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Chamonix Valley 2022/23

 Poster: A snowHead
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Wallski wrote:
Does anyone have info on today's avalanche of cornu chair towards liason


3 of my work mates (Megeve Ski Patrol) drafted in to help just as we were going to lunch. No one burried, but they were not sure at first. Dog team sweep + probe line big group of Pisteurs (Ski patrol). AFAIK came down from above onto piste Charlanon (off the col cournu chair).
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On BBC news a British woman has been killed in an avalanche in Chamonix on a glacier. It was on the Argentiere glacier. Looks like it was on Saturday, a group of three one a guide. They were doing the Col du Tour Noir.
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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?
jbob wrote:
On BBC news a British woman has been killed in an avalanche in Chamonix on a glacier. It was on the Argentiere glacier. Looks like it was on Saturday, a group of three one a guide. They were doing the Col du Tour Noir.


Sad news. That lower section looks pretty steep. Warm temps to blame?
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I’ve been up there a couple of times it’s a pretty mild pitch.
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It's very sad. It's not immediately obvious from the reports what happened. As @Chamwow says, the route itself is pretty mellow. It's one of the easiest and safest things in the basin.

It may not be a skier triggered incident. That's my immediate suspicion given the route and timing. It may just be extreme misfortune.
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BobinCH wrote:
jbob wrote:
On BBC news a British woman has been killed in an avalanche in Chamonix on a glacier. It was on the Argentiere glacier. Looks like it was on Saturday, a group of three one a guide. They were doing the Col du Tour Noir.


Sad news. That lower section looks pretty steep. Warm temps to blame?


Report is wrong. Accident was on col du Passon!
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That's journalism! Col du Passon looks pretty steep on the south side.
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j b wrote:
That's journalism! Col du Passon looks pretty steep on the south side.


I’ve done that one. The couloir you climb up is certainly steep although sees a lot of traffic so surprised if that went?
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@Idris, ah. Well I guess that explains that.
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Thanks Idris. I didn’t think the col du tour noir was particularly avalanche prone. On the col du passion the pitch to the col is steep and the slope below quite steep, I’ve also been in a tricky situation at the bottom of the decent above le tour.
https://chamonix-meteo.com/snow/avalanche/BRA_MONT-BLANC.pdf
Level 4/5 tomorrow!
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http://www.data-avalanche.org/avalanche/1673786392279

If I’ve read this correctly, the avalanche was quite low down 2500m and the time is 17.30 which is most strange, I can’t imagine if that is correct they were still ascending.
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So with the appalling visibility and 15-20cms in the garden we headed up Le Tour. Nice new gondola, rubbish positioning top and bottom. Snowing heavily all day and we grabbed some nice mellow lines. Managed quite a bit untouched but as expected, quite a bit of chop.

Snow pretty awesome to be honest. Probably 60-70cms in places as a result of drifting, obviously in one of the places I managed to fall down in, shuffling backwards Embarassed and opposingly windscoured at the top. Generally well over knees in sheltered fresh lines.

Arguably the best morning of the season.

Bitter on way home though, wind had got up, felt very sorry for the line of folks who hadn't got on the Tête de Balme before it closed. Quite Scottish, weather wise.
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Fantastic day at Grands Montets, knee deep blower pow. Visibility was a challenge early, then it somewhat cleared mid-morning to about 1pm whence ot closed in again and a front flattened the place and closed the upper lifts, skied down at about 2pm.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Chamwow, well done you, I really can't stand poor vis and the Grands has few trees
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Sounds like an end of week visit to the Aiguille is in order!!!
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Any locals got space for a couple of visitors on Thursday night? Reciprocals in Verbier on offer.
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@BobinCH, sorry, we're couch surfing these days ourselves Shocked (renting/buying in Chamonix is a nightmare).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Was this really the last time I skied in Chamonix with the late (great) Rémy Lecluse!
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=62011
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Hi folks. Any recommendations for a guide for the Vallee Blanche on Sat 28th Jan? We're a group of 5 (3 skiers / 2 boarders). Thanks
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Any word on the Vallee Blanche being ‘open’ next week?
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sbooker wrote:
Any word on the Vallee Blanche being ‘open’ next week?


We’re going tomorrow so certainly hope so! Why wouldn’t it be open?
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BobinCH wrote:
sbooker wrote:
Any word on the Vallee Blanche being ‘open’ next week?


We’re going tomorrow so certainly hope so! Why wouldn’t it be open?

I was lead to believe it doesn’t open until “late January”. Something about the walk down the path.
Anyway. Great news. Thanks.
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What an astonishing day it was up there today. Only had four hours, but an early start got me onto Cornu just as it opened (at about 10ish). Never snowboarded on powder like it (the chute under the lift and then off the back in the direction of Flegere). Still smiling about it now... and likely will be for weeks to come.
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Good morning Chamonix!
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Georgert wrote:
What an astonishing day it was up there today. Only had four hours, but an early start got me onto Cornu just as it opened (at about 10ish). Never snowboarded on powder like it (the chute under the lift and then off the back in the direction of Flegere). Still smiling about it now... and likely will be for weeks to come.


I also managed to sneak in an extra day at Brevent today, en route to Austria. absolutely fantastic, skiing on my own but just kept doing ‘one more’
Always nice to ski down Les Nants to finish, and only regret was that family spent two weeks here at Christmas and obviously didn’t get any days like today. Brilliant.
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Quote:


BobinCH wrote:
sbooker wrote:
Any word on the Vallee Blanche being ‘open’ next week?


We’re going tomorrow so certainly hope so! Why wouldn’t it be open?

I was lead to believe it doesn’t open until “late January”. Something about the walk down the path.
Anyway. Great news. Thanks.

When are you looking to do it mate?
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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.
Next week. Perhaps Thursday or Friday.
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@sbooker, there was a Facetwat post yesterday chatting about the arete being "constructed" so if it's not "open" today, it's imminent.
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You know it makes sense.
@under a new name, thanks.
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@sbooker, here https://www.facebook.com/ChamonixFans - and reading the original post, without the arête equipped headingout to the vallée is "reserved" to "experienced skiers" (which probably means carrying crampons and glacier rescue kit) and parties with a guide. So it's "open" ...
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It’s open and in great condition. We skied the Cosmiques and Grand Envers yesterday



http://youtube.com/v/9txOJaLQ1PM

It’s a much longer hike out than it was 10 years ago due to the glacier melt Sad
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Someone post a video of one of the nutjobs skiing the arete

There's actually one where Remy demonstrates jump turns on it, 2000m odd drop if it goes wrong
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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?
@8611, some old clients of mine had some fine pix from the early 90s of the bunch of them doing back flips off it onto the North face Shocked


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sun 22-01-23 8:45; edited 1 time in total
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8611 wrote:
Someone post a video of one of the nutjobs skiing the arete

There's actually one where Remy demonstrates jump turns on it, 2000m odd drop if it goes wrong


It’s fine. We did it yesterday. We’ll take you next time Eh oh!
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@under a new name, the new generation of extreme athletes are woke diluted, the real heroes are the dayglow lucozade VHS vintage. Helmets? Off piste skis? Pfft

@BobinCH, did you ski the actual arete? No thanks but big kahoonas if you did. I suppose the snow was probably super soft...
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8611 wrote:
@under a new name, the new generation of extreme athletes are woke diluted, the real heroes are the dayglow lucozade VHS vintage. Helmets? Off piste skis? Pfft

@BobinCH, did you ski the actual arete? No thanks but big kahoonas if you did. I suppose the snow was probably super soft...


They walked. We skied. Give me 190cm of ski edge over a ski boot every time!


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Fair point. When we did the vallee blanche the guide had us roped but without crampons, one of the group slipped in his ski boots and I think it took him weeks to get over it.

Second shot is a stunner - I'm confused though, do they ripe down that side of the arete too? I thought they just roped the bit down to the launching site for the voie normale on VB? Maybe I've misremembered the whole layout.

Good day either way?
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They also cut out a zig-zag on the north face of the arete, it's less steep than going straight down the ridge and also alleviates a bit of traffic.

My regular guide trusts me to go down the ridge unroped but with crampons, but when I've gone up there with other guides I've gone with their requirements, usually roped which is fair enough. Guided groups will do the zig-zag roped but without crampons, but as I have them I always use them on the arete.
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8611 wrote:

Second shot is a stunner - I'm confused though, do they ripe down that side of the arete too? I thought they just roped the bit down to the launching site for the voie normale on VB? Maybe I've misremembered the whole layout.

Good day either way?


That pic was taken from the bridge. This is from the other side. They have just put a rope on the arête so you can walk down holding it. We skied round the north side - was fine apart from one patch where the northerly wind has blown the snow off so it’s down to ice. Needed good edges for that bit! Second time I stayed closer to the arête to avoid it.


It’s an amazing place. I loved it. However the snow in the Cosmiques was affected by the northerly wind. The middle section was lovely but the ski down to the valley was long and tiring. The Grand envers on the other side has much more protection from the northerly and the snow was in much better condition up high. Skiing through towering séracs is a mind blowing experience. It was extremely cold and my buddy has frostbite on his big toe Sad
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@BobinCH, great pics!
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