Snow for the Euros.

[subtle plague]

It was and is awesome.

[subtle plague]

Currently at a l"resort" that was closed for two days opening now. And 5 cars in the parking lot. Life is good.

[peds]

And 5 cars in the parking lot. Life is good.

Damn dude, didn't you get lonely?

[LeoK]

thank you all for helping me to suffer a bit more from mondays in the office ;-)

[peds]

Here is the other side of that photo at the top of the page. A pretty stellar day skiing a rare line on the Aiguille du Chardonnet, we are fairly sure it was the second descent, the first repeat, whatever you want to call it, of the "Armand, Charlet, Devouassoux, Frison-Roche 1925 Route". That's a bit of a mouthful, so I'm going to call it "West-by-South-West."



Here is a video of Kilian Jornet and Vivian Bruchez skiing the line a few years ago. More pictures and words coming later in the week, when I've found some spare time.

[hafjell]

Here is a video of Kilian Jornet and Vivian Bruchez skiing the line a few years ago. More pictures and words coming later in the week, when I've found some spare time.

Did you have more or less snow than Jornet and Bruchez had? Well done, btw.

[peds]

Loads more, thankfully, they did it in a super low tide December. A lot of our dry skiing was nowhere near as dry as theirs, but oddly enough, the tunnel was still clean and open. We rapped through it instead of downclimbing though, just to be a little safer.

[hafjell]

Loads more, thankfully, they did it in a super low tide December. A lot of our dry skiing was nowhere near as dry as theirs, but oddly enough, the tunnel was still clean and open. We rapped through it instead of downclimbing though, just to be a little safer.

Ha! I would have chosen to rap instead of downclimbing in quite a few of those situations.

[peds]

Ha! I would have chosen to rap instead of downclimbing in quite a few of those situations.

Absolutely, we made three rappels in total, once at the top, once through the tunnel, and again lower down. It looked as though the downclimbing would have been easy enough if we had to, but then we were saying that from the comfort and safety of a rope. As a climbing route it is given an AD grade, and there's nothing on it that, personally, would give me any problems to climb solo, but it's a bit of a different story when you're heading the other way of course.

[hafjell]

Absolutely, we made three rappels in total, once at the top, once through the tunnel, and again lower down. It looked as though the downclimbing would have been easy enough if we had to, but then we were saying that from the comfort and safety of a rope. As a climbing route it is given an AD grade, and there's nothing on it that, personally, would give me any problems to climb solo, but it's a bit of a different story when you're heading the other way of course.

I hate downclimbing, even on belay. Off rope = no thank you.

[subtle plague]

No climber likes downclimbing.
If there's a doubt, run it out.

[hafjell]

No climber likes downclimbing.
If there's a doubt, run it out.

Or, let your partner run it out. "You got this, bud!"

[bobinch]

Still some nice powder stashes left. Top up this week will hopefully setup the weekend nicely...

[garuda]

Still some nice powder stashes left. Top up this week will hopefully setup the weekend nicely...

Where's that vid from? I am going to be out there based in Cham starting this weekend, so stoked! How's the forecast looking for the next week or so?

[peds]

Where's that vid from? I am going to be out there based in Cham starting this weekend, so stoked! How's the forecast looking for the next week or so?

Bitterly cold at the moment (25 degrees centigrade below zero at the top lifts), but as the cold front clashes with something warmer from the south we think it'll bring a fair amount of snow, towards and over the weekend, but with a freezing level that might be up to or beyond 2000m.
A bit early to tell just yet really, but there should be a good top-up coming up high. Tree skiing is pretty much finished apart from really open sunny stuff in the afternoons, or as access routes. Conditions up high are great, though.

[bobinch]

Where's that vid from? I am going to be out there based in Cham starting this weekend, so stoked! How's the forecast looking for the next week or so?

Just across the border from you in Verbier. Météo Suisse is forecasting snow to 1000m on Friday and Some sunshine (mixed with showers above 1300m) over the weekend which sounds pretty good to me

This is your best forecast for Cham
http://chamonix-meteo.com/chamonix-m...r_forecast.php

[subtle plague]

Right the piemont is pretty crazy.
10cm on the ground 5cm were forecasted until 7pm.
30 40 more for tomorrow. And the quality right now is beyond anything I've seen so far in the alps.

[subtle plague]

And I've skied a lot of storms here....

And the models have just upped the amount 30% for tomorrow.

Edit: and in case you're wondering. Yes I'm drunk.

[powderfanatic]

What models are you checking? Trying to figure out the next couple of days and every report is very different..any help?

[peds]

Well I've just dug my wife's car out so she can go to work, and I've got to say, I am amazed at the quality of the snow. Shame I'll not be skiing any of it today. My daughter and I are mostly going to be stacking blocks in our house coats.

Have fun out there everyone!

[subtle plague]

Damn dude, didn't you get lonely?

Kind of.. but I can cope with it if I drink lots of alcohol. Today more of the same with 30-40 of fresh.

[peds]

Eeurgh, looks horrible. Not jealous at all.

I'm not skiing until Sunday now... should be some good snow, if a little wind-driven, by then...

[subtle plague]

Lift is broken maybe one hour maybe never...
All 15 people in the area sit in the base and have a coffee. I'm representing 7% of the freeride population here.

[geo039]

And I've skied a lot of storms here....

And the models have just upped the amount 30% for tomorrow.

Edit: and in case you're wondering. Yes I'm drunk.

Pillows in GE

[geo039]

Lift is broken maybe one hour maybe never...
All 15 people in the area sit in the base and have a coffee. I'm representing 7% of the freeride population here.

Do you work