Week of plan B's

Well plan A had been discussed for many months: Charles Sherwod and I were to attempt a ski ascent of the Aiguille Verte. But when we met the weather was so awful that we couldn't even get our skis on. So plan B was to climb the new route voie Caline
(near the Via Corda) This was quite an undertaking in the rain, but provided some "good sport" and was excellent preparation for Charles trip to the Lake District.
The next day was not much better. We headed to Switzerland with the aim of climbing the excellent --Dyure-le eperon near to Champex. But it started to rain. So we headed to Dorenaz where it was bone dry and got some good climbing under our belts.
The forecast was better but the reality wasn't. We got to the foot of our route and it started to rain. So it was back to Dorenaz where we climbed until our arms fell off.
Now the Forecast was good for Sunday so we decided we could get the skis out for an attempt on Le Buet. We met at 6.00am but still the sky was not clear and therefore didn't freeze. Mind you we still made the effort and climbed for over 3 hours until we hit zero viz and high avalanche risk so we reluctantly turned round and skied down. We didn't make any of our primary objectives but we still were well exercised and had an adventure.

Sea cliff climbing at Finale Liguria

I was in a major dilemma as what we should do. The weather forecast was awful and there wasn't a cat in hells chance of getting any ski tours completed safely. So I said to Chris Dovell " Let's ditch the ski touring idea and go rock climbing" Being super flexible Chris and always up for something different he jumped at the idea and we headed to Finale Liguria which is bout 3 hours drive from Cham. The only problem in this great plan was that it was still raining when we arrived. So we had a long lunch and then headed for Capo Noli which is a sea cliff about 7 km from Finale. The thinking being that the bad weather would pass over our heads. This proved to be more or less correct and we spent 3 days climbing on the cliffs

Stuningly Good Skiing in Zermatt

I drove over to meet Francis Bridgeman, Sahil Sinha and Angus Montgomery who were all staying in Zermatt. The weather was good and so was the snow so we headed up to the Klien Matterhorn the highest lift in the alps. We immediately turned right and dived of the side of the piste to make fresh tracks we then cut further right and headed down to the Stockli glacier. The skiing was exceptional with good snow and continuously changing scenary and a unique pier exit at the snout of the glacier.
The next day we climbed the Breithorn on skis. This was to be their first 4000m peak.
During the next night it snowed a little, but high up it snowed a lot and we were lucky enough to get some exceptional powder skiing.
On the Monday we moved back to Chamonix and ventured into the Vallee Blanche. We skinned across to the Italian side and then skied the Comb de la Vierge finding some excellent snow.
Change of scene meant Francis and I went rock climbing at Barbarine and on our final day together we climbed up to Col Cornu and then skied spring snow down the comb Lachenal. A very good week!

Gressoney Powder Verbier icy moguls Chamonix spring snow

Reuben & Fiona Berg and I started our 6 days together in Gressoney with fabulous sunny weather and dreamy spring snow descents. The next day it snowed a lot. It was cold and misty. But it was worth it because on the Monday we had 30cm of fresh snow and the whole resort to our selves. This was because the lift system had closed for the season just leaving 3 lifts open for the ski tourers. The top lift to Punta Indren was open which gave access to off piste runs with a huge vertical drop of 1600 m.
On Tuesday we moved to Verbier. The conditions here were not as good - it was like skiing down a sloping car park full of VW beatles.
On Wednesday we were back in Chamonix chasing spring snow descents and finally on Thursday we went for a tour up the Argentiere glacier again with good snow.

Breche de Berard

Very quiet in the aiguille rouge today. Part of the reason might have been the the train strike , which in the end was just a reduced service. Mind you my group had bigger logistical things to worry about. Imagine 3 women who are all mothers with 3 children each managing to steal a days ski touring together?
Most would say an impossible task but Marie-Claire,Lesley and Christine did it.

Dangerous Sisters Hit the Powder and then the rock

Great thing about the spring here is sometimes it is possible to ski bottomless powder in the morning and then spend the afternoon rock climbing. It was a rare opportunity for me to ski with Andrea and Florence. They had no race training and I had a day off work and there was stacks of fresh snow. Joined by Jeff and Faerthen we headed up La Flegere.
In the afternoon Florence went ice skating and Andrea and Sophie came rock climbing

Crevasse rescue

It is all very well skiing around on glaciers in knee deep powder but there are holes out there and its a good idea that everyone in the group knows how to pull someone out if it all goes wrong. To that end Chris Dovell and Mark Slater spent the day jumping into crevasses and seeing if they could pull each other out.

Col du Passon

There had been lots of snow. It had fallen without wind. It was Easter and the forecast was good. All this adds up to lots of people. The Grands Montets cable car was mobbed so we left via the Bochard cable car which added about 45mns to the trip exactly the same time as queing for the top cable car.
The 1st ski down was good. Untracked liht powder. Chris and Mark were quite quick so we over took a lot of people on the skin up to the Col du Passon but then we got stuck in a long line of people all going up the gulley. I was fearful that all thses people would track the snow. Amazingly when we got to the top everyone turned left and we turned right and our descent was as near as perfect as it is possible to imagine.

Great snow - pity about the Vis

On Tuesday Dan Braverman and I went on our 1st ski tour together over the Col Crochues. As we made our way up we noticed a staggering amount of people below us. The weather got worse and by the time we reached the col there was no visibility and it was snowing very heavily. Unsurprisingly all the other people turned round leaving a group of eight. Again unsurprisingly this group consisted of 7 Brits and Dan [US although he does live in The UK]
Once we got to the final col du Berard we had perfect powder it was just a pity we couldn't see very much. But to good skiers good snow is always more important than good visibility.

Grand Paradiso [almost]

Greg Knott Bill Mills and I headed for the Grand Paradiso national park in Italy on Friday. The forecast was poor for the Friday but it was meant to improve. We drove through sheeting rain which turned to snow by the time we arrived at the car park in Pont. We set off towards the Vittorio Emanuelle hut with the snow dumping down. As we climbed it suddenly got very windy and then just as suddenly the clouds parted , the wind stopped and we were left enjoying a beautiful late afternoon. Unsurprisingly the Hut was not busy.
The next day we climbed La Tresenta 3680 m and then skied back to the hut for a large bowl of Pasta.
On Sunday our plan was to attempt the Grand Paradiso. What we hadn't banked on was that there was a ski mountaineering race to the summit and back. [3 1/2 hours] for the round trip was the estimated winners time].
We made it to 3500m where the wind was brutal. We turned round and the race was cancelled because the conditions were deemded too dangerous.

Mind you: our consolation prize was 1000m descent in light fluffy powder all the way back to the car.

The weather forecast was wrong

The weather forecast was wrong [Thankfully] I arrived at the bottom of Les Grands Montets to meet Robert Blake- James and his 3 sons Richard Hugh and James. News came through that the top of Grands Montets was clear, there was 25 cm of fresh snow and there was no wind. All sounded too good to be true and for once it was not. We skied hard all day but were eventually forced off the mountain as the snow started to collapse under our skis suggesting it was all about to slide away in a great big soggy mush. Still it was good while it lasted

Mark the Mountain Guide goes on tour in Switzerland [again]

I have had a very pleasant three days visiting International schools along the "coast" of lake Geneva. I was there to tell the children how I came up with the ideas and how I wrote the Mark the Mountain Guide books.
On Monday I went to the Ecole Riviera School in Montreux. On Tuesday I visited the International School of Monts-de-Corsier. Today I was at the La Côte International School.

Walking Dead.

This was weird firstly I got told not to wear my ski boots in a the Reception of the Grands Montets Hotel by the Idiot Manager. I pointed out that any Hotel that is only a 150 meters from the Grands Montets ski station and has a floor that isn't strong enough to take mountain boots is crap. And besides my boots weren't ski boots, but the moron wouldn't listen.
That was weird then to day Gerard Clarke and I were skiing down the beautiful Berard Valley having done the Crochue - Berard ski tour in the Aiguille Rouge when we came across a dead goat. Nothing terribly strange about that but this one was standing up.

Big Kids Off Piste Safety Talk

I gave the inaugural "Big Kids Off- Piste Safety Talk" last night at the Church Hall in Chamonix to a lot of children and their parents and it seemed that it was a great success judging by the amount of questions I was asked.


The idea of this talk came from concerned parents who's children are good skiers and are more than capable of skiing off -piste. The problem is that A they won't listen to their parents and B although they are good skiers they think that is a giant Disney Land where nothing can go wrong.

The aim was not to tell them not to do it[ because they won't listen] instead my aim was to at least give them a rough understanding of what they are getting into. [Most people who have accidents do not realise it was dangerous]

The talk covered the piste signs and what they mean. Why for example skiing down a closed piste is never a good idea.

The flags which indicate the risk.

What Pisteurs do to make the resort safe and how they do this looking at Catex & Gasex. and helicopter bombing

How avalanches are formed. Most skier avalanches are triggered by their victims

How to read the signs that nature provides. Avalanche conditions need not only snow but wind. Reading where the wind has come from is critical to understanding the risk.

Obligatory Equipment for skiing off piste.

Safe skiing practice [ How to ski a slope to minimise the risk]

What to do if it all goes wrong [ie how to conduct an avalanche search]

Too Cold For Comfort

Generally it is possible to cope with very cold conditions, the issue is when it is windy and cold. I was up at the top of point Helbronner on the Italian side of the Valley Blanche. The plan was to take a group of Bankers for an introductory walk around the glacier. Even getting the rope uncoiled inside the building was unpleasant on the fingers. When we went out of the door and were faced with an icy blast, but I thought if we can get down onto the glacier we might escape from the wind. Then suddenly this guy came staggering towards me with half his face frozen. He looked like a zombie.His skin looked like melted candle wax. I turned to my clients and one of them had a big white blotch on his cheek. I turned around and rushed back inside. We had been out side no more than five minutes. I said to the other Guide I was working with "Its too cold and dangerous we need to go down."
No one seemed to disagree.

Really Really Bad Snow

Well finally it happened. So far until today we have had great skiing. All that changed. Chris Dovell and his pals joined me for a days ski touring. The weather was crap. Rain and snow mixed with very strong winds[which further west claimed 45 lives in France] But not to be put off we left France and went to Switzerland. Our first plan was to go to a very small village called Mex. But the road was blocked by wind blown trees. We quickly came up with a plan B which was to climb the the Dent des Valerette high above Monthey. Strangely the sun came out and the wind dropped [for a while] and we had a pleasant ascent and great views all the way to lake Geneva. However the ski down was horrific. Breakable crust covered porridge like snow. The only person who managed a series of half okay turns was Dovell who was cleverly on fat skis. I was not on fat skis and kept sticking my head in the snow and then blamed my equipment. For Dovells friends it was; shall we say an unforgettable day out.

Mixed weather but always good snow

I believe the quality of the snow is always the most important requirement for great skiing. If there is a choice between beautiful sunny days and crap snow or blizzards and powder I will take the later. providing A, I am not ski touring and B, there are trees to ski in.
This is exactly how it was last week with Reuben and Fiona Berg. We had good skiing but not always perfect blue skies.

Cruising the Resorts

I spent the last week skiing various resorts in Chamonix and the surrounding areas with Maighread. She is equally keen on finding good places to eat. On our last day in Combloux we were joined by Laura and Marco. It just so happens that Laura has here own blog dedicated to Alpine Eating! www.alpineeating.blogspot.com

Happy Valentines Day

Skiing up at Brevent on what must be the busiest day of the season as it was the start of the school holidays and perfect blue skies and great snow.

Three different days

Stephen Yeates John Donner and Mike Woolford came out for their annual trip to Chamonix to ski with me. On Our first day we struggled to see a thing, thick mist but at least it was snowing hard, We did eventually find some very good tree descents undrneath the Flegere cable car.
On our second day we went to Combloux and hit the jack pot- knee deep untracked fluffy powder on steep terrain all to ourselves.
On our third day we went to Les Contamines and while the snow was not as good as the previous day we did have some long remote descents with a lunch which was very bizzarre. It was as far away from a mountain restaurant as it is possible to get. We eat in some grumpy women's kitchen!