TR: A brief return to winter (La Grave and surroundings, March 2014) - many photos

A snowHead

High pressure had been reigning over Europe for three weeks. Ice was turning to slush by 10am, skiers were wearing T-shirts, and we had been unreliably informed that marmots were sipping umbrella cocktails while sunning themselves on the pistes.

But when five of us, coming from Brussels, Amsterdam, Bucharest, London and Salt Lake City, converged on La Grave, the rain started. This quickly turned to snow, and more than 16 inches fell overnight.

Like this:

photo by Tri-Ungulate. other pics below by me, irbis, Chowdahridah, alexoffroad and Tri-Ungulate again, if he sends them to me

So the next day looked grey and uninviting:

(we use telemarkers when we want to show how deep the powder is – that knee bend really adds a few optical inches of snow depth. Thanks to Tri-Ungulate from TGR for helping out on the shot above!)

The sun came out on Monday- time for the compulsory Telepherique shot, complete with a nice line:

and of course that of La Meije:

We wanted to ski down to St Christophe but our guide (Pierre Rizzardo - excellent chap) turned around after checking out the slope. Since he's one of the guys who decide whether the La Grave lift opens in the morning after new snowfalls, we thought he knew what he was on about:
This is where he's telling me "no go":

A run on the glacier was nice though. Tri-Ungulate again:

…and Alexoffroad:

Too bad irbis fell on the easiest run of the whole week and semi-crocked his knee. He managed to ski out…we were afraid things would turn out bad but he managed to re-join us after sitting out two days.

Couloir Patou was tracked but still fun (Tri-U again. Telemarking is just so damn sexy)

Next day we headed out to Monetier, where after skiing Couloir des Filles in interesting snow, Pierre scoped out this cool line:

(we entered at the top right of the photo - check out the tracks on viewer's right - and then we skied the big “Y” and negotiated the cliff band underneath.

Doesn't look quite as steep when Chowdahridah is in there:

…but he did ski that whole day with one boot blocked in walk mode. So had irbis, the first day and half of his previous holiday. Ski mode is for pussies.

Next day we headed to Alpe d'Huez. After half hour of skinning from Pic Blanc, we had a much better than expected run down to Vaujany:

Pierre:

Getting back up… "the road to heaven may not be a road after all":

The day ended up with a run down Grand Sablon and a traverse of about 10 miles (*) to get out.
(*) exaggerating only slightly

===end of part 1===

A snowHead

Like!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Fantastic pix

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horizon, as usual, fantastic photos. I can only look on in envy.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Part 2.

I know I said "TR - La Grave" but today Pierre decides to go to Montgenevre. We get there and find more than 10 inches of completely unexpected fresh snow at altitude. So we climb a bit:

This is where Pierre gets the place wrong by about 200 yards and he berates himself in choice French for about 10 minutes. He should have just stayed quiet - in that soupish light we could have been in Chamonix and none of us would have had a clue.

We get to a big untouched face - "La Plane":

Me:

Chowdahridah:

Alexoffroad:

irbis:

… in the afternoon we go to La Plane again (climbing in the right place this time), only to find out that another group had followed our earlier tracks, and hence had been delayed by a few minutes, just enough that we made it ahead of them for a second helping of powder laps. By now we think that Pierre did it on purpose.

Look out later for outtakes of Alexoffroad attempting a McConkey turn.

Next day - Montgenevre again. There's a platoon of French soldiers where we start our skin track. Insert compulsory French army joke here (we did):

Army installations are everywhere - here's an old fort:

We get to the top of Mont Janus, to ski Couloir des Tourelles: - (I think the Tourelles, or turrets, date from the 2nd world war)

Chowdahridah commits to the line, 80s style

Pierre, and then Alexoffroad:

irbis has rejoined us by now:

Our tracks:

Then comes lunch at the excellent Golf restaurant in Claviere, run by a very cool cigar-smoking Italian:

…and then skinning into the sunset:

and the Couloir de l'Ombilique:

=== end of part 2 ===

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Last day but not least - the return to La Grave, and to the back-of-the mountain run to St Christophe which we had attempted earlier (about two thousand pics ago)

…Except that we decide to do a two-hour skin and get to a valley that ends up in La Berarde. Pierre later told us about a guy who never moved from the village - he went on living there for several years when he was alone all winter.

Some skinning pics:

Starting out:

Heading to the col in the background:

Queueing up:

Pierre to the others: are you coming or what?

The entry to the valley

Pierre doesn't trust us without a rope:

So much to ski…

…so much to skin up to (spot the two skiers on the other side of the valley)

oh, you haven't spotted them yet? look closer

…and the ending in La Berarde. Say a prayer for ending the holiday with all limbs and ligaments intact (or almost, in irbis's case)

…and thanks for the patience:

===THE END===

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Still fabulous Wink

After all it is free

Appreciate your sharing Very Happy

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Sweet!

Somehow you always seem to get your pow timing just right!

snow reports

horizon, we were in LG on that Monday as well - first lifts up on the glacier.

Looks like you were a strong group from some of the stuff you did, and a classic road trip week.

Though pow was a tad heavy on the run out back to Chancel.

Looks like Pierre sniffed out some good powder for you on the Thursday in Montegenevre, where it too must have benefited from the Retour Est, we found ourselves in up to a meter of fresh in the Queyras / Abries sector, only trouble was too much for one of the guys in our group, and we had to boot pack it up a fair way as it was obvious he could not handle that much, and would not do as the guide demanded Crying or Very sad

Needless to say he bought the beers that night!

Might nip over to LG this avro to see what's going on as it's the last day of the Derby but no new snow, maybe a couple of mm's up top with the light rain we've had.

great pics and perfect timing Going green

You know it makes sense.

Love the photo and the story. Thanks for sharing.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Love the report Cool

It's put a smile on my face anyway. snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Liking Bill's style on the Plake/Schmidt entry. Sweet TR & pics as always

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Great post Smile

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Nice pics - looks like you had a great time!

i think I might have done that skin with the 2 skiers in your picture - Col de la Casse Deserte - i didn't drink or eat enough and it was an absolute sufferfest!

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Great pics.

Did Couloir des Tourelles on the SOPiB, great run with a narrow exit between rocks at the bottom.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Haha, I remember that, I was the guinea pig that found out the landing on that "narrow exit" was avalanche debris!!!!!!

Help!!

TR: A brief return to winter (La Grave and surroundings, March 2014) - many photos

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