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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Chamonix
    Posts
    625

    Aiguilles Rouges du Dolent, South Face. Chamonix 27/12/2016

    I don't know if I've mentioned it lately: there hasn't been any new snow here in Chamonix for five weeks. If you want to ski the good stuff, you have to be creative in your route choice, and enthusiastic enough to go and find it. There aren't many skiers in the valley as enthusiastic as Ross Hewitt, Jesper Petersson, and Mikko Heimonen, and it was a real treat to go looking for an adventure with them.

    Ross, Mikko, and Jesper on a quest. Our route passes around the buttress in the centre of the photo to the right, before cutting up to the broken sunny slopes and up to the skyline. Somehow.


    Once we'd scrambled through sugar-coated rocks we got to some decent slopes. A little crisp in places on the way up, but we expected them to be perfectly sun-softened by the time we came back down them.


    The line winds its way through rocky bottlenecks and sections of mixed, opening out every now and then into small couloirs and mini-faces.


    Finally, we reach the top: an obvious steep-sided breche with views down into Switzerland. End of the line, time to go skiing.


    A lot of the line turned out to be downhill rock climbing, but there were some great turns too. A few steep couloirs, and a few less-steep faces.


    Ross squeezing through one of the narrow points. Seemed a shame to get the rope out, so we wrestled our way through instead.


    As well as some nice and spicy dry skiing, we got some pretty great snow skiing too. A little sun-softened, a few patches of compact pow, some recycled pow donated by the wind... and a little grippy chalk. Hardly any crust, not a single square inch of boilerplate. Cannot complain in the slightest.


    Ross on another rocky traverse.


    Surprisingly good snow, despite the rocks!


    Getting involved with some primo dry skiing...


    ...but even Mikko and Jesper, huge dry skiing aficionados, weren't keen to try it here. Time to get the rope out, ski the sunsoft approach slopes, and rattle our way down the pinball machine glacier to the crowded pistes of the Grands Montets.


    I also have a short documentary about the outing, if anyone wants to give it a glance:



    Still no snow on the horizon. Even some of my slightly-deranged ski buddies have started to switch back to trail running now. I don't know how much longer I can hold out before I join them... good snow is getting harder and harder to find!

    Anyway, cheers chaps. Until the next time.

    Short stories about snow and rock, and pictures, too

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    33,546
    Thank you!

    Awesome stuff.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    2,848
    Well done!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    idaho panhandle!
    Posts
    9,952
    Sporty! Well done.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    panhandle locdog
    Posts
    7,836
    But did you ski to the base of the tram?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    343
    Peds mate you are seriously bringing it! Absolutely fantastic and a great inspiration for getting after it! Loving it

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Chamonix
    Posts
    625
    Quote Originally Posted by McDee View Post
    Peds mate you are seriously bringing it! Absolutely fantastic and a great inspiration for getting after it! Loving it
    Cheers dude, appreciated. I'm just trying to make the most of the time off that I have, as I'll be working pretty solidly from early-January to mid-March. I'll get the odd day here and there, but December is kind of all the winter season I'll have this year! And it hasn't snowed once...
    From March onwards I might not have much free time either, as my wife and I are expecting a baby girl. But I've heard that the father's role is pretty minimal for the first few months anyway, so it shouldn't impact steep skiing season too much, right?
    ...right?

    Quote Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier View Post
    But did you ski to the base of the tram?
    Funny stuff
    But in all seriousness, no, we didn't. We skied to the midstation and joined the queue to download like every other poor sod. Bad times in the valley, yo.
    Short stories about snow and rock, and pictures, too

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Cruzing
    Posts
    11,911
    Awesome.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Bellevue
    Posts
    7,431
    Quote Originally Posted by peds View Post
    Cheers dude, appreciated. I'm just trying to make the most of the time off that I have, as I'll be working pretty solidly from early-January to mid-March. I'll get the odd day here and there, but December is kind of all the winter season I'll have this year! And it hasn't snowed once...
    From March onwards I might not have much free time either, as my wife and I are expecting a baby girl. But I've heard that the father's role is pretty minimal for the first few months anyway, so it shouldn't impact steep skiing season too much, right?
    ...right?



    Funny stuff
    But in all seriousness, no, we didn't. We skied to the midstation and joined the queue to download like every other poor sod. Bad times in the valley, yo.
    Congratulations! And keep the TRs coming please.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
    Posts
    22,431
    Quote Originally Posted by peds View Post
    I hope this shot just looks totally insane because of camera angle. If not, you guys are totally insane. Either way these are some great TRs, please keep them coming, but play safe in the mountains.

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

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    SW CO
    Posts
    5,588
    Amazing, as always. One of my favorites of the recent TRs you've posted. Looks like you guys are having a ton of fun despite the lack of recent snow.
    Last edited by auvgeek; 12-30-2016 at 09:37 AM.
    "Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers

    photos

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    base of the Bush
    Posts
    14,871
    Spicy
    www.apriliaforum.com

    "If the road You followed brought you to this,of what use was the road"?

    "I have no idea what I am talking about but would be happy to share my biased opinions as fact on the matter. "
    Ottime

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Chamonix
    Posts
    625
    Quote Originally Posted by hutash View Post
    I hope this shot just looks totally insane because of camera angle. If not, you guys are totally insane. Either way these are some great TRs, please keep them coming, but play safe in the mountains.
    Haha, tricky to say, to be honest. There were definitely some places where you really didn't want to fuck up, but because the snow (what little of it we had...) was so soft, it really didn't feel that threatening.

    Thanks for the kind words, and of course: the primary main objective of every outing is to come home with as many legs as you started with. Anything on top, like skiing or a summit, is nothing but a bonus.
    Short stories about snow and rock, and pictures, too

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    France
    Posts
    3,439
    Thank you !

    Quote Originally Posted by peds View Post
    Hey, did they chop all the trees ?! Too easy !
    "Typically euro, french in particular, in my opinion. It's the same skiing or climbing there. They are completely unfazed by their own assholeness. Like it's normal." - srsosbso

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    2,573
    Amazing TR. Thanks.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Colorado Front Range
    Posts
    4,644
    Awesome TR. Your video edit conveyed the spirit of the trip in an engaging way. That's no mean feat, considering that job #1 involves staying safe!

    ... Thom
    Galibier Design
    crafting technology in service of music

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Eagle, Idaho
    Posts
    188
    It's been awhile since I checked out the TRs on here. This one is impressive! Way to get after it and return safe.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Issaquah
    Posts
    2,058
    Kick ass TR . More of these please !
    License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    25
    Now that's earning it for the goods. Great TR!

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    in the trench
    Posts
    15,691
    Damn dood! Some of those turns. Holy f well done

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