 Poster: A snowHead
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Scribblings from The Tarentaise .. Powder Extravaganza (La Plagne) March 26th 2009
We are on Day 3 with guide Francois Allemoz. Silent prayers offered each night that my legs will hold out and that I won’t let myself or my race down in the face of my French cousins .... 
Although in bed by 21h:00, I awake a bit shell-shocked this morning & need a few seconds initially to work out exactly which planet I am on, followed slowly by the realisations in turn .... Earth, France, Tarentaise .... SKIING .... 
I look out of the window and my heart soars like a little birdie .... & I hear the Genie’s voice saying ... “You’re wish has been granted ... “
THE TERRACE IS COVERED IN DEEP POWDER ....... 
Double porridge rations are gulped down, immediately if not sooner, followed by the ritual & talismanic litany of foods that ensure survival for a big day ... bananas 2no., natural yoghurt 2 no., pain au chocolat (when in season) 2no., followed by a mug of strong coffee. All kit prepared last night – make luncheon sandwich etc, and RUSH out the door. The weather forecast was bad, but it’s good & if there’s first tracks to be made, then by golly we’re going to do the making ...
I meet Sara at La Roche and we are ready in 2.5 nano seconds and kicking our heels waiting for the lift, though I’m pretty sure we’re left onto it earlier than usual by the two darling, sweetie, lifties ....
We’re off ... ! ... but as fast as the La Roche chair is motoring, I want to get my hands on the ‘Turbo’ button and PUSH ...  We meet up with Francois, Virginie, Cedric, Giles, Lauric & Thierry ... general quarters ... and now Action Stations ....
Is it real ...? – there is nobody on the slopes ... ! or is it a very cunning French trick, which will see a thousand skiers, currently concealed, rush as one, down this slope, in protest at Ireland’s brilliant, humungous & supercalafraglisticxpaladocious Grand Slam Victory ... ?
NON ... !
Events are moving very fast and photographs today may be poorand be few and far between, as Francois does not stop. We ski down to Verdons Sud twice in some considerable ecstasy through subliminal powder – legs screaming, but on auto-pilot ... Keeping ahead of the posse, we then climb from the top of Borseliers to the top of the ridge, overlooking Verdons Sud ...
A little rocky at the top ....
BUT it’s UNTRACKED ....
This is absolutely superb and we are both hyper and exhausted by the time we reach Verdons Sud without stopping. Francois is like a man possessed and for once I am very grateful that Verdons Sud is an old, slow, rickety chair that takes ages to get to the top ... !
From Les Verdons we head to Mont de la Geurre – I saw Francois clocking this on the way up & felt sure he couldn’t resist it, but he checked with the pisteurs in any event as some sections of that mountain can be dangerous.
Mont de La Geurre – just before diving into the forest .... Francois is happy ... Giles ... well Giles reflects ... and is that a smile Thierry, or a grit .. ?
The forest holds very deep powder and is absolutely superb in the shade, but getting heavy in any sunlight ... Sara exits the upper section ..
Francois does not stop on the lower section – it is one helter-skelter of sheer bliss for wrecked individuals who cannot even gibber incoherently any more, but who cannot stop either. We’re all gone ga-ga and when we do finally stop, all burst into a lunatic styled laughter and fall about the place. That was one of the best runs of my entire life & it’s still MORNING ...
However, Danke Gott ‘Lunch-O-Clock’ is called at the top of the Champagny-en-Vanoise telecabine and we flop down on the terrace of the Hors Sac cabine – completely saturated with transpiration. We are wrecked ... ! So too are three of ‘The Demon Chattering Gloves’, but one is still defiant ....
As we try to eat .. (my jaws appear to have no function and remain unable to contribute any assistance to eating for several minutes) ... we look across to where we have just skied ... through the big meadow and veering to skiers right, through the first section of trees, through the smaller meadow and still right, through the dense forest to close to Champagny-en-Vanoise.
Eating was mostly mechanical, for fuel, difficult to chew & swallow, though I did enjoy the last morsels of my sandwich and an apple. Danke Gutness for the double porridge breakfast ration. It’s powerful stuff ... !
We set off for the Glacier and my heart takes a minor setback when Francois literally jumps over the rope, of the roped off section on the North Face of Roche de Mio. The LAST thing I need after lunch is one of the steep Rosset couloirs. Some of my prayers are answered as he takes the least steepest. (Route marked by Blue line) It has fantastic snow in it – really superb, but I ski it badly & get great value from my luncheon sandwich, as I have it back on three occasions down the couloir.... 
We head up to the Glacier and onto the Traverse chair. It would appear that we are headed to the Face Nord de Bellecote and my legs begin to send urgent representations to my brain .... At the last moment we veer off and head along the ridge towards Pointe de Friolin, moving well to skiers right, and into powder on the Friolin slope at about 2500m.
THEN HOW’S ABOUT THIS .... !!!!
Francois Allemoz is a genius guide ... ! Legs mutiny is suppressed – hyper excitement returns and I am pleased that I ski this slope well. Tally-ho .. ! Ginger ... chocks away ...
Sara and I get to go last and pick our own lines ...
We drop down to Bauches chair are finally heading up Crozats about 16h:45. I know Francois won’t be able to resist Mt. St. Jacques if it’s safe ... it’s my absolute favourite way home ... & I am now lulled into believing that I will survive this day ...
Francois, being Francois .. and a man after my own heart I must say .... decides why go down the normal route, when we can climb to the top of Mt. St. Jacques & ski an additional 15 turns in untracked ..... Confusion & verbal protest breaks out as he just leaves his skis and begins making the track in just over knee-deep snow and up a fairly steepish pitch. Virginie’s husband Cedric is carrying both their boards and she carries Francois skis. It’s only going to be a short climb assures Francois ...” five minutes ... maybe six “ ... however I see that impish grin on his face and know the game is on ...
Sara & I will not be broken on this climb – for honour of snowheads, our kin and Country .. we will not be broken and we dig deep. We are half way up after 15 minutes .... Francois pulls over and as No.2 I continue and make the track. Every muscle is screaming, but they won’t have me & I continue with every step aching and hiding laboured breathing. About 50m from the summit he tries to come by me & we sprint for the top .... He’s a bloody mountain goat and gets there before me, but honour is satisfied. I need a few minutes composure before taking this photo ...
.... but we’re on top of the world ....
“To the labourer his spoils .... “ AND the entire Mt.St. Jacques is UNTRACKED !!!
Francois purses his lips ... beautiful ... & the ‘Surfhounds’ are released to make FRESHTRACKS .....
What ABSOLUTE JOY, BLISS, ECSTASY ... Permission to BURST ....
Camera is stowed and we JUMP .... just like the children we were at 09h:00 this morning .... we ski .. and we ski .. and we ski ... and we don’t stop ‘till we come to the forest track .... I am euphoric that I skied it well & I ‘embrace’ a small pine, briefly for support lest I should collapse upon a heap & I think .... THAT was the day that WAS ....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BernardC, Mont de la guerre trees and Bauches in one day, you deserve a rest
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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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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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BernardC, your trip reports are second to none
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Hear, hear.
PS Don't know who that brilliant bobble hat belongs to, but is it for sale?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Bernard, you are legend.
I wish I could do what you do.
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