 Poster: A snowHead
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So I'm off to Chamonix for 4 nights in January with a few mates. I would consider myself to be a strong intermediate and have generally no problem with blacks when in good condition and have done a fair bit of off piste stuff in the US (Fernie, Kicking Horse, JH).
What I'm wondering is whether I'll be good enough to ski from the top lift at Argentiere - I hear its very steep and obviously don't want to put myself or friends in any danger. Any info to help me make an informed decision would be gratefully received.
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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nickr,
It probably varies but on my visit was a fairly standard black run, I was there in mid march when conditions were good. First few metres a bit polished but no dangerous.
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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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nickr,
Pointe de Vue goes left from the bottom of the CC stairs and stays right of the ridge that the cable car has just travelled over..
A fit strong intermeditate will be fine, IMO.. ok, so you might take a few tumbles and you need to stay between the poles but it isn't that steep.
Pylones starts off on the same left bias but then cuts back across that defining ridge and from there that is a bit steeper.
As long as you go left of the bottom of the stairs you will be fine ...if you turn right and head straight down virtually under the cables...then that is steep and glaciated as well so don't do that by mistake.. You have about 700 mtrs vertical from the top of the GM via Pylones to the Herse chair.
Basically, don't follow tracks if you don't know where you are, just stick to the marked run and there should be plenty of traffic passing.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 6-11-09 13:45; edited 1 time in total
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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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If you can ski stuff like Concussion in Fernie or any of the chutes off CPR ridge in KH then shouldn't be an issue other than potentially harder snow and bigger bumps.
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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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Cheers guys, sounds like it's do-able for me in the right conditions.
JT - are the runs marked/easy to follow? From your description sounds as though it could be quite easy to ski out onto the glacier if you're not sure where you're going?
Fatbob - Can't remember the names of the runs at Fernie, but did the runs directly under the Timber Bowl Chair from Lost Boys Cafe which I remember feeling pretty steep. At KH we did The Flying Dutchman off the Golden Eagle Express which takes you over into Bowl Over and My Blue Heaven off the Stairway to Heaven Chair which takes you back down into Crystal Bowl without any problems at all. Can't remember the rest...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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nickr, Point de Vue is fine and (surprise, surprise) gives great views. The top 50m or so can be a bit steep and slippery, but a solid sideslip or traverse keeps you out of trouble. First time I went there it was a bit of a different prospect, with quite a deep rutted track to cross the bergschrund before reaching the piste proper. I still did it after a fashion in my second week though - without leaving too much of a brown trail behind me  . Nowadays they always fill in and piste the bergschrund and that section's just a normal steep piste. After that steep section it's a reasonable undulating piste - long reddish sections with short steeper bits, but no problem for a solid intermediate. Pylones is essentially a 1400m mogul run, and the bumps can get quite big. The 700m JT mentions is to the top of the Herse chair, and it's essentially unpisted - other areas would call it an itinerary run. The 700m below that (back to Lognan) is where the bumps really get going, but the red from Herse snakes around Pylones, so you have bottle out options if you need them, and you also have plenty of opportunity for variation taking you over to the bottom of Point de Vue if you fancy being more adventurous.
There's no chance of taking the dangerous route JT talks about by mistake - there's a rope barrier and danger signs all over the place. I doubt you could do so by mistake even in zero vis (but then you shouldn't really be up there in those conditions if you didn't know the route beforehand anyway). There is a possibility of running off to the right of Point de Vue a bit lower down, but again you'd have to do so deliberately as there's a rope barrier separating the piste from the open glacier, with quite a few people taking those routes down to skirt the Argentiere glacier proper. Once over the ridge onto Pylones proper once it's separated from Point de Vue the piste is less well defined. There is a section down skiers' right right close to the rock band that's interesting to ski, but is fairly heavily crevassed so it's a good idea to not get too close to theat rock band too high up. There is again a roped off area to guide you away from the main danger at the top
Only problem may be that if you're there in early Jan they may not have the lift up there open at all - they do need enough snow to fill in the crevasses. A couple of years ago I was in Chamonix mid Jan and they didn't open it until (IIRC) 1st weekend in Feb. Last year on the 2nd weekend in Jan it was fantastic.
Have a great time.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 6-11-09 14:37; edited 1 time in total
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GrahamN, thanks for the info, I'm already bouncing off the walls with excitement! I quite enjoy the odd mogul run too so should be good!
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nickr, As Graham says you are on glaciated terrain so stay within the markers and Pointe de Vue is well markedall the way down, IME.
Pylones has a little cut back track/path which will be marked and probably netted before leading you out to the 'piste'. I say 'piste' as it will likely be well tracked but I am not sure I saw any poles...!!
Anyway, in good vis, you can see your way down to the chair below and there will be bumps but they get big from the Herse chair downwards..
Basically it is a huge face which can be great fun... pick the right sunny day and you will be fine. You will need your strenght and fitness but
in good conditions you'll likely love it. You then reaslise that the GM is one HUGE bowl and your lines are your lines... but remember at 3000m plus you are on glaciated terrain for couple of hundred mtrs and respect it or don't venture off the well worn runs.
Like all these things we can be over-egging the pudding.. but best to mention it.
If there is a doubt about the top of the GM being open and having enough snow, than ask at the bottom CC. I am not sure how they are selling the top of the GM as it used to attract a supplement but they sometimes sell you a pass that isn't useable.. It is very sneaky, IMV...
They seemed to leave it to you to decide what pass you wanted....
We bought a day pass with two trips up the GM and then they had a voucher system to collect at half way... and we ran out of time to make use of the supplement we paid for..
The voucher sytem had been in place for a few years now and we used to pay for it at the middle station.. but we thought our access brought at the bottom of the CC negated this..it didn't, we still had to collect a voucher and wait for our time.. only we didn't have to pay for it there.
I think the early system was better. Buy a pass for the GM and pay the extra at the mid point for as and when..
Anyway..
To me, for an adventurous type the GM is the hill you'll spend most time on... and the top of the GM is a must..just be sure what lift ticket arrangment they are selling, suits your group.
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Nevermind the glacier, there is an even better picture of a young ladies naked botty - could make some joke about huge crevasses etc etc but thought I'd better not!!!
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