@Orange200, loved those videos - looks like you guys had a couple of brilliant trips!!!
What a great way to remember them...
I hardly even got a photo this year as it was too cold to take my gloves off!!!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
34 days this season. Most interestingly it was the year I decided to really get back on skis, after a near 30 year break.
I wish I had done it sooner as the icy days or the days when I just want to glide around on piste with beginner mates have become much more enjoyable and the days when there is knee deep powder and I am on my board have also become more enjoyable.
There have been a lot of bad weather days and days when I haven't even gone out, but the days when the sun shone and it was knee deep, or deeper, have been some of the best I've ever had.
To be off piste in 15+cm of fresh powder on 30th April... with the sun blazing down, was the perfect end to one of my best seasons.
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?
30 days. Always pretty decent conditions, the most powder skiing I've ever done in a year. Only saw a couple of half days where it got a bit warm and wet, the rest of the time generally dry snow and lots of it.
Started in St Anton in early December. Temperatures well below zero (cold enough for my nostrils to become obstructed with ice...) and very heavy snowfall to kick things off
Chamonix in mid-January, where after one day of sun we had several 2 foot refills come through so skiing resembled more of the same
Then Switzerland in March. Chalky snow in Engelberg, second time I've been and really confirmed what a great mountain it is. The density of quality terrain is ridiculous, could do laps of runs like the Steinberg all day. The Zermatt where we finally saw a couple of sunny days coinciding with stable snow and got a couple of decent tours in. The huge snowpack made the full 1600m descent from the Pfulwe to Tasch possible, which I've never managed before. Stunning conditions
Then another 50 cm of snow piled in on our final day, for bouncy deserted Easter Saturday powder delight...
Finished with Grands Montets closing weekend: one day of spring snow all over the mountain, one foehn washout and on Monday 30th another foot of snow on the upper slopes. Finished my season hooning down the Rognon Glacier with a load of whooping locals!
Wish for next year? Same again early season but I was hoping to get a lot more touring in later in the season, so settled weather in spring for adventures in the Argentiere basin and beyond would be awesome.
Got a climbing trip planned to Chamonix for July so will bury myself in training for that, hitting the hills around Otley on a bike and warm Lakes rock. It's fine that it's all over for 7 months right
6 in Passo Tonale pre Xmas - didn't get quite the amount of snow everywhere else seemed to but plenty from top to bottom and plenty of sun.
3 St Moritz / 3 Zermatt just after Easter
I only have 2 albums on iTunes!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
My season started with a cheap pre Christmas week in 3 vallees which only turned out to be the best damn early week in history ! (making up for the last 3), couple of days guiding/touring with Simon Christy, as recommended by Snow heads produced some superb untouched powder still within earshot of the Follie douche !
Back in time for Christmas and then hit the jackpot when looking for a helmet carrier on the internet I stumbled across a trip to Japan on Snow Shepherd's website. Organised by Seb Cazorlla.
It seemed like fate had brought me there and so with a somewhat reluctant approval from Mrs Scarbski I grabbed the last place.
10 days of constant snow , -*c temps ,powder skiing through trees, skinning up a smoking volcano , onsens ,great company and raw fish followed , what an experience. Japan is great and lovely people.
I realized I had to scale the next trip down some what as my lovely (now non skiing) wife was feeling a bit neglected , even though I brought her a Kimono back.
Scotland looked the best choice and a wild touring weekend (as advertised) seemed like the perfect finish to the season.
Having enquired and realised that it coincided with a weekend Mrs scarbski was away anyway it seemed fate had once again played its hand , BUT fate hadn't finished with me.. Just before I booked the Scotland trip I had a crash while out mountain biking.
Landed heavily on my left thigh and instantly knew something wasn't right. Luckily I was riding with a small group and they managed to get me to Lincoln county A&E where It was confirmed I had broken my hip .. So my season was cruelly cut short but it still hails as one of the best.
New hip installed and think all going well, back on bike now and hope to be ready for another 'best ever season' next year.
Started solo long weekend trip to Chamonix early January, luckily arrived the day after few days of hell weather. Not everything open due to avalanche risk conditions was hard and icy.
End of January, one week in Zell am See. Mostly good weather and some powdery days.
Mid March, one week in Folgarida. Great piste conditions including some fresh powder. Mostly sunny days, pizza, beer and skiing... what else do I need....
I declared season completed but last minute decided to squeeze another long weekend, in Hintertux. Variables conditions on piste, variable weather... still was good skiing.
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