 Poster: A snowHead
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TRIP REPORT EoSB “Lac du Lou” ... April 24, 2009
The EoSB overall was too fantastic for my mere vocabulary, but I am signing up for an 8 week ‘Diction Inspiration’ correspondence course to give it some scribe justice later ... 
In the meantime, our last Trip Report of the week appears first, partly because it was such a great day and the epitome of what snowHeads & the EoSB is all about and secondly because I enjoyed every minute of it – we laughed and we laughed, when crying might well have been the order of the day  We didn’t have champagne powder, though Champagne did figure in our noble undertakings later ...  .. we did have an unspeakably fine foray into the most wonderful breakable crust and utterly delightful tracked and well iced snow ..
Fortified in Apartment X, post dinner last night with wee drams of ‘The Green’ which of course served to remind me & in turn me remind everybody else of my nation’s latest & greatest Rugby triumph, that recent, that prestigious, that gargantuan accolade of being Grand Slam Champions .... .. Today, Lac du Lou was the object of our desires and after partaking of a splendid & leisurely breakfast of ‘Curates’ egg and soldiers  (No rushing to get out before sunrise today, as we needed mother Sun to strut her stuff and thaw out the frozen wastes of Lac du Lou, before our skis graced it with our presences), we assembled in front of our 4* lodgings .. 
What a grouping of esteemed snowHeads ..., and a large grouping, so I trust I will be forgiven, if I mention only the gorgeous girls, .... homphomp, Michelle RachelQ and Sam ....
We set off from Val Thorens for Cime de Caron and then descend to our chosen entry point to Lac du Lou, which we do from the back of the ridge at about 2980m.
... and down to what I call, ‘Le Deux Dents Mauvaise’ and its most beautiful backdrop ...
Further along the ridge ...
Then we climb a little to the saddle and the marmots begin to emerge ...
To the crossing point ...
Even though we have had a leisurely breakfast, the snow is still fairly hard and rattly underski – a major contrast to the extremely soft-going on this route on preceding days.
Although reasonably familiar with most modern languages, I was at a loss on a few occasions, when homphomp & Michelle appeared to be communicating with imaginary friends in a language unfamiliar to me ... .... it seemed to be a variation on Latin, with just one recognisable word, though I don’t imagine the Romans spake this particular four-lettered specimen when they last visited Lac du Lou ... (Circa a long time ago) ..
We eventually reach some tasty snow around 2400m and have a bit of fun, turning and swirling in a mixture of Spring snow on the dolmens, though it’s not long until we have to work a bit for our lunch ..
We reach the bridge and begin the arduous ascent to the Lunch Zone .. ... having first said our farewells to those going early and to homphomp & Mr HH who have to begin their voertrek home today ... 
My luncheon today comprises of a magnificent sandwich. Encapsulated in what must be the greatest glory of France, the humble baguette, (Which Yoda sourced personally to my order, by way of his daily pilgrimage to the Boulangerie), is jambon de Paris (generous quantities .. ) une petit peut de Brie .. avec a tad of proper mayonnaise, est avec une another tad of Moutarde de Dijon and a teensy-weensy sprinkling of cumin. Quelle delight! It seems impossible that life will get any better, but quelle surpris .... the 900 year old sage plucks two bottles of Champagne from his ABS Pack! complete with drinking receptacles ... .. (Subsequently I have filed a complaint to ABS, as my pack was devoid of such delights).
We dine in some extravagance amid the glorious setting of Lac du Lou and munch our luncheon in pleasure with that great & unique additive .. Alpine Mountain Hunger ...
(.. a super Al Phorn photo hopefully to be submitted here in due course – which was taken on a time delay mechanism of great sophistication ... )
Al Phorn's photo now released to the public ....
We natter and chatter and we laugh, we savour ‘The Friday Fizz’ amidst that beautiful place that is Lac du Lou. How quickly the week has flown. We reminisce – events of the week and the year ... of course my nation’s latest & greatest Rugby triumph, that recent, that prestigious, that gargantuan accolade of being Grand Slam Champions ...
For desert ... chocolate covered raisins, though Yoda must have spilled a pack, as I noticed hundreds on the ground near the shack. I carefullie pick these up and put them back in an empty packet, which Al Phorn seems to enjoy ... 
All good things come to an end and our sojourn ends as we pack our bits & pieces - Yoda packs the empties and soon we are negotiating homphomp Ravine ...
... and return to civilisation ...
What a day .... ! .... there's a lot of people on this group today that can feel very proud of themselves .. what stars ....
Captions for this one ....
... answers on a postcard please ... we’re off to Plein Sud ...
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 28-04-09 14:01; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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"I bet I can get that soft git Bernard to carry my skis on the next climb...if I shake my Tic-Tacs at him"
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| BernardC wrote: |
| homphomp Ravine... |
BernardC, thanks for an enjoyable ski. This particular ravine was rather gnarly with a certain member of our advance group accidentally finding herself enjoying an impromptu 30ft cliff huck down to the bottom and very nearly pulling it off with style before being dumped between large rocks with one foot in the stream. Cue a mad scramble down to the ravine by the rest of us to thankfully find the skier had avoided what seemed inevitable injury.
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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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Caption: OK, he's taken the picture, we can walk away from the snowy back drop now and go back to the office.
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It's getting a bit muddy down here. Now the surface matches the trousers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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BernardC, looks like it had melted quite a bit more at the bottom since we skied it the first weekend.
Hope we ski together next season!
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You know it makes sense.
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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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homphomp, I caught a tip on that trail and almost did the same Landed the other way though... it's a bit steep ain't it?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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homphomp, sounds scary.
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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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Helen Beaumont, It was....but don't tell the gnarly ones, I'm trying to put on a brave front! I have no idea how I survived with just two bruises and one scratch to my name....if I'd hurt myself it would have put me off for life, as it is I have a tall tale to tell at every future EoSB "I remember the day I plunged off the side of the Lac du Lou...." and with every telling the ravine will get deeper
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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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kwaka, sorry to scare you guys....what a way to end the trip! I'll have to watch where I put my skis next time and avoid those pesky tree roots.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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homphomp, Wasn't it like in Lord of the Rings where a great serpentous tenticled creature attempted to drag you into the depths of the lake?
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homphomp, I was just behind kwaka. I saw you go down half way then you disappeared from view. Bloody frightened the life out of me. Glad to hear you only had a few scrapes.
It was definitely more like 60ft
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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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you shall not pass...............................
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Helen Beaumont, Friend?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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homphomp, Well I've compared the photo with the os map, measured it and had my calculations confirmed by NASA and it was definately 80'
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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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| Scarpa wrote: |
| Helen Beaumont, Friend? |
Oh well, go on then.
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BernardC, Loved the valley. One of the Alps' gems, I think.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| Michelle wrote: |
I so much look forward to doing that run again, but please can you arrange it so that the tracks aren't 40ft deep frozen gulleys that don't allow you out  |
Have you had those depths checked out with NASA by Schuss in Boots? Fresh powder next time please!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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FAQ
