Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Is this the best all terrain skier ever?


Well this guy Hannes Margrditer is an Austrian Ski Instructor who came heliskiing with me and I have never seen anyone ski better.
Kevin O'sullivan Andy Small Shane Cliff and Hannes managed to do two heli drops on the Plateau du Trient. Apart from one rather breakable crust momment we had good spring snow conditions. On the Sunday we got dropped on the Petit Combin. To start with we had okay snow then we had really crap snow and then we had really good perfect spring snow and skied all the way to the valley.
On Monday the weather was not good enough to fly so we skied at Les Grands Montets. The boys were shocked at how old battered tattered and closed the lifts were. Never the less despite the best efforts of the lift company to ruin a days skiing we had a very good time.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Super Mums





Alison Smith Katy Ferguson and Emma Greenaway, carved out some time away from children to go heliskiing, ski touring and a night in a refuge. They also got an adventure because neither plan A nor plan B worked. Plan A failed due to bad weather, plan B failed because we could not climb over the icey coll. Plan C went like this. We took a helicopter to the Petit Combin attempted to traverse the col du Meitin but turned back and spent a very pleasant wine filled night at the Cabin Passoniere. Next day we traversed a steep col and skied down under the north face of the Petit Combin and skied into the Brunet Hut for morning coffee before skiing perfect spring snow back to the valley.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

April Showers and April Snow


I spent the last week in Verbier with Fiona and Reuben Berg. Apart from one day it snowed at some point every day without any wind so the snow conditions were very good.
One day was particuarly memorable at Les Savoleyres. We skied off the back of the resort and then found our way back to the piste via a tunnel which conviently lead us through the mountain.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Plenty of Up Hill but it was worth it



The early April weather is proving to be April shower like. It is unstable but has produced some great snow conditions. Tom Lyster Natham Ball and Phil Taylor and I managed to take full advantage. On our first day we skinned up to the col du Belvedere in poor weather. Despite this we still had very good snow for the descent. Next we climbed up behind Le Tour and skied down to Trient. We saw no one. On Our third day we climbed up to the col du Floria in clear weather. From my point of view I skied the best pitch of snow all season with perfect turn after perfect turn.
Finally we attempted to climb the Bel Oiseau above Finhault. After 3 hours and 1200 meters of climbing we decided to stop at the col and not go to the summit because it was just too hot and we were concerned about the avalanche risk. In stead we decided to make sure we would have some good skiing, which we did.