We nipped out yesterday to play in the ungroomed stuff just out back of the Tourmalet resort (Bareges in the French Pyrenees).
A 15 min "walk" and this little picture story of a short ski tour is what you get... Ski touring kicks botty!
Taken at the top of the climb on the way out of the resort and into the Neovielle Nature reserve (note damn sexy skis) - Its an interesting little climb up through a "chimney" and under a chocked rock, pretty easy but looks cool from the chair lift, I'll find a picture of that somewhere...
Here we are:
And "mountainbug" Em in the hole:
We then dropped down a little into the Neouvielle Nature reserve and skinned up to the Col de Bareges:
Getting ready to come down: (Emma and Rob otherwise known as "Mountainbug" and "In Garbure we trust")
Lunch and packing up stop:
Was a cool little outing, we had to charge back after and put on dinner for everyone but its not a bad way of paying for this sort of thing
I have a cool little video too but I don't know how to post those...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Looks beautiful. As a piste skier I'm sometimes jealous of tourers. But in the end, I'm too lazy
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?
in garbure we trust, lovely. I don't have the energy or the skill to do that, but enjoyed playing away from the piste on my snowshoes today. Peaceful snowy forest. Pistes at New Year are way overrated!
Totally Pam w! I have slapped my little video on Youtube at this location by the way: http://youtube.com/v/wVvnn5gJCPw On that note I am taking a group off snowshoeing next week which should be a laugh (I always go with a bunch of bum sledges for getting back down), but I think I will be wishing I had my skis on instead!
in garbure we trust, skied Bareges about 10 years ago. Enjoyed it immensely. Great to see some reminder photos.
Do you know Peter and Jude who run the Alphee Hotel in the middle of town (Borderline Holidays) ?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yeah I know them we run a chalet here so we bump into them a fair bit. They used to run the Hotel next to the Alphee but sold it on a couple of years ago to a new couple. They still do the odd appartment but have retired from the hotel trade.
After all it is free
After all it is free
in garbure we trust, ahh well, thing move on. Really must try to get back out that way for a few days - loved the short transfers and the whole Bareges / la Mongie set up. One day, 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.
in garbure we trust, have you ever skied off the Pic du Midi? Worth a trip for someone (like me) who enjoys La Grave and that sort of thing?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
The Pic du Midi is very fine have a gander at pistehors website for thier comprehensive review (if you like it steep and fruity you can always try the North face route that involves abseiling into a couloir to start with).
There is quite a bit of offpiste about as the resort is realtively under developed (lots of area that would be filled with runs in other places), so you get the pisteurs taking away the avalanche risk all around the ski station leaving plenty of off the side style offpiste.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
do the descents get you back to the lift? just wondering whether you can get a few in during a day or whether it's more of a one shot thing (the pic du midi guides website has some quite handy pics showing some routes but you don't really get a good idea of scale or layout)
does it get skied out quickly?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
we run a chalet here so we bump into them a fair bit. They used to run the Hotel next to the Alphee but sold it on a couple of years ago to a new couple. They still do the odd appartment but have retired from the hotel trade.
have a gander at pistehors website for thier comprehensive review (if you like it steep and fruity you can always try the North face route that involves abseiling into a couloir to start with).
