 Poster: A snowHead
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Photos by me, Steve and Mike
Looking for something which combined some challenging skiing with a bit of "light touch" tuition, I stumbled upon a week entitled "Steep Vanoise" run by our very own offpiseskiing. As you can see from his blog, when he says "steep" he isn't talking about black runs:
http://offpisteskiing.blogspot.com/2008/04/courtes-nne-face.html
Warm-up Day
We were staying down in Bourg St Maurice and hooked up with snowcrazy, who agreed to show us some stuff if the weather was good. Well, it was good when we looked out of the window in the morning but it rapidly crapped out. But we were all kitted up and we had to make the most of it - snowcrazy showed us some nice untracked tree runs above Villaroget in the Les Arcs ski area
Me flailing through trees
snowcrazy displays some style
Steve
Day 1 - Val d'Isere
Weather still not great but we got some nice skiing in.
Table d'Orientation Couloir in the gloom:
We ticked off the East Face of the Charvet and Col Pers then finished the day with Couloir Gerthoffet, above Le Fornet. This was OK, although the choke wasn't skiable due to it being trenched by sideslippers (who also had shorter skis than me  )
Day 2 - N Face of Bellecote
This was the main objective, but we also scored some nice skiing off the Roche de Mio as we worked our way through the La Plagne lift system. As we all know, La Plagne is all flat blue run motorways and no serious skier should bother with it... except that there is some seriously good skiing at the top.
The Bellecote is an absolute classic. The face is about a mile high and the line we did (Couloir Canadiens) is a couloir 900m long with sections at 45 degrees and mostly high 30s-early 40s. The photos don't really do it justice - in fact you can't really get a feel for the scale even standing at the top of it (except that it is bleedin massive)
Entering a line off the Roche de Mio, resort side of the Bellecote in the background
Yours truly on the ridge from which we entered the N Face
Entrance pic. 45 degrees at the top. The valley bottom (towards top on the right of the pic) is about a vertical mile below
Mike in the couloir
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 2-03-09 12:23; edited 3 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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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Stunning!
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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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Awesome & lucky you.  It looks like losing your suncream would have been more problem than losing that glove.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nice
Thanks for the great photos.
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rob@rar, cheers and thanks for suggesting i get in touch with snowcrazy
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Arno, Fab TR... ready to go again in a few days..? 
Looks like we will have get a guide out now...
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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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| Quote: |
La Plagne is all flat blue run motorways and no serious skier should bother with it...
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Quite right to, we dont want it all skied out as fast as some other resorts we know 
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Looks V busy and lousy snow. Why bother? THX.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Great pics but you really do need to get your body more forward and poles higher in the last pic.
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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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Arno, Great pics pleased you had such a good week. Did you get any pics of our last day off the back of the Grand Col.
(One change needed. Not Mont Albert, should be Villaroger on your les arcs pics.)
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It was the crowds and the poor weather that really got to me 
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You know it makes sense.
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Arno, great pics - you're about 20 years younger than I had imagined! 
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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wow - thanks for the photos
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Those pictures are beautiful. They succesfully stopped me from doing what I am meant to be doing for a good 15 minutes. Now off to find something else to procastinate with.
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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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Arno, Glad you had such a nice time - great pix. 
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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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Great stuff as usual, made me very excited for my trip out on the 7th
Its so difficult to catch the scale of the Bellecotte in photos.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for posting these sweet pics! Sounds like you had a great time!
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| Arno wrote: |
eng_ch, not sure how to take that  |
Take it as a compliment! But I'm not sure there's any significance to it other than how one mentally puts faces to names/posts without any real basis for doing so
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Yep, it is me, with another forum to waste time on. Cheers Ian
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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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Hewey, welcome to snowHeads. Looks like you had a pretty good week with Arno and offpisteskiing. Something for me to aspire to, at least the easier routes
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OHMYGOD. I cannot tell you how jealous I am. Can I come next time? PLEASE? 
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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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Arno, As I am still a bit useless in powder, please make me feel better and tell me that there is a picture of you falling over?! You did fall didn't you?
Great pics.
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Hewey, hi so you found your way here at last. Welcome. Could you post some of your pics of our trip on the last day down the Grand Col. Thanks
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Arno, amazing photos, looks like I'm going to have to break out the camera again to offer some competition!
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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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Hewey, i always carry emergency carambars and will even put my skis on and leave the board at home! Looks awesome.
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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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Arno, cheers for posting those pics... been away 'sans laptop' for last 3 weeks so been a bit out of touch... looks like you had a good time in the Val D'Anniviers!
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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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ønly just saw this thanks to offpisteskiing's bump.
Great Pics - I'm seriously jealous.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just stumbled across these shots -fantastic!! - makes me want to go ski-ing a.s.a.p.
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JT, indeed nothing more to see here...move along please...Arno, Hewey, will look out a few more pics & get them up for you shortly..
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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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BUMP
cos i'm off on Steep Vanoise Part Trois tonight and I am most excited
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FAQ
