TR: SA Tripping

[klar]

And you run and you run, to catch up with the sun;
but it's sinking...




Some stuff from the last month or so, slightly more wordy approach here.

Part 1; Of small fish and big ponds



We set up camp at 3500m to save ourselves the initial few hours of the slow, draining slog and decided to see what the morning would bring in terms of weather, mood and possibilities.

"because sometimes, you've just got to rough it in the mountains."





The Cordon del Plata is the mountain range that can be seen rising behind the city on most postcards of Mendoza. It is a popular destination for people who want to acclimitize before climbing Aconcagua, as well as city dwellers who want to see snow and try to kill themselves on little plastic sleds. La Plata is just shy of 6000m, its immediate neighours are Cerro Vallecitos at about five and a half and Cerro Rincon with 5300 meters. The east face of Rincon rises at the end of the long flat valley where one can skin for hour upon hour through gullies and over old morains; almost 1000m of messy, imposing rock. The central vein of snow is known as la Supercanaleta.




I was feeling far from well for the first 3 hours of skinning but got better once it got steeper and we started cramponing up the apron. We got about half way up but decided to turn around after reaching Mont Blanc altitude since it was getting late and we were both tired. Simon picked a very scenic spot and started puking shortly.





He crawled into his sleeping bag to awake from the dead refreshed and motivated the next morning, I did not. I hate the claustrophobia of being straightjacketed in a puffy jacket and sleeping bag, helpless cocoon lying squished in a tent. Every morning it takes a while to shake off the feeling of having been run over by a bus.



We picked off some shorter little chutes on less high and less far away mountains and finally made our way back down to the first outposts of civilization. There is something reassuring about skiing steep hardpack, scraping off diamond dust with every turn, just barely soft enough to dig in an edge. There is nothing whatsoever reassuring about skiing on chunks of ice and breakable crust, mixed with mud and rocks, carrying a heavy pack.













Part 2; Where the flying fishes play



Many hours on many buses, with stops at good, bad and ugly, and I find myself once again in the home of my favourite friend in the whole wide internet, Mr. Steven Hatcher of TTips fame. I raise my imaginary glass of pisco sour and drink to you, the Mrs. and Jr. Here's to a world of whiter mountains and better music. Although what we've got isn't half bad as it is.













Part 3; Surf the world




In a land where there is as much water as there are mountains, we found the next stage of our journey.

tri-u


Losing ourselves among endless beaches, we left but fleeting tracks upon white shores.


alex

Simon


Wandering through blinding moonscapes, living by the rhythm of the tides.

simon

klar

claudia


Girls in bikinis serving cocktails in coconut shells

Claudia

klar going hudge for the postcard picture


Easy living on the beach, a tropical paradise without hate or fear, only reggea and mary jane.



Simon




But all things must end and we began to get restless. Word on the wind was of perfect swell at the world's only innercontinental tow in surf spot and we embarked on a perilious voyage full of treacherous currents and giant squid.







Nothing but barren rock amid the break to rest upon, we lived a life of wakeful anxiety in a constant cloud of salt water spray, the thunder of crashing waves around us always.

[klar]

Finally a day came when the seas calmed and we ventured out.

Alex and Claudia body boarding


Simon riding giants


and getting his groove on.


Upwards and onwards, time to take leave of the rolling sea and find solid earth once again..



Part 4; Kings, Devils and the Pale Moonlight

After some up and down over rocks and ridges,

tri.u


klar


Simon


We arrived at our private Chalet for the next couple of days.



We considered a moonlight ski but opted to pratice our calligraphy skills
instead.



And enjoyed the view from the roof of the buried outhouse.



It was too warm to ski some things and just right for others.





I tele because it is spiritually rewarding and graceful and not ridiculous at
all, ever.






Anyone who complains about lack of terrain around Catedral or lack of mountains around Bariloche is missing something.






Chau, gracias, nos vemos.




Part 5; Al Fin

A sunrise and set along the Ruta 40, bushy trees with black stems and orange tipped branches growing in gree and tourquoise water, arid landscapes in shades of brown and gold. Dark silhouettes of leafless poplar trees against a sky that seems close enough to touch, clouds hanging suspended just out of reach. Roadtrips are all about the light, the colours and being well equiped with Dulce de Leche.



Eventually, we started walking up a big hill.





With the helpful guiding of our newly found canine friend we made it up to our home for the night, enjoyed the afternoon sun, evicted a dead mouse and two rotten apples from the bed room and woke up the next morning to quite the artful sunrise.







Top of the visible world.

Simón


klar


Skiing was not great off the summit, very firm and chunky. Perfect corn for the
lower 2000m.





Unfortunately my binding tore out of the ski less than half way down and things kind of started to suck. I think I can claim the first female telemark descent of Volcan Lanìn on one ski. Beat that, Suckas.

Everyone made it down eventually, Great Success!



A last ice cream breakfast beneath blooming springtime trees that are shedding
petals like bloody snowflakes and suddenly two and a half months have passed, time to go home.

....And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but youre older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.


********

It's been a fun thousand posts around here, on the internets. The few of you
that I have met have been funny, weird, nerdy, kind and cool, hope to ski with many more maggots yet. Beneath all the bullshit there is a certain something here, a tolerance of geekiness maybe, and the come what may certainty that you can do pretty much whatever the hell you want, burn bridges, live under one, ski till it hurts, if it makes you happy it's ok. And that's nice to know.

Hasta La Vista, Maggots.


********

[GBB]

fanfuckingtastic.

[treewell-dweller]

badass TR. cute pup too.

[hop]

klar for VP.

(I broke a binding on my tele descent of Lanin and I bet my hair's longer than yours.)

[Hutch]

My heart-shaped mouse clicks for you, Klar.

[Arno]

well, that's cheered me up after too long away from snow

ah... Volcan Lanin. my first intro to mountaineering. very happy memories

[miniracer]

Those are some beautiful dreams. I wish I knew how to dream like that. Hopefully the pictures will bleed in and stay whenever I close my eyes.


Some fantastic pics
I am sure the view was even better.

[AKbruin]

Fuck yeah!


Great TR.

[the vor]

Speechless. That was just awesome. Hell of a summer you had in SA. Those pics make we want to drop everything and head down, or for it to start freaking snowing here.

[Hugh Conway]

Enter "real" world?

[grskier]

That is an impressive trip...

Great work!

[grskier]

Klar, that is one hell of a TR, yet again.

Thanks!

[Rideski]

I'm wowed at all of it, and this in particular:
.

[Tunco]

Great TR.

[skiHOG]

this is a badass shot.

[Buke]

Envy: a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.

and an emotion that I am becoming all too familiar with since joining this cursed forum.

[Alkasquawlik]

gnarnicles!

[bcrider]

Really great stuff!

The words Boner City came to mind a couple times.

[hutash]

Wow, what a nice change form the insanity going on today. It is nice to know that some are enjoying winter, and for some of us it is just around the corner.

Thanks, I needed that.

[Keegan]

One of the best TRs in a while.
Thanks

[keksie]

i knew you were saving the 1000th post for this.. looks pretty good eh
any telemarkers wanna go skidding on glacier ice this weekend? can i hear you say yeah?!

edit: heh you broke them skis again..

[stapes]

You never cease to amaze!!!

FKNA. Great TR

[xyz]

I'm impressed.

[MadPatSki]

Your TRs are music to the soul.