Ah, is that the couloir entered off the home run (about 200m from the top) or from the mid station?
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?
@Zero_G, the one off the home run is the Bucherons which sometimes features a frozen waterfall, the Philippe is below the mid station. You follow a ridge, negotiate a cornice (often large) on the right, get round an avalanche barrier, then descend very steep avalanche prone ground before popping out on the ric. Not recommended. I've seen it slide right on to the Ric, I've also seen a heli rescue from it. I haven't done it but can confirm it's neighbour the Bucherons is horrible and a chain saw is useful equipment to take on that.
@Zero_G,
Well you know how to produce a flattering shot! God bless you. Posted the Verbier question.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Ok, now I know which one you mean and, two seasons ago, saw people being rescued from Philippe Couloir on two occasions. Props to dabber for surviving it!
@Zero_G, this was the name our guide gave it , it was pretty much straight under lognan restaurant , you then drop in down to avi barriers , then top 50 m is a rope descent , as it's mainly rock ice and scrub , but the 400+ m of vertical heaven . come out on the red home run half way down , will post a pic if I can work out how ??
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Zero_G, our guide was perfectly happy with snow conditions yesterday , I was first one lowered in so had to contend with quite a bit of sluff coming down off the other guys after me , but the snow was perfect , we were discussing the potential of this couloir to slide as it comes out on to the piste , are the barriers a new addition ??
After all it is free
After all it is free
Just back from four days of skiing in chamonix , and have to say how much fun we had , we arrived for Monday lunch time , straight up to grand montet for a few hours warm up , then Tuesday was first lift (after the weekends snow ) up to la tour and straight up the drag to access the untouched powder of the back , spent a full day until last lift getting fresh lines every time !! Wednesday was top lift of gm , not best snow but amazing views and some good stuff to the sides , then heard the top drag at flegiere was to open at 11.00 , so in the car and over tout suite , got fresh tracks twice , top was heaven , got a bit heavier in the chop at the bottom , but no one was complaining , then a day of small adventures on Thursday as described in above posts , even on a flat light day with the help of evo 2 guides we had a great Day .
Having the chance to share all this with my son who is now living out there was a dream come true , and I am starting to see what all the fuss is about
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Dabber, aye
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
HammondR wrote:
@Zero_G,
Well you know how to produce a flattering shot! God bless you. Posted the Verbier question.
Not too difficult when the subject can ski Happy that my phone's camera isn't too dodge.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Skied all over GM today. Best snow was far skier's left just below the cliffs in Lavancher bowl (a little soft and still grippy) and alongside the Argentiere glacier moraine where it was chalky. Everywhere else is pretty much completely tracked out: Canadian bowl, gullies off the Bochard and the Herse.
Time for a snow top up, methinks. Where's Feast and his supply of sacrificial miniature dachshunds!
BTW, if any Cham snowHeads want to do Verbier early next week, pop over to the Cham Meet thread to join the outing.
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.
Dabber wrote:
I am starting to see what all the fuss is about
Skiing in Chamonix has ruined my life I now spend all Summer and Autumn obsessing about getting back to Cham for the ski season. One day, I may even ski somewhere else but every year that I come here I ski new terrain; this place is endless
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
jbob wrote:
@Zero_G, the one off the home run is the Bucherons which sometimes features a frozen waterfall, the Philippe is below the mid station. You follow a ridge, negotiate a cornice (often large) on the right, get round an avalanche barrier, then descend very steep avalanche prone ground before popping out on the ric. Not recommended. I've seen it slide right on to the Ric, I've also seen a heli rescue from it. I haven't done it but can confirm it's neighbour the Bucherons is horrible and a chain saw is useful equipment to take on that.
I agree
I have skied the Philippe a few times. If the snow is really good it is a good descent that avoids the horrors of the Ric.
But it can be a bushwhack and there are sections that can be icy and rocky which get exposed seemingly easily.
My OH always has ago at me when I've taken her down it. Not surprisingly best times I've been down it are when skiing with a guide as they tend to know when things are worth skiing. Certainly not one to explore immediately after large dump of snow. Only once made the mistake of Bucherons.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Went to GM with the intention of potentially soloing (I know, I know) the Poubelle Couloir off the Bochard. Got there to find a group with a rope in place and one of them checking conditions and ultimately deciding things were too hard. Their backup plan was the Chapeau and after a bit of a chat they let me tag along on what turned out to be a lovely decent! My first decent of this route but very nice mostly chalky snow. Said goodbye to them at Lavancher and headed back to Brevent where I smashed out a quick lap of the Bellin Couloir - hardpack in the shade, sluffy but grippy in the sun affected bits.
Great day
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Heading over to Chamonix tomorrow with our guide for the day. Not been before; reading this thread with interest
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Drove through there on Saturday on the way back from Verbier, where we had excellent weather& snow for the week, looks like Chamonix had a bit more snow than Verbier had that side of the col, enjoy!!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sharkymark, where will your guide be taking you?
horgand, we were skiing in Verbier today and there's good snow coverage – about the same as Cham, I reckon.
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?
@Sharkymark, have a blast , loads of good options to be found
Skiing in Chamonix has ruined my life I now spend all Summer and Autumn obsessing about getting back to Cham for the ski season. One day, I may even ski somewhere else but every year that I come here I ski new terrain; this place is endless
you should stay for the summers, more sun than the UK and L2A and Zermatt just down the road for a slide around
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
eddiethebus, without snow, Cham is not for me (I've experienced it, albeit for just a few weeks). When the weather is hot and sunny, I prefer to be surfing rather than climbing/hiking/MTBing. It's all about the water, frozen or liquid
I'm thinking of going to Chamonix end of March, I enjoy off piste skiing and would like to do some guided off piste days but I will be by myself so a guide for 1 is too expensive. Are there any group guided outfits in Chamonix I can join that week that anyone knows about to keep the costs down and make it more sociable?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The one time I skied Couloir Philippe, it was a bump run
After all it is free
After all it is free
@VolklAttivaS5, evoloution 2 do group off piste days , and i can personally recommend they will find the goods
@Arno, as it was after i'd finished skiing it , but was the pefect pitch for me to practice my new found speed control on the steeps ,same as you suggeted our guide had me doing fall line then hockey stops on both sides , before skiing this pitch , then worked at the stem into a scrape/side slip to scrub speed and lose elevation , which worked well apart from one small fall / yard sale
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.
@Dabber, ok I will check out Evolution 2.
Anyone else with any group guided suggestions?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
VolklAttivaS5 wrote:
@Dabber, ok I will check out Evolution 2.
Anyone else with any group guided suggestions?
I've found Evolution 2 to be a good company to deal with .
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Today was rather excellent: after a warm up it was straight down Couloir De L'Ensa...which is quite steep In the main couloir, the snow was chalky and grippy but a little on the firm side. The lower sections were spring snow. We finished the day with a longish skin + descent off the Brevent lift down to Les Houches. Good spring snow at the top, wet spring snow at the bottom. Lots of transformation on south faces. A superb day
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.
@Sharkymark, nice one.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Good day on the Crochues-Berard Traverse today. We hiked a few extra feet up the ridge on the left of the second col to find some freshies. The snow was either nice stiff powder of a creamy texture or chop and wind blown. The traverse was hard and some borders were having a tough time on their toe edges. The second skin track was much easier with ski crampons. The bottom was "interesting".
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@jbob, I did the same route today. Traverse was horrible! Great day though - solo tour in the morning, pint while waiting for the train to Vallorcine. Few slushie piste laps at Le Tour with friends then bus back to cham in time for the last bin up Brevent and a sunset decent of the Bellin Couloir in nasty, nasty refrozen crud! (Monkey Bar burger for dinner)
@Sharkymark, What's the enterence to the ENSA like?
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Fergus, I had a lie down.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Nothing too exciting for me today, spent a few hours lapping the Charles Bozon in order to practise the mogulled steeps technique jbob showed me on Monday. Erm... have the French school hols started already? There seemed to be an awful lot of people at Brévènt today.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Zero_G, they started last Saturday...haven't you noticed?
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?
under a new name, not particularly but then I've been skiing off the beaten track at GM, followed by Courmayeur, Verbier, and a rest day, so it's been a while since I skied pistes at Cham's 'easier' mountain.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 12-02-15 18:05; edited 1 time in total
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Full Spring conditions out there at the moment and you have to pick your route and lines carefully to minimise skiing refrozen crud or sheet ice. The sunshine is great, though!
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Fergus, good tick.
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.
@Fergus, what was the snow like? Our guide (at the time) reckoned it would probably deteriorate rapidly - having said that, it hasn't been as warm as forecast? Looks rather excellent if the photo's anything to go by.
@jbob, thanks.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
We returned to Chamonix today after spending yesterday in Italy. Our guide had a prior commitment with Petzl so we spent the day with his mate Louis Laurent. We took the Fleygere (sp?) cable, chair and drag then boot packed up a frozen skin track to the col with what seemed like the rest of Chamonix. A short traverse followed by a significant boot pack brought us to the Aiguilles Rouge summit. Fantastic place. We descended directly from the summit down the main bowl and it was powder the whole way down - we could scarcely believe it There were a few other tracks but spaced out enough for us all to get freshies. Even the run out was fun. Another superb day. Tomorrow we're braving that bloody tunnel again for a ski tour on the Glacier d'Argentierre as the forecast is for it to be colder and overcast so Helbronner (original plan) is likely to be too icy for what Mathieu had planned.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
, then a day of small adventures on Thursday as described in above posts , even on a flat light day with the help of evo 2 guides we had a great Day .
Happy that my phone's camera isn't too dodge.
I now spend all Summer and Autumn obsessing about getting back to Cham for the ski season. One day, I may even ski somewhere else but every year that I come here I ski new terrain; this place is endless 
