drop, straight, ollie, straight, carve right, carve left, through some rocks and then the face opens out and charge to the valley!

Ok, guys, all good?

One last check that everyone knows what they're doing.

I slide onto the steep ace above the chute, one last pause and check, ollie 90 and drop!

Amazing! the acceleration in incredible, Ollie the rocks, into the narrows, the snow is getting deeper and better so I can afford the speed to build, cut right, try to scub a little speed and get a look below, carve left, slide the tail out of the turn a little, pop and drop through between a couple of rocks and then charge out into the open and carve the massive face below.

Mike charging out of the bottom of the 'Midnight sun face'.

The mellow left hand variant of the 'Midnight sun wall' the right hand chute joins this one through the gap up and diagonally left of the rider (from where the tracks come).

Alan and Mark ride the Midnight sun wall!

Amazing, is the only word I can use to describe this feeling and I can see it mirrored on the faces of the guys as each and everyone of them cuts a fresh line down the steep 'Midnight sun wall', each has their own story to tell, their own memory to take away and their previous limits destroyed!

This, however is just the warm up and so after a quick change, we're on our way back up to the Ice cap above for run number 2.

On our way across to the top of the 'Midnight sun face!' the face we called 'Shooters' is visible at the back far, far left!

The climb doesn't feel so far this time as we don't have to cross the Glacier first and so we're quickly back at the top and searching out the top of a steep and narrow couloir that we have been checking out from camp.

To be honest, when I pointed out these lines to the guys at the beginning of the trip, I didn't think we'd get to ride them, and most of the guys thought I was joking!

But here we are finally standing at the entrance to one of the big 'King lines' of the area.

The entrance to the 'Couloir of the Kings' is steep and narrow but I'm pleased to see that we won't need to mess around with a rope and can sideslip in the first 10 meters or so.

Either side, the vertical rock walls stretch upwards giving the upper part a deep shaded exposed and steep feel.

It looks amazing and I can hardly contain my excitement as I drop in for a quick look.

I stop about 10 meters in and wait for the team.

Below me the couloir is deep, steep and narrow but I can see it mellows a little and widens before dropping again.

The rest is out of sight, but if my memory is correct it's pretty straight, dog legs to the right a little then straight again and then opens into another huge face.

I check everyone knows the drill and is feeling good.

As always, Mike is right behind me, so far he has pretty much matched my every line turn for turn. Simon, is grinning right behind Mike, he's been charging everything full tilt and getting in some amazing lines too.

I have Al in here to, he's my spotter for if anything moves or if something doesn't go to plan, but so far the snowpack seems to be super stable (as it's not really effected by the massive temperature fluctuations that we get in the Alps).

Dev and Alistair are hovering up on the ridge with Mark, Matteo and Dave, all with excited/nervous looking grins on their faces.

I quickly check we're all good to go, we leave a standard 30 seconds or couple of 100 meters between each other when dropping in and we're all ready.

Again, I drop into the fall line and straight line through the narrows, my speed is increasing fast as I check left, then right altering my line to set up for the next steep narrow section.

There's a point at which for a fleeting milli second I think I might be too fast to make it through the dog leg but now fully commitment I mike some quick adjustments and carve straight down the middle of it and I'm through to the open slopes below.

Big open turns around small rocky outcrops and a straight line out onto the Glacier, another first descent and another new best descent in the bag.

'Couloir of the kings' on the 'evening sun' side of the glacier. Mike is on his way down the open face after a technical (fore shortened in this shot) upper passage.

Alan takes a nice variant out wide to get his own line!

The guys each get their own line as the face opens and soon everyone is back on the flat glacier buzzing with adrenalin.

Heading back to camp for a short break, 'Couloir of the kings' is behind and the 'Little Alaska face' is to the right of it!

We now head back to camp for lunch and a chill before the grand finale and a date with the amazing looking lines on the steep spine riddled 'Little Alaska face' about 400m to the lower side of the line we've just come out of.

The day continues to get better and better, the skies are cloudless and in the polution free air the sunlight is brilliantly crisp and clear.

The Sun lounge sees some action as we try to get through the last of the cheese and biscuits and re hydrate with teas and soups.

The 'little Alaska face' gets the sunlight late in the evening and so its not until around 6 that we set back off across the Glacier.

A few of the guys have opted out of this one and will hike across towards the bottom to watch and take photos once we're in position.

A fore shortened view of the 'Little Alaska face' pick a line, any line, everyone's a winner!

The face is a little more complicated than our previous descents with cliff bands and chutes all over the place, so its a matter of picking out a few prominent features from which to guide your way in.

I'm looking at a spine that rolls into a face which then leads between some rocks and drops into a chute which continues all the way to the bottom. It looks amazing and even from the hike across some 3 or 4 Km away you can tell the snow is perfect!

The hike goes quickly with the track already in and also as we know its the last time we'll be hiking this winter and so take it on as a bit of a challenge.

Soon, we're all in place and changed back to riding mode above the face. I've scouted out a couple of lines for everyone to have a go at, the snow looks perfect and the face is steep and perfectly featured with lips, crests, chutes and drops, (enough to keep you coming back to just this one face for a whole week of filming!)

I've scouted out my line, it looks fantastic, round some rocks to the spine, drop right down a narrowing roll off triangular face that leads through some rock into the narrow couloir that leads to the glacier. I obviously can't see it all from the top, but I know its there and feel the buzz building as I get ready to drop in.

Carving into the couloir that leads down the 'Little Alaska face' and setting up to carve the windlip below and right! this line was so much fun to ride!

The snow isn't as deep as it looks for the first few turns so I have to adjust my speed quickly, but as I come around the rock tower near the top of the face and onto the spine its steep and deep, a few tunrs down the triangular face that rolls off a little more than expected and there are the 2 rock outcrops that I'm looking for guarding the entrance to the couloir I need to follow.

Coming down into the final exit chute on the 'Little Alaska face', amazing snow, a definite line to remember!

A bit of a windlip on the left draws me into a big deep tail slide along the lip, a carve out right to lay out on the toe edge and drop and charge our the bottom, I ollie off a slight roller to land full power into the powder below, when bang! the powder below has a rock under it right where I land and I'm down in a cloud of whiteness.

I don't need to look at my board to know that I didn't get away with that one as I stand and straight line the last few hundred meters to the bottom.

Last run of the winter, last turn turn of the trip, so if anything not such bad timing but as I suspected my board is destroyed, or half of it is anyway. (One of the good things about these splitboard might be that you can just get a new half board!)

Up until that final turn however, this has to have been my best run of the trip, a great line, great snow down through some great terrain and playful features!

It might even the best line I've ever ridden! But then I seem to be saying that more and more these days (so that can't be a bad thing!)

I turn and watch the guys hammering down their lines!

As usual Mike is right on my track, Simon is exploring off to the side and takes a nice chute to finish. Al is right down the middle and Dev can be heard hooting all the way!

On the way back across to the camp I stop and let the guys go on until they disappear from view and I'm all alone in the middle of the Glacier surrounded by mountains, the unbelievable silence and the golden light of the midnight sun.

I take some time to contemplate and relax, my season is finally over for another year but what a finish!

This has been by far my best trip yet, I've ridden the best lines I've ever ridden and as I cast my gaze upon the untouched terrain that surrounds me its obvious to see that there will be many more trips to come!

Dave has cooked up the last of the steaks for the evening meal and surprises us all with a chocolate moose desert!

The end to another fantastic day!

Day 11. 2nd April, 2011.

Another sunny day which makes camp break down quick and simple.

By midday we are ready to go and as with everything on this trip things are running to perfection as just as we finish packing the tents away we hear the sound of the approaching skidoo's coming up the glacier below.

By 2pm we're back at the Constable airstrip where we are booked to spend the night but are quickly informed that an unscheduled flight will come in and fly out empty later in the day so if we want to leave this evening we can.

Seeing as there is absolutely nothing here at Constable point and we'll get an extra night out in Rykejavik in Iceland we each quickly take turns to grab a quick wash and change of clothes before jumping on our own private plane.

As we fly out we get a perfect view of the mountain range that has been our home for the past 2 weeks and the amazing looking valleys that surround it.

It's been the perfect trip, perfect conditions, amazing snow, a great team and some of the best lines I've ever ridden for sure!!!!

I'd like to finish with a big thankyou to Matt and Dagmar from Pirhuk for logistics, Dave Grant for his whit, trail breaking, camp and cooking skills, Alan Fielding for his sporting card play and also for his help as 2nd in command and finally to all the guys on the team who made this trip such a pleasure to guide, so Alistair, Mark, Matteo, Dev, Simon, and Mike! I look forward to riding, exploring and sharing distant adventures with you all at some point in the not to distant future!

Right! Now I have to sort out next winters Calendar!

Next years dates will be online mid June...

You can expect all the regular courses, Tech clinics, Off Piste Clinics, Classis Backcountry Intro and BC Freeride, plus in the Backcountry courses there'll be a 'new' Splitboard Intro course and Splitboard Freeride course. Also a new destination for the Splitboard touring course and a whole new April trip to Splitboard in the northern fjords of Norway.

Splitboard Mont Blanc and Greenland could be back on line and I'm also looking at a possible September South America trip to Chile for 2012!

We already have a lot of interest for next years courses but will not be taking bookings until mid June.

I'll run the expeditions/courses that get the most interest so let us know what you want to do and I'll see what we can arrange.

(Any groups looking to design a bespoke trip suited to their needs should get in touch with an idea of dates and numbers before the calendar goes on line and I get fully booked for the winter).

Now for some serious cycling!!!

All is good,

Neil.