Another deep powder day in Courmayeur!

Wow, great day to today in Courmayeur where we rode line after line of deep untracked powder through the trees in what I can only describe as the perfect storm!

I love riding in Courmayeur on a storm day, no one around, the bad vis keeps them away, strong winds making the chair rides unpleasant and dumping snow meaning anyone with out the right kit won't last very long. The Italians hate bad weather and so the only other teams you'll ever find out in the trees on a day like this are also over from Chamonix with guides. It's too much hassle for the Cham seasonaires, the hardcore Freeriders are all in the lift line at the Grands Montets or scraping around pres des Rochers off the midi and so the beautiful trees of Courmayeur are just ours, all ours!

I've been over here so much this season that I'm beginning to wonder if I picked the wrong side of the mountain as my point of residence. Whatever though, its good to have had another full on winter experience and another day of endless deep fresh turns until lift closure.

My legs were feeling strong again today after a couple of days of feeling a bit tired. I've been at it 6 days a week now since just before Christmas so I suppose I'm due some tired aching limbs and training hard for the up and coming Road cycling season probably hasn't helped so much, (having said that, I've never had such strong legs as this winter so maybe it was the 15/20kg pack full of Glacier safety kit that I was riding with the last couple of days that made the difference).

Anyway, a great day for all today and it looks like something simillar is on the cards for tomorrow. We left Courmayeur to stormy skies and falling snow so hopefully our tracks will all be filled in for tomorrow.

It was also snowing here in Chamonix all day too so that should mean even less people heading through the tunnel, Italia here we come!

All is good!

Neil.

The winter returns!

Another great week comes to a close and another begins.

A great week last week, quite varied conditions, a great team, a great laugh and some great turns.

A good couple of days up the Midi riding powder in the Vrai Valley Blanche, a days hiking in the Periades which was great and then to top of the week another great day riding some very nice fresh snow in Courmayeur and a bit of a powder day up the Grands Montets with some nice big drops into the 'Stash' taken by all.

The weather has been very changeable, one minute its freezing and snowing, the next its warm and raining or the sun is out. We're getting some good riding conditions as a result (above 2000m anyway) and the forecast looks like we'll be getting regular top ups for the coming week and beyond.

The snowpack has been a bit dodgy lately to say the least. The winter started off pretty cold with a shallow snowpack, the cold conditions at the beginning of the season caused the early snowpack to become unstable with the growth of big crystals known as Depth Hoar. The season has been cold, very cold and the snow although cold and fresh was never really abundant and so never really deep. As such with the arrival of the warm spring weather the temperature has quickly driven the moisture in the snowpack right through to the base layer very quickly, the large dry crystals rapidly absorbed the moisture and collapsed to the base, the moisture then running along the ground causing a loss of cohesion and the full depth wet slides that we've been seeing up to just under 3000m!

With massive fluctuations in temperature the norm at the moment prudence is the key! things are forecast to cool down again this coming week and more snow is also due so there will be for sure some good times to be had but make wise decisions as always.

I'm starting a 3 day Off piste clinic this week followed by my first rest period of the winter with potentially 4 days off! I've been 6 days a week hard at it everyday since just before Christmas and my body is due a bit of time off (unless of course the conditions are epic!). The next 3 days should be great though, I don't think you could really ask for better Off Piste conditions than we've got at the moment and even a bit of sunshine to go with it tomorrow so all is good!

We'll be putting together our course dates for next winter very soon and I should be able to post a provisional calendar online mid April so keep checking back for details. As far as trips and things like that go I'm thinking Kashmir again in Jan, a BC freeride week in Switzerland (Zermatt or Andermatt) somewhere in Feb, maybe a touring week over in the Ortler Alps in March and then either Kamchatka or Norway in April. Also I'm very keen to run another Greenland expedition style adventure which maybe possible in May next year, slightly further North than we ventured last time but the same style of trip.

So many possibilities and so much to ride and see its difficult knowing how much to try to fit in so I'll see what response we get for these different ideas so if you're interested in any of them let us know and we'll start some provisional waiting lists.

All is good in Chamonix!

Neil.

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.

Mixed snow conditions but another great week!

The team reaching the top of Col du Passon last Friday.

A chilly cold start to the week kept the Off piste snows cold but with wind first from the North, the North East, then West and South West all of the deep powder that we have become accustomed to these past few months quickly dissapeared as if vaporized.

We found the last of the powder in the back bowls of Le Tour on day 1 then headed up the Grands Montets on day 2 for a big run down the Pas du Chevre were we found a mix of good spring corn snow on the sunny slopes, cold smooth wind blown carvy snow up top and a nice bit of powder through the middle.

The high exit couloir was in good condition and with a quick abseil from the exit tree the run had everything we needed to make a great day.

Day 3 we went hiking in the Aguille Rouge for a classic Crouchue/Berarde. Not he best conditions back there as the wind has stripped every aspect, but the snow was soft underfoot, still cold and good fun to carve around in. A big day out for all!

Day 4 saw us descend the Petite Envers in the Valley Blanche and practice some 'planned' Crevasse rescue, a bit of an easy day before the big ascent of the Col du Passon which everyone enjoyed both up and down on Day 5!

The weather then changed on Saturday so we went top ride the trees in Courmayeur. A bit of rain and snow but the snow prevailed up high and by the afternoon things were starting to look and feel good and we just charged around getting in loads of riding.

It was a hard week finding the good conditions but we made the most of it and had a great week.

Its chucking it down with rain outside right now which should mean its snowing up high so things are looking up for this weeks BC Freeride course which starts tomorrow. Lots of rain so hopefully lots of snow and a good day in the trees of Courmayeur tomorrow!

All is good!

Neil.

Spring is springing at last!

Spring is just starting to spring though a little bit here in the Chamonix valley as the sun has finally broken through the cloudy mixed weather that has been present for most of the winter so far. It's still cold with the air current coming from the North but with the sun out and blue skies the days feel a bit longer and a little more stable than its been up until now. Fortunately the cold air is keeping the snow cold and so although its not put down any fresh for a while the snow in the shade is still cold and fresh whilst the sunny slopes are starting to turn to spring corn for the first time this winter.

I've been busy teaching a couple of 'The North Face' competition winners this week and spending a lot of time on the nursery slopes teaching my first beginner in about 15 years!

Mean while, fellow guide, Seb Montaz has been running the Advanced BC Guys through their paces. I bumped into them mid week after a big day out in the Aiguille Rouge where they had done a 'Point Alfavre' variant of the 'Glacier du Mort' trip. They all looked suitably content and tired and were heading up to the Periades the next day in search of some fine freshies.

I've a couple of big sponsorship changes going on at the moment, some really exciting moves with a lot of potential so I'm pretty stoked. I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet but expect some more news on this very soon.

I start a Backcountry Intro course this week, great touring weather at the moment although a little mixed for tomorrow.

Can hardly wait to get back out there!

All is good!

Neil.

Courmayeur wins again!

It seems that I'm forever driving through the Mont Blanc tunnel these days to experience the powder delicacies found over on the Italian side of Mont Blanc.

Once again on Friday we headed through to see what goods the first opening of the Arp lift (the top lift) would bring.

A Blue bird day but with strong cold NE winds blowing gave the upper ridge a big mountain feel. A huge slab avalanche release over towards the Val Veni descent gave the mountains a further serious feel, further Avalanche activity showed slides released on all aspects and a quick snowpack test showed some very weak compressible layers hidden deep below the surface with hard formed windslab on top. Hmmm not ideal!

I made the decision to head riders left to the Dolonne descent, here the upper slopes had already slid and the access showed no signs of danger. Once through the first col we were then treated to a great run of the untracked powder we are getting accustomed to finding over here in Italia this winter.

For a desert we took the run in to the Val Veni from the Youla traverse which also provided some great untracked powder and a beautiful descent with which to finish off the day.

Today for the final day we rode the Rognons Glacier from the top of the Grands Montets, the snow was ok out of the wind but our descent was hampered by flat light. A second descent down the front face in the combe de rochers gave better visibility and better snow but this week its definitely been Courmayeur 2 Chamonix 1.

Cold conditions and strong winds are affecting a rapidly changing snowpack. South westerly winds 2 days ago, North Easterly the last 2 days! Everything is changing, temperatures, winds, snow. Its hard to keep track so be careful out there and choose carefuly the terrain you ride!

Advanced BC this coming week with Seb whilst I'm with some competition winners from a TNF Comp.

Another great week in the bag, all is good!

Neil.

Amazing tree riding in Courmayeur!

Great day up the Grandes Montets yesterday, a bit of technique work in the morning which went down well and made visible changes to everybody's riding followed by some big powder laps of the Lavancher bowl which surprisingly had some nice un-tracked lines straight down the middle with rollers, gaps and drops all thrown in.

Today we headed over to Courmayeur where we started out again with a little follow on tech work to polish things up befor4e hitting the trees all afternoon. It started snowing mid morning and things got steadily deeper as we found more and more fresh lines through the forests.

A pretty strong group this week, everybody has been out on previous courses, some numerous times including the three P's who you can see a picture of on an advanced BC course on the 'stuff for sale' page on the web site. Yep that's them climbing the rock towards the Col du Beaugean. The other three team members, Simon, Lee and Amy have all done Tech clinics before and so we have started from a pretty high base level and things are starting to really click into place.

As usual I'm being a picky perfectionist and so still berating them about small errors in their technique even though everyone is pretty much ripping the mountain apart.

A great day for all today, we found loads of fresh powder, pillow lines and some great drops into deep deep fresh.

Fantastic, another great day out in the office!

All is good!

Neil.

Another great day in Chamonix!

So the Tech clinic finished with a great day of fresh snow and Off Piste on Saturday and then it snowed all day on Sunday and filled it all back in for today, the first day of my Off Piste clinic.

With blue bird sunny skies and powder everywhere everything was set for another great day at Le Tour. A bit of a baptism of fire for those that haven't ridden much off piste before as, with so much fresh snow around, we were never really do much warming up on the piste. In fact all of the group have been out on various courses before (and so the riding standard of the group is pretty high already and) so a couple of laps of the big powder bowl above the Vallorcine lift set the tempo for the day.

We finished the day with hike up to the Tete du Balme and a great run down to Trient with not another track to be seen anywhere on the Swiss side and the bus all to our selves.

80% sun tomorrow, a Grands Montets day beckons perhaps with a big Off Piste run down the Pas du Chevre a possibility.

All is good in Chamonix.

Neil.