TR: Val D'Isere/Tignes, last week of March 2008

**irbis** · 04-06-2008, 05:51 AM

Offroad and myself took a week trip to France. Our third constant skiing partner, Horizon, could not make it this time, which on one hand made us a little sad, but on the other hand this TR is a deserved punishment for him for having us watch his epic reports from Tauplitz and Alpe D'Huez

We did miss him though.

The conditions could have not been better: it snowed about 15-30 cm every day for five days in a row, then it turned blue bird for the rest of our trip. Sheer luck was also on our side, as on day two I ran into Chris, a guide that I know who was kind enough to show us the goods while skiing with his family. We did spend another unforgetable day with him later in the week. If you ever head there and need a fantastic guy to show you around pm me.

Since the avalanche risk was rather high throughout the week we have taken rather few action shots, but we believe we have enough stoke for you guys in what follows...

Not only is the skiing great in what the French call Espace Killy, but the mountains are really beautiful.

Getting to the goods was not always easy.
Offroad downclimbing gingerly over a rather exposed area of rocks.

Offroad climbing for the goods.

Offroad listening to the silence.

And since you probably got enough of him, here is Jean (she skied with us one day) using a rope to get to the goodness.

However, once we were there it was good. Really good. Myself looking for my lower half.

Offroad farting a white cloud entering a couloir.

Looking back admiring the work we laid on the mountain.

We skied this.

And this.

We skied this as well.

Then in the evening we did this.

While having a beer in a pub somewhere there was this guy outside who was some sort of guard for the skis left outside. Bored out of his mind, he was shaping a snow pyramid using a long skinny ski he probably enherited from his mum.

We have also spotted this chap, who obviously thought he went hunting.

One day, after climbing to a route which we knew well I met these three guys. No avy gear, full of enthusiasm, they asked me 'we follwed you guys, so how can we go down from here'

I did point them to three different routes, they picked up the one I described as being the least steep... I hope they got down the mountain in one piece.

By and large the most exhilirating thing we skied the whole week was this. Pure goodness.

That's all folks. Till next time.

**horizon** · 04-06-2008, 06:43 AM

Bloody hell.

I should have joined you. I'll be beating myself up for a long time.

That last face ROCKS! And well done on getting Offroad to do some serious offpiste...

**AO-Iceman** · 04-06-2008, 07:17 AM

Looks awesome irbis... looks like the snow has been amazing all over europe this spring.
i just got back from 2 weeks in saalbach hinterglemm, and lucked out enough to get to ride 3 days with the son of the guy who owns the ski school and half the resort...

lets just say he knew where to find the best powder!

i really want to hit up Tignes/Val D again soon, went for the first time just before christmas and we had 7 blue bird days but there was nothing to be had off the groomers!

**Roo** · 04-06-2008, 07:21 AM

Is that the Dome de Pramecou?

**HyRUPz** · 04-06-2008, 08:36 AM

Saweet europics. Dome du Awesomeh?

**irbis** · 04-06-2008, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Roo

Is that the Dome de Pramecou?

if you refer to the last picture then the answer is no, it's Face du Charvet. Pretty avalanche prone - our guide Chris told us a story about the one of the biggest avalanches ever in the area. The whole face went, making such a big noise that they could hear it in a bar in the resort while the apres ski music on

**The Dad** · 04-06-2008, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by irbis

We skied this.

And this.

Piste Perdue?

**HotCarl** · 04-06-2008, 03:37 PM

I want that....

**Hayduke** · 04-06-2008, 03:42 PM

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Nice Irbis

**Misty_Fly** · 04-06-2008, 05:01 PM

mmmmn, nice shots of espace killy. first one of gd casse with n face of pramecou in the foreground very enticing indeed! also, well done not dying on the face de charvet- it goes XXL quite frequently and it ain't pretty when it does... didn't seem to stop a bunch of cunts skiing it at 3.30pm a couple days back having had the sun on it all day

**irbis** · 04-07-2008, 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by Misty_Fly

mmmmn, nice shots of espace killy. first one of gd casse with n face of pramecou in the foreground very enticing indeed! also, well done not dying on the face de charvet- it goes XXL quite frequently and it ain't pretty when it does... didn't seem to stop a bunch of cunts skiing it at 3.30pm a couple days back having had the sun on it all day

We have done it in the morning, in rather cold weather, about two days after the last snow and with the utmost precautions. Although you never know...