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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Seattle/Chamonix
    Posts
    67

    Talking TR: Trappier Couloir & Pointe Inférieure de Tricot : Couloir NE

    The tropical meltdown was grim at first in Chamonix, until we decided to embrace the conditions. Usually when the skiing's at it's worst here, the climbing's at it best. Check out my TR on my site for sunny beach climbing in the south of France and winter alpine splitter in Cham:
    http://www.lizdaley.us/Liz_Daley/Tri...Satanique.html




    But enough of that sunny splitter, that shit's too enjoyable, time to suffer in the mountains. Alas, winter conditions returned to the Alps with freezing levels back down to the valley and massive dumps up high. It was going to take a lot of snow to cover what three weeks of sun had done to the snowpack though. I was pretty pessimistic at first, when our first day out, back at the Helbronner there was a foot of blower on crust with wind slabs and scary crusty snow beneath the surface. The Finn's scraped their way down the cable face, knocking off chunks of windslabs in a white out, in a you fall you die, it slides you die zone. They're so core. This was entertaining until our tits started to freeze off so we downloaded and went for pizza. Caroline Gleich photo:


    I decided to give the snow a bit of time to bond to those old layers then we went to shred the Trappier on the Aiguille de Gouter. I've ridden this line twice in the past 5 seasons but this time was all time, perfect pow on the approach and impeccable snow in the couloir. The approach a never ending traverse, across three big bowls, a bootpack up a avalanche prone couloir and more traversing to get to the entrance of the couloir. My first season I tried to do this on my approach skis and had an epic fail. Ended up walking almost the entire approach in crampons. http://www.lizdaley.us/Liz_Daley/Tri...ix_France.html


    Dave Searle. Check out his site for awesome beta or to book a guide: www.chamonixtopo.com


    Cool view of Chamonix from down valley that I don't see much.


    It looks good, Ross Hewitt about to rip the *hit outta it! ~8,000 vertical shot to the valley. Probably about 6,000 of that being really good riding, the rest is an epic uphill bushwhacking traverse in manky snow and dirt. "Not that bad", the skiers say, ha.




    We saw this super sick looking couloir on the approach to the Trappier, across the Bionassay Glacier. We almost changed our plans to go out there but decided to save it for the next day because we didn't have the necessary equipment to get that rad. So, the following day Dave, Powdherb, Ross and I decided to go for it. It was a new zone for me, so I was stoked! The Pointe Inférieure de Tricot, Couloir NE is about a 1,500 ft couloir, rated 5.1 in the Toponeige book. NE facing, kind of blocked by the Mont Blanc so it hopefully didn't get much of that southerly Foehn wind and it's pretty sheltered so we didn't think there'd be dust on crust in this coulie.... um. We were right.


    After a climb, a traverse over a couple moraines and a couple changeovers we were on our way to the base of the couloir. Away from the Chamonix crowds in complete solitude, with only the massive serac jungle above our heads that extends all the way up to the sommet du Mont Blanc, 8,000 feet above us. Beautifully dramatic zone. We traversed above to the major compression zone of the glacier, out of the fall line of the unpredictable, deteriorating serac's. As we approached the bottom there's a big cliff where tons of sluff was shooting down past the bergshrund into the apron. We quickly got over the shrund and across this zone. Davide De Masi photo:


    Happy to be out of the front-pointing sections of the middle of the couloir, hard men, Powdherb and Dave Searle about half way up the line. Ross Hewitt was sending it with his home-made Verts which he engineered from a stollen road-block barrier or... "Spanking Paddles" as they've dubbed them. To contact Ross about how to make these or see his awesome photos check out his site: www.rosshewittblog.wordpress.com


    Me approaching the top! Davide De Masi photo:


    We continued up a steeper, narrow and shaded northerly aspect that would take us to the sunny col about 100 feet above. We started sinking into facets which made climbing super difficult and pretty sketchy, so we decided to drop in from there. Me, well below the choke. Snow's even better than anticipated. SO. STOKED! Davide De Masi photo:


    Searle rippin' the middle portion. The couloir was never too steep but I could see how this line would be scary in bad conditions. Davide De Masi photo:


    As we exited the couloir we had to cross the compression zone full of debris. It looked pretty flat so I thought I could get some speed into it and get across it quite easily... I managed to charge over a ton of crusty debris then I got some weird vertigo and something happened... not sure what, but I ended up on my back downhill, turtling as I hear something cascade down a cliff. I was out of the main fall line but it still scared me. I squirted a bit then got on my feet and poled over to the boys. That was dumb. After a muddy skin back up to Les Houches we drank brews in the sun then raced the Kandahar track down to the car.
    Last edited by BettyDee; 03-31-2014 at 09:43 AM.
    www.lizdaley.us
    @liz_daley

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    7
    That was some sick shit we got up to...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    7
    http://wp.me/p1Itu2-k8
    My Take on the past few days to add to the mix...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
    Posts
    22,431
    I love your euro TRs, keep them coming. This one was excellent, as usual.

    I want to get back there to ski and climb, and these TRs just keep my motivation to do so high. Thanks!

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Where the chairlifts do double corks
    Posts
    527
    bad ass!
    long live the jahrator

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Vanity Fair
    Posts
    2,720
    That's what I like to see!
    Ich bitte dich nur, weck mich nicht.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    8,715
    Strong Work!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    tahoe
    Posts
    3,428
    You are just constantly rocking the shit out of the shit and then taking the time to share the shit with us. Much appreciated, especially from those of us who are broken and are experiencing the shred season vicariously thru others generosity.

    Attaboy girl!!!!!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Before
    Posts
    27,911
    w00t! w00tarae w00tui w00titus!
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    361
    Epic! Can't wait to see the even bigger lines you guys will hopefully get on next week after some warmer sticky snowfall.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    P-tex, CA
    Posts
    8,660

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Bavaria
    Posts
    239
    like, um like, oh yeah and then like...
    that's not bad...
    www.nosiesta.com
    IFMGA Ski & Mountain Guide

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Ottawa, ON
    Posts
    1,257
    Bump
    Ski Mad World
    A blog of MadPat's World: A History of Skiing Geography
    http://madpatski.wordpress.com

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Vanity Fair
    Posts
    2,720
    Another in memoriam bump
    2 years. Hope you're shredding LIz.

    Ich bitte dich nur, weck mich nicht.

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