 Poster: A snowHead
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Sunday January 20th begins to dawn as we drive to the old village Ste. Foy - our meeting place for today’s adventure. The Hotel Monal bar is buzzing with the banter of dozens of skiers & guides and a coffee and croissant are obligatory as we wait for Laurent Camus, our notable guide – ‘Le meilleur des les meilleur!’ ... 
We leave about 08:15 to put my Landrover in position at La Masure, where we will finish today’s trek and then we head for Station de Ste Foy with Laurent. No time is wasted in ascending the chairlifts, even though Ste. Foy appears deserted and we don’t see a single skier from the moment we get our passes until 17:00 in the evening! 
We depart La Marquise chair and push on up at a pace. Today is going to be warm & already it is 9 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. The best skiing will be found on North and North West aspects and our cunning plan is to ski both the North face of Col Granier and Louprama. However, we have to climb them first and a minimum of 3 wetabix is mandatory  We engage the first climb and absorb the majesty of our surroundings. I can hardly contain my excitement – this place is so fantastic  In our enthusiasm we ascend rapidly to about 2550m and behold the first prize. ‘Behold oh most beautiful slope without any tracks!’ Laurent has to cut out the cornice fairly carefully and we assess the fairly steep entry. S. asks if it is a precipice, to which Laurent answers Yes!, just before jumping in …..
We both follow into another world … the snow is deep, but with a thin crust, which isn’t bothersome – it’s just like skiing through icing sugar!  We ski one at a time on the steepy bit with short turns to put minimum pressure on the snow and then Geronimo!
The ‘swishing’ noise in our wake sounds mystical and we don’t stop until we reach the little Chapelle St. Roch, near the Refuge de l’Archeboc, with legs burning, but souls content and mouths agape. Radio Ga-Ga again …
Little delicacies are had for a snack and with skins on we ascent towards the Sommet du Louprama.
Although it’s only about 600 or so metres of climbing, it’s quite steep and about ¾ way up I find myself in trouble – big trouble. For some reason and it’s the first time it’s ever happened, my skins are saturated and are picking and holding up big clods of snow, making the skis and the going very heavy.  The added weight is killing my legs and draining energy rapidly. All singing has been temporarily suspended ….. About 100m from the summit my tank hits empty, but our all-knowing guide Laurent ‘conveniently’ declared a nearby pile of rocks our ‘intended’ lunch table. The lord moves in mysterious ways  I am now a very happy lapin, but have to wait a few minutes for enough energy to eat. On today’s menu, pain au beaufort avec lardons and brie, followed by Bun Type No. 2 and washed down with a litre of ‘smoothie’  I feel absolutely shattered and speak very crossly to my BD skins  (They sulk and must have communicated their displeasure to my BD poles, for no sooner than we set off than I break a pole just above the basket. Exclamation, followed by exclamation No. 2! …. This is not the place to be without a pole and luckily I have a repair kit of a couple of jubilee clips and splints, which combined with duck tape effects a good repair.)
Laurent opts to get to the face via a short couloir, rather than the sommet proper which is about 80m higher. My legs don’t like the sound of a steep couloir and I have to give them a good pep-talk. It is with some trepidation that I jump off, but my little brain overrides all ‘body-complaining-departments’ and initiates the “Oh Merde” procedure. Although steep, it is beautiful, ‘grippy’ snow and brain goes back to Defcon 3 after the first turn
We are now in ‘The Promised Land’. This is something else No one has been here this season and this slope is absolutely stupendous – it is absolutely majestic … and it’s all ours ….
Laurent ‘gifts’ me the slope, but I protest as with tired legs I don’t want to ruin it for the others. He insists and there is probable method to his madness, as he knows, that I know, they will both be watching me and natural pride will surface – although pride usually comes before the fall …. I do promise my legs a good rest later and jump off towards the Refuge du Ruitor, determined not to let down my Nation or Clan ….
Oh Happy Day … oh Happy Day … although my turns are a teensy-weensy bigger than can be termed ‘good-looking’, I feel divine … I have got a semblance of a rhythm going and the snow is perfection personified. None of us stop. We are ecstatic – floating and turning in our own little worlds It is sublime as we descend – I wish it could go on forever … We just come to a halt when we run out of slope, speechless, a few hundred metres down from the Refuge du Ruitor. We feel smug …. We salute the slope and each other with 1/3 of a homemade bun each and the last of our water. I feel at peace with all mankind – even with Belgians and Italians, though I feel in their case that this may be a temporary condition …
Jackets off and now we are poling and climbing a little to skirt the Tete du Plane. Evidence of civilisation as we are now on the track made by the heli-skiers from the Glacier du Rutor. The fun isn’t over yet as the forest track doubles nicely as a skier-cross and once started there is no stopping! … “Forward at all times “… - ruts, bumps, chicanes, twists, turns, up-down, up-down, twist, turn – a blur of sheer thrill and excitement. In my dreams I feel I could even take on the Frostlets here … It’s great to be age 11 ¾ again! At last we triplets exit a vicious ‘left 90’ into an open meadow, above La laigette, for a brief respite. The respite doesn’t last for long though as Laurent engages in what are locally termed, ‘Playstation Games’ – over, through, in and around ditches, hillocks and trees at full speed. It’s exhilarating and we must look like delinquents or lunatic individuals on day-release ….
We pass along Plan du Pre, on the road now and knowing that we are near the end of our journey. What a day! Our pace drops as we approach La Masure, but not our spirits. We are still high as kites as we reach the Landrover and Laurent demands that he treats us to a beer in the Monal bar. We gladly agree, though in my case it’s an Orangina as I am captain of the vessel. My legs are now pathetically grateful for the comfort of a chair and as I savour my Orangina (avec pulpe), I enter my armchair in the Monal bar as the last ‘GPS waypoint’ of the great journey
Photos courtesy of guide, Laurent CAMUS (My own still await downloading) GPS map is mine.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 22-01-08 21:29; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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looks like a great day out
the only time i've ever suffered with snow balling up on skins was with BD skins and I can sympathise with how annoying it is 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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BernardC, top-whack entertainment for those of us who can only dream of such exploits! Lovely prose, lovely photos.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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BernardC, Very very jealous.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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BernardC,
Nice
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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BernardC, what a great story, beautifully told
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BernardC, next time it happens (skins balling up) dry the skins as much as poss then smear suntan cream on them (if you don't happen to have a tin of that spray on colltex skin-wax/proofing stuff). Apologies if you know this already. Works on ski bases as well on those weird days when they ball up.
Oh <pedant> and its le meilleur DES meilleurs </pedant>
Sounds like a great day out anyway!!
Last edited by After all it is free  on Tue 22-01-08 22:36; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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BernardC, brilliant post. What a wonderful day.
And yet another reminder that if you ever mention "skins" in preparation for a Day Out, I will suddenly find my old war wound playing up again .
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Sounds ace. THose buildings look familiar, are they close to / on the Petit St Bernard Pass, visible from the La Thuile ski area?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| offpisteskiing wrote: |
| BernardC, next time it happens (skins balling up) dry the skins as much as poss then smear suntan cream on them (if you don't happen to have a tin of that spray on colltex skin-wax/proofing stuff). |
great tip! hope i never have to try it out but good to know about in an emergency
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I have received a few PM's looking for Laurent Camus contact details and as I have only infrequent on-line access it's best people contact him directly here
offpisteskiing, Thanks for the tip. Like Arno, I hope I don't have the problem again as i am still feeling the effects today!
nbt, We are a fair bit to the East of the Petit St. Bernard & not visible from the Italian 'la Thuile', so not the ones you were thinking of, although a lot of these buildings look alike.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 2-06-10 12:09; edited 1 time in total
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brian
brian
Guest
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You know it makes sense.
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BernardC, thanks again for great entertainment - laugh-out-loud moment with
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I feel at peace with all mankind – even with Belgians and Italians, though I feel in their case that this may be a temporary condition
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Great pics - looking forward to seeing yours.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I meant to put this on last week, but if any 's are intending to do the Bellcote North Face, the you may be interested in this Taxi service which is based in Landry:
Francois RUFFIER - Mobile 06 09 36 05 57 Landline: 04 79 07 53 04
He charged us 50 euro from Le Fer du Cheval at the base of the Bellecote North Face, to Monchevin Les Coches and he also has a 7-seater minibus.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Looks like a good day, BernardC. I skied with Laurent once but some years ago. I had thought of employing him for the holiday in Bourg St. Maurice in 3 weeks but ended up taking someone else's recommendation.
Did you get my PM?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BernardC, stunning, just stunning. Skiing for real men!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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snowball, ... just back on radar today - will check PMs now.
TallTone, ..
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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While agonising on the morning of March 11th over leaving La Grave, or staying GrahamN and GrahamN’s brother to partake in half-day guided powder extravaganza with Francois, my decision was made in part by a call announcing the intended earlier arrival of some friends at Aime train station. Plus, I didn’t have a ‘La Grave Snorkel’, which was mandatory to ski that depth of powder … 1 metre …. at least …
I felt that I had made the right decision, as a wave of two week full-on ski-induced tiredness caught up with me later …
However, I was none too pleased when the two friends blew out after only a few hours skiing the following day …
Still we now have the best powder since January and it is absolutely awesome – hence the brevity of this report …… especially when coupled with the loss of about 30 or so photos from an apparently wiped memory stick… 
…. basically we are skiing with guide Francois Allemoz for three days, with no fixed agenda, but seeking out the best places and the best conditions in the Tarentaise, on a daily basis …
Commencing with La Plagne and with some high lift closures due to heavy snowfalls, we play it very safe. Others don’t and on the glacier, it’s like there’s no tomorrow. ‘Traverse’ chair is closed and for a reason …. blasting is in progress, but some 40-50 skiers and boarders literally storm the hill to negotiate the Traverse chair route and to be the first to the Bellecote, despite all warnings and instructions to halt. Avalanche control has then to stop, as it’s obviously not safe to continue with the mental defectives all over the mountain. Francois is very cross and fears that tomorrow this section will be closed completely to prevent a reoccurrence and until avalanche control has been fully completed.
We decide to hike for 10 minutes and ski our first couloir in the ‘cleared’ area. It is absolutely heavenly ….. we are alone and we have the first tracks, though we have to ski it individually for safety …. I’m No.2 after Francois …
I have never skied this couloir before, I did not even know it existed, it’s so well hidden and necessitates some rock scrambling to get to the drop-in point, which involves a short jump. This couloir apparently has no name and this sorry state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue …
And after much intelligent discussion together with due consideration of the terrain and other obvious features, 'Paul The Suit'  and powderfinder, chair of the Naming Committee declares it ‘Couloir Décolletage’ ….. (… perhaps some deep-seated memories of a mirror, in a restaurant, in Val Thorens last EoSB have re-surfaced – who knows … )
After the drop-in, the snow is absolutely awesome and with an adrenalin high to match …. Supercalafragalastic ..
However, our ‘Heap-big-grin’ feeling at the bottom is suddenly disrupted. Francois radio alarm goes off and we hear that there has been an avalanche in the Couloir Canadien on the Bellecote. We are not surprised & summoned to the helicopter landing zone, as a lot of rescue resources are deployed on the opposite side of the valley, for the Pierra Menta 4-day race. 15 minutes or so later, we are relieved to get the all-clear. A group was in the couloir at the time, but luckily all were safe with only one burial and minor injuries. It would appear that the Gendarmerie wish to take the case further.
A bit subdued, we find a few decent pitches of powder and regain our sunny dispositions …..
Thence off to Roche de Mio for Couloir Bernard …… then and now ….
The top of this is a bit ..... well ....... bracing ...
..... but its GOOD ....
….. to be continued …
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sat 22-03-08 18:37; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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BernardC, great stuff. And good to see bright coloured suits are still the "In thing" for the expert off-piste skier this season.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jonpim, .... 'Paul The Suit' has an unfortunate tale to tell ......
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"Embedded ... " photo ...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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FenlandSkier, ... titter ... titter ... titter ....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Michelle, .... there are memories ....
and then there are MEMORIES ......
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FAQ
