 Poster: A snowHead
|
On a tip-off from a touring website the alarm was set for 5 am this morning and a sleepy drive up to Les Arcs 2000 followed. By 6.40 I was skinning up toward the Grand Col. The North face of Mt Turia is the most obvious line you see from the summit viewpoint on the Aiguille Rouge cablecar, looking ridiculously steep from that angle. In fact the face hits 45º at most but is sustained and exposed for most of its 700m.
First view of the face from the Grand Col:
Normally I tend to climb things before skiing them but with a good recent report I opted for the easy option, heading up to the Col des Roches, then onto the shoulder of the Turia. First view down the face:
10 a.m. After 1500m of up its time to go down at last. The slope is quite friendly, with a gentle satrt at 35º gradually rolling off as you drop down. The snow was great, soft windblown, with a couple of bare ice patches to avoid near the top. The steeper skiers right line on the face gradually builds up to a good steady 45º as it narrows down:
Looking back up at the narrows:
And from the bottom of the face:
A short skin from the bottom of the face takes you back up to the Grand Col, and from there it was a great ski back into a deserted Arc 2000 on perfect spring snow.... Happy days... This line had been on the hit-list for a while, great to ski it in good conditions, with no-one else around...
Meteo France are forecasting snow for Monday(?) so the fun could go on for some time!
More info & pics at http://offpisteskiing.blogspot.com as usual.
For anyone interested it looked like the Gl du Geay was in great condition, though with a couple of slots opening in the general line of the main skinning trail.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Very nice! But it looked really busy 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
offpisteskiing, looks very cool yet once again... to get a sense of perspective how steep do you recon the Grand couloir is in Courchevel or say the north side of the col du fruite... Do you check these slopes with an inclinometer, ski poles or just by eyeball?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
parlor, jam-packed!! Actually, surprised there weren't more tourers around (its a bank holiday here), about 10 heading towards Pourri, 2 at the bottom of the face as I got to the top and that was it!
skimottaret, Grand Couloir maybe high 30s at the top then 35 ish (?) for the rest of it with a non-exposed feel. North side of col du fruit same (? its been a while).
I do own an inclinometer but it stays in the house mostly! Eyeball mostly, + various guidebooks etc generally have reasonable estimates to keep one on track (with a few exceptions). You can get your eye in, but it always looks steeper when you're on your tod, or its hard/nasty snow, or its v.exposed... Funnily enough have just looked at 4 different descriptions for the Turia and while they mostly agree on 45 one quotes 50 for the steep section (no way), and there is a bit of variation... of course its all dependant on snow cover/build-up etc etc
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
offpisteskiing, thanks was just curious.. guess the old mark 1 eyeball is as good a guide as anything. Whenever i hear peeps talk about having skied 40 plus pistes i am always dubious as some of the hairy looking off piste routes that are over 40 look VERY steep to me.... If the grand couloir is only 35 ish not sure i would want to tackle a 45 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
offpisteskiing, thanks for the report. Looks awesome. Maybe one day...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
rob@rar, Not having seen you ski but BernardC might not be far off. I had always pictured this face as being quite consistently steep (one book refers to it as 'on the limit of "extreme skiing"' (no chance)) but actually it is fairly mellow really (for this kind of thing). Great day out though, and a classic Vanoise descent, but does it merit the 5.1 rating it gets given?? I'm not sure.
It is a proper 'mountain day' though: approx 1700 vert m, glaciated terrain, skinning, crampons & axe, snow assessment etc...
Getting it in condition is another matter...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
offpisteskiing, I'm very inexperienced in the backcountry so don't have the all the skill set required for a day like that, but I'm working on things so perhaps in the next season or two I could have a go. In the meantime I'll enjoy your trips reports and be envious!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
offpisteskiing, inspiring stuff yet again - love how you do a lot of trips solo..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
