 Poster: A snowHead
|
An account of our holy grail last weekend to ski/manoeuvre from La Plagne to Val Thorens in search of the best waffles (Waffys) in Europe may have already been recorded here by jonpim, but this weekend equals that epic journey. As the La Roche cqrrier pigeon has not yet learned to fly digitally, I have only a short 10 minutes or so on-line here while a binding is repaired.
Although nursing a heavy cold which I felt must at least be bird flu, as I felt fowl ....  we deployed the TD5 Vanoise Express to Les Arcs on Saturday where myself, B and S skied Les Arcs powder non-stop, in an excitable state, from just after 9:00 until 15:30, when like gibbering, grinning idiots we wolfed down bowls of soup at Pre St. Esprit. It snowed all day and although visibility was poor it was a hoot.  Auto pilot ski-by-feel was the order of the day and although I had on my MK 11 Powder traces, I was the only one not to have a 'negative event' all day (Little 'sit-downs' weren't considered when gathering the statistics) ... so couldn't conduct proper field tests. Never skied more continuous powder It was 'well magic' all day Our good luck held as the Funiculaire packed up as we got back down to Bourg - it probably had bird flu too.
Verse 2 . Conditions on Sunday meant that all roads led to Val d'Isere/La Fornet. The larks were quite sleepy when we got there and from Val d'Isere we swiftly made our way to the top of Solaise on the first chair to recon the Couloir du Lancher. However, as inviting as it looked, we decided against and activated Plan B, 'Les Danaides' which was a run I hadn't done before, but which was absolutely stupendous Having come down the steepish bit, we skied on rather than taking the left to Lavancher. Route focus was important as error wasn't going to be a good option, but our guide is a topper (I am not going to mention his name any more as i could only book him for TWO days during January, due in part to my over zealous promotion of his attirbutes ) I mention at this stage that we dedicated this Sunday to the memory of our darksider friend Dan, lost so tragically last Wednesday. We will also offer up a prayer for him later at the little Chapel at the top of the Col d'Iseran.
From the top we skin up to the crest of the North Face of Pointe Pers. The weather conditions are absolutely brilliant. Superb We ski the first steep part one at a time and it is awesome The powder is superb. We are totally ga-ga with delerium and transported to a different world I hope I shall experience more of such days this season, but this moves comfortably into No 1 Day 2008 The delight goes on with powder above the knees and in our open, gibbering mouths Sublime .....
We stop for our luncheon just beyond the Prariond refuge, at the memorial, where we also remember the brave and unfortunate escaped WWII British POWS, who perished in a blizzard some few hundred metres from the safety of the Refuge.
I had almost foregotten just how good a Pain au Beaufort, with extra generous filling of jambon and brie tastes  Yum ... yum .... It's good to be alive.
Legs and body dropped a gear after this veritable feast - though dropped jaws and and smilies remained the same until we had to rope up for the 'sticky-out-bit' of the upper Malpasset gorge track. It was pleasing to note no 'buttock-clenching muscle wastage had occurred over the Summer months. The skate out is punishing in a sadistically enjoyable way and comments on my singing voice lead me to retaliate The Super U 'jambon superieur' and brie give me the stamina edge and I arrive first at La Fornet about five metres ahead of our laughing guide - who no doubt is humouring me We take a litre of fizzy Badoit water and remember Dan. Goodbye Dan, Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
..... sorry this was in three bits ...... limitations of technology ..... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Great stuff
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
A great read (as usual) BernardC, vaguely able to follow the route on the Espace Killy piste map. You definitely were able to contemplate the two sides of the coin of snowy mountains.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
BernardC, Indeed happy and sad and a reminder of the dangers of the mountain 
Your mention of the wartime memorial along with the ceremonies we saw in the area during August remembering wartime events.
(There is a fairly large RAF memorial in Plagne centre complete with model spitfire and container that was used to drop arms to the resistance holed up in the mines at what is now 1800.)
Prompts me to ask if you or anyone else knows of the wartime history of the area, I have tried the internet but what little information there is tends to be rather vague.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BernardC, lovely report (esp the sad bits), I also had a fab day (on-piste) at Les Arcs on Saturday - memorable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
