This week I'm on the Euro Avalanche Course in La Grave (commuting back & forth over the Col from Serre), a very intense course for professionals and committed skiers with many years experience of off piste skiing, who would like to develop and formalise their understanding of the snowpack and avalanche awareness.*
Yesterday we were examining snow pack just above Col du Lautaret whilst today we skied La Grave, to make observations of the snow pack as well as identifying potential issues within route finding given the avalanche risk.
We dug a snow hole just by P2 and the results confirmed what many are fearing for the season. (see video)
We did one Vallons run down to P2 and then one all the way from P3 to the river taking it in turns to route find and assess conditions.
We skied some great cold snow in superb condition below P3 whilst lower down was quite hard work.
Day four of the Avalanche course and after ski touring up to Col du Galibier yesterday concentrating on route finding avoiding avalanche hazards etc and analyzing snow profile (digging holes to examine layers) it was back up La Grave.
After theory on transceivers and using them in various scenarios it was back up to put theory into practice, and again it was so empty with some really good snow to be had. First run opted for Chancel taking it in turns to lead the group down to P1. Then back up for lunch.
Then afterwards down Vallons, which again was empty and some good cold snow, and then some very intense transceiver work prior to exams tomorrow
We had various scenarios - picture below was of a situation where we had to find four to five victims in a given time frame.
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?
How are conditions in LG? How much of the terrain is in condition? Glacier runs filled in? Cover down to the road?
Weathercam, came over to La Grave today from Puy st Vincent with my son (14) and local instructor who knows area well. Must have been your group we saw from lift
doing transceiver work.
Was a great day. Skied top section down to P1 and second station several times and finished off with run back to the village. A fantastic experience and a great place but wouldn't
want to do without a guide. Will certainly be back.
jsrt201, I'm no expert but conditions seemed good. Top glacier not open but certainly possible to ski down to village.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Great week in La Grave last week for new year.
Superb snow but some wild weather.
Short video here for anyone that gives a hoot.
Spent couple of days hiding from avalanches in the trees at Monetier Les Bains
2 Core Shots and 1 Broken Ski Pole - a week in La Grave. from Doug Bryce
Excellent wee clipumentary, and good to see you got the most of the mixed bag of conditions. Core shots aren't just special gifts from Glencoe either ...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Haggis_Trap, nice little vid
As you know Rich and Alan did the course (two of the guys in the vid) I was on and we ended up all in the same group.
Final day yesterday and again snow above P2 was in superb condition.
You may have heard that Per As (local guide who I've been doing stuff with since 97) has been out of action with a bad back and I caught up with a couple of times over the week as he did some lectures on the course and then again yesterday with his family prior to them going up the "hill"....
Anyway he sent me this email yesterday.....
My back is back, full on hard familly skiing today in absolutly fantastic fast cruising conditions! HAve rarely skied trifides in these condotions!
Just as well as have a bunch of head bangers who like me have skied with Per since 97 coming out in ten days time!
Nice shot of how busy it was yesterday coming in over the breche
After all it is free
After all it is free
Great day going "solo"
Did think about yesterday but think today was the best call especially as going "billy no mates" and I wanted good viz.
Took a fair number of snaps as I needed an excuse to rest the legs as going on your own you don't tend to stop as much.
Will post those tomorrow more main stream, though if you have FaceBook you should be able to see album here
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.
For those that might want to read more of my solo trip, it's all here and have uploaded some 30 plus images here
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Wasn't meant to be over there till this Wednesday, but Sunday night saw texts and emails flying around to make a plan based on the forecast and the snow that was starting to fall.
So early Monday dug the van out and headed over the Col which was one hell of a gnarly drive with me doubting if the lift would be open as it was so windy.
Met my mates in the Castillian (as ever) and we had three La Grave virgins with us, one a very very good skier and two guys who had skied off piste but not to this degree.
Our guide was my good friend Per who had done the commission earlier in the morning.
Conditions were superb in the morning with great viz, after lunch we lost three of the group due to tired legs, and conditions deteriorated but enough "couloir" light to do Trifide and Bananne.
So back over to La Grave Wednesday, where we ski toured up in the Chazelet sector above La Grave.
That was quite eventful in the afternoon with split board kit failure
Then Thursday typical classic La Grave day, very few people about, loads of untracked from the snow and wind deposits of the previous 18 hours. Viz coming and going with some great tree runs and finished the day off as they were shutting the lift with a run all the way down to the road.
Friday was a road trip over to Claviere to score some truly superb conditions.
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.
Good conditions underfoot in La Grave today, though visibility was not playing ball for large parts of the day... Approx 10/15cms of fresh from last night.
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
^ loving the touring pic from Chazelet - can pick out all the road runs from Freaux -> Chirouze.
Some rowdy terrain!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Today was pretty damn fine! Knee deep+ powder pretty much everywhere, and very quiet once the first rotation had dispersed...
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
offpisteskiing, expletive, expletive
Plan was set to come over today, arranged OH's demo skis and picked them up here just as they shut Col last night, and then various problems with all the snow getting the van up to the apartment and subsequent issues ruled out coming over this morning, plus we'd had a good 30-40cm here!
However I was soon wishing we'd made the effort as I suspected it may have been quiet over there, and did say that on more than one occasion to the OH.
It's all very well doing some descents here in good conditions, but it's all over so quickly.
However can't complain.......... well I can actually
And I had to exercise the credit card as she loved the skis and did pretty damn well on them.
This could have been below P2
But it wasn't
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
offpisteskiing, have you skied many of the couloirs this week? I guess you've had the edge of the same weather system as us. We've had too much in the Dolomites to do anything serious
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sharkymark, pretty mellow clients this week, so just the lake couloirs in Chancel... but it was rather good yesterday:
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?
Not one of my better days in La Grave as was quite skied out.
See not even the guides can get it right
As was told today should be quite good, but ironically we've had more untracked here in Serre
But they opened the glacier and had a nice run down there, and took my OH down Banane for her first time.
Still a good ski, and I do enjoy route finding as it seems to be getting better each time as I was finding stashes here and there and keeping away from the more obvious routes.
Roll on a few weeks time and some rain at lower altitude
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Core shots aren't just special gifts from Glencoe either ...
