 Poster: A snowHead
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*WARNING. This thread is long and contains lots of massive pictures. And the last one is nasty.*
On Sunday 4th May we went for a nice skin, 1200m vertical to a pretty col, a quick picnic and then a soggy ski down. (Val d'Arpette, TR to come if I remember). You could see that there was still plenty of good touring to be had so Dave, Ritchie (Stealth) and I plotted and decided to leave for Zermatt on Wednesday am.
So the start would be a drive up to the Mauvisin Dam and then walk through a tunnel around the side of a lake (around a fifth of the way). So we went to scope it out on Tuesday, and found the road UP to the dam was closed due to an avalanche right across it! Good news thought we, plenty of snow. However it also meant we had an extra hour on foot.
We got in the car at 0200 Wednesday, 30mins later we were kited up and starting the walk from 1577m at Bonatchiesse. We leave this early as the snow is at it's most stable and depending on the aspect and altitude you should ideally be finished skiing by 11 or 12.
On the road up to the dam there is a door marked “Winter Entrance” for the Chanrion hut we were heading for. The door was locked. We decided it meant it was no longer considered winter and one could pass through the main tunnel.
We reached the Mauvoisin dam 1hr 20min later at 1964m
We expected to be through the tunnels that lead us around the west side of the lake in around an hour where we would have climbed to around 2100m and allowing us to ski 5km around the lake down to 1900m.
Sadly the tunnels exits / entrances were to full of snow, we crawled through some but after about 45 mins our passage was completely blocked. So we turned round and crossed over the dam and started round the other side.
We were scared of the east side even though it was so early due to avalanche risk. As it turned out for most of the journey round any dangerous snow pack had already slid out.
It was long and arduous. We had full touring gear / glacier travel gear etc and with our skis attached to our backs we boot packed for 5hrs 30mins straight.
We had now cleared the lake and the snow was consistent enough for us to start skining. Ohhh the relief.
We even got to make a few turns down to the hut.
First though we had to pick our way over a 4m ice / snow patch with enough exposure to make a page 3 girl blush.
About a two thirds up the photo in the middle of the shot, is the snow patch we covered above!
We made the first hut Cabane de Chanrion (2462m) at 1100. 8 and half hour day. Total vertical climb, 885m, actual, closer to 1000m.
The Guardian at the hut laughed at us. One, for our route and two for having a splitboarder (a snowboard that can be split in half to make two skis to skin up hill with) with us. The annoying thing was I spent 20 minutes on the phone with him on Monday when I booked the cabane, which route we planned what the snow coverage was like etc... mean git.
The next morning we had a lie in and didn't breakfast until 0500, setting off around 0530. Our aim for the day was to summit the Pigne d' Arolla and then ski down to the Vignettes cabin.
The light was spectacular, sadly P+S cameras do it no justice.
In places it was skis off again, but this time it was nice to still be on snow.
After a slight navigational error that added a further 200m descent followed by ascent (the turns were lovely though),
After we skinned back up to get on the other side of a ridge, we found this:
“OH, those other tracks are people turning back form this ridge. Then… Stealth dropped one of his telemark skis.
And off it went like a rocket. We couldn't see it from where we were and was worried it was in a lake or further on a glacier so we all descended the 300m vertical. It was great actually.
Thanks god Ritchie was skiing in a real ski, a Volkl Explosive, as he now has 15cm of rocker in the tip! A lesser ski would have been smashed to bits.
So we went back up. And had to scramble for 15 mins over some rocks to reach the col du Portons and ski down to the Glacier du Brenay and carry on.
It was 1230 and we were getting pretty tired, we were at around 3000m still and had a long way to go.
It was all up a glacier, nice steady incline but due to the temperatures we took no chances, roped up and used Stealth as a crevasse finder.
I was there honest.
At last we summit the Pigne, 3,800m Wooo-hoooo!
Dave turns his skis back in to a snowboard.
And then ski down to the Vignette (3194m).
Dave with the hut in the left background.
Avoiding more crevasses.
And some seracs.
The Vignette dog was mental.
However the strangest thing of the trip was Dave’s snowboard. In a world of dynafits and skis made of re-cycled Big Mac cartons, it did stand out.
Sadly this is where my tale ends. I had been in agony for the two days before with blisters that I had got on Sunday. Showing them off in the hut even a couple of guides were impressed. We went to bed expecting to make Zermatt the next day but the following morning, a civilised 0430 I could barely walk. I dosed up on pain killers wrapped on compeeds and hoped for the best, but by 0530, our departure time I actually cried putting my boots on.
The photo doesn't do it justice!
I left the boys to it. I had done the ski down to Arolla before so I was happy for them to finish without me.
I had to wait in the hut until the snow softened enough to try and get down. I was pretty low, the only thing I have ever failed was my driving exam. I was tired, wired on painkillers and about as low as I have ever been. I knew when I left on Wednesday I was taking a risk and I was careful to keep the blisters clean and well dressed but an infection has set in and my foot turned in to a mess.
I feel better now, I know I probably made quite a brave (or foolish) decision that I could make it with my foot the way it was, but I made a better decision not to carry on to Zermatt.
And I still had a 1000m ski! Needless to say it was very very painful and very slow, but I got down and it's all over now. Just some rehab time until I can get out there and ski some more...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Can you put the pictures the right way up, my arms are dropping off from turning the monitor round
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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?
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God, it's like something out of Boys' Own!  Great trip report, really enjoyed it, and hope that your massacred foot recovers soon.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The route is marked in green. The red line is a 3 day tour I did last April but never posted a TR from, I might do one stinking hot day in the summer... Map is 1:50000 merci CNS.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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parlor, brilliant stuff, really interesting.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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parlor, looks awesome and jus for ref. the photo really does do it justice 
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Righteous tou, but you guys sound like a bit of a junk show!
Are splits not common?
Here they are...
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parlor, Great report, I've hiked to Chanrion many times in the summer and always wondered how much snow got in the tunnel in the winter - quite a lot obviously!
Were you able to follow the path on the east side or did you have to make it up as you went?
Soak the blisters in Williamine, or even better soak yourself in Williamine.
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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.
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Geez....next time wear tights or pop-sox under your socks...a blister free experience will follow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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parlor, yuk; could be the piague!
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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.
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parlor,
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I thought two pairs of socks increased the friction?
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They do! But I guess that nylon tights or popsocks, if tight, don't move at all, so there can't be any friction. I wouldn't like it, though, too constricting for the toes!
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Might try for another pic...
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And maybe a trip to the doctor??? Antibiotic time, possibly?
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parlor, thanks for a great report, really enjoyed reading it.
Sorry you didn't make it to the end, but you obviously made the right decision.
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You know it makes sense.
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parlor,
Great attempt..bad feet... 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| parlor wrote: |
Thanks guys.
jacksonholerider, errr not sure I know what you mean by junk show. Split boards aren't common in Europe, I think fundamentally it's to do with difference in terrain in Euroland and also the attitude to ski touring / skinning / back country.
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That is what I like about here...I work with Stephen Koch, and he has done the seven summits, with his split.
And he would likely crush most rando-weenies, hands down.
The best way to combat elitist 'tude is to absolutely crush the anal-retentive touring euro trash...both UP and DOWN.
(there still is some anti-board bias here, but if you know what you are doing, it is quickly stifled/put to rest, IMO.)
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Mon 12-05-08 8:01; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Fantastic - great to see a splitboarder touring in the alps - a RARE site indeed!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jacksonholerider,
Against boarders here...? I don't know, a bit of ribbing perhaps but most people who have done a little stuff with a mixed group get to know how different the lines down can be.... if only on the traverses in, on which the boarder can lose height that they really don't want to do. Guides over here might be a bit nervous about a slpit party for that reason alone, I'd say and if the boarder has shoes and can get everywhere else the skier goes, then less of a problem.
The traverse thing aside, a good line is a good line whatever you mode of transport, IMV
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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?
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parlor, hope that foot heals up! nice work otherwise
jacksonholerider, what a bunch of silly comments 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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2 pairs of socks are the cure for bisters, preferably socks that have very little friction between them (hence the micro-thin pop-sox or tights, and then normal socks)
Just normal socks will get grabby on the inside of your boots and your feet will get friction...blisters.
With the tights (whatever) they friction against the socks, instead of your skin = no blisters.
This is 100% effective and is what the serious walkers/fell runners/army people do.
Geez...you can trust me on this.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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AlTom, still no shoes but it's getting better now!
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parlor, great report, gruesome feet.
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