 Poster: A snowHead
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Normally our late january trip is filled with stormy days and deep powder...
A bit like this 
This year it was somewhat different! No point dwelling on it -so on we got on with lots of sunny filled days touring to some remote spots around the Aiguilles Rouges and Italy.
Firstly A nice warm up day on piste in Flaine with a long lunch at the Gites des Gers 
We had heard reports of a deep snowpack through the tunnel in the Aosta Valley so off we went to La Thuile and the first adventure of the week. The plan for the day was 1.5 hour walk up to "Bella Valleta" a peak on the French/Italian border at 2800m.
James (my brother) leaving the top of the drag lift above La Rosiere
A nice Italian view of Mt Blanc
Jim nearing the top - check out had strong the wind had been....that snow was like corrugated iron!
First turns from the top heading back into Italy
Jim found some decent spring snow on the sunny aspects
The best turns of the trip so far
The rest of the 1600m desecent was certainly interesting......every type of snow known the mankind, some might have called it educational.
So we headed back through the tunnel and rehydrated with Pale Ale and burgers at the MBC in chamonix
The next day we headed to Les Contamines looking for some spring snow on the mostly easterly facing slopes. The problem being that it really never went above -10 all day so everything was rock hard!!
It was time to crack out the skins/snowshoes with some touring off the back of Flaine in the Desert de Plate nature reserve
A quick run down from the DMC
Which got us the bottom of the "face du jour", The Pointe de Plate (2554m)
Chris leading the way on skis
Jim enjoying the views over towards Chamonix
Nearing the top, it really is pretty spectacular and remote in this reserve. I have seen Chamois, Ibex, Golden eagles, Bearded Vultures and Ptarmigan over the years.
And yes it always holds the goods as well....
Thats me dropping in first
Sometimes the photographer gets to go first....
The rest of the trip was just Jim and I, so the following day we headed back into the Desert de Plate as the forecast was for cloud building.
We just about got up to the Col de la Portette
Clouds building
Then it socked right in
so we felt our way down the desecent and headed back up to flaine for a beer,
The Desert de Plate is not the place to be in zero vis due to the very large Lapiaz (rock crevasses)
This is what they look like in summer
The last few days were spent in Chamonix hiking for lines.
We had spied an untracked line up above the Index Chair at Flegere, so after abit of snowshoeing,
Couloir climbing
and a couple of sketchy moves with the ice axe
We were rewarded with an untracked face (in Chamonix 2 weeks after the last snow!)
The last day was spent on a biggish tour off the back of Flegere, Firstly over the Col des Croches which got us below the
Pointe Alphonse Favre
a Transition to Crampons and Axe for the steep climb up the couloir
Topping out of the couloir for some ridge mixed action
Jim watching his step along a narrow section
The final climb to the summit of the Alphonse Favre. Cold and windy up here, but very atmospheric
The turns down the Glacier du Mort were OK, but after over 2 weeks with no snow it was more about the day out.
All in all I had a fun week and although not neck deep pow, we did get mostly sunny skys. But lets hope for a return to Winter.....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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nicely done!
no pics of the runout from the Glacier Mort? 
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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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norris, brilliant thread/photos
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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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Arno, That runout is evil on a slowboard..... 
I was glad to see the Train station at Buet.....
pam w, guess your right actually it just looked like spring!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cracking trip report... good to see some very good pics. 
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really great pics there, makes me wish I was younger, fitter and braver!
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makes me wish I was younger, fitter and braver!
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I was about to say "me too". Then I reflected that if I were fitter and braver I wouldn't need to be younger.  We have only ourselves to blame for not being up and out there.
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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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Outstanding report and pics 
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Fantastic! Although some of those ridges
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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norris, great work. The snow Gods owe you!
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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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norris, nice stuff as always, good to see you're making the most of the prevailing conditions.
This website needs more TRs like this.
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norris, Realy nice photos
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You know it makes sense.
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Cracking stuff!
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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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This website needs more TRs like this
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As an old biddy who sticks to the pistes except the odd little foray, I enjoy these reports and pictures enormously - both because of the sheer beauty of the mountains and because it's great to know that people like the OP (and others) are out there doing it. I admire their initiative and energy and do feel privileged to share those experiences. I just dabble in mountain walking - in the summer - and never many hours march from a car park - but even those little glimpses give me some insight into that wonderful world out there - up there.
In winter the nearest I get is the hike over the ridge from Notre Dame de Bellecombe to Praz sur Arly. A very gentle 40 minutes, but with such wonderful views (and normally so few people) it feels like more of an adventure than it is.
Thanks, chaps.
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w,
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As an old biddy who sticks to the pistes except the odd little foray, I enjoy these reports and pictures enormously
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+ 1
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, didn't you post a photo from an Autumn hike up there a while back? It looked awesome, would love to see more and some winter ones too
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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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Swirly, aHa! Yes, my Snowheads calendar picture of the Col de Very. that was an extraordinary day - very cold (minus 6 or so) with a scattering of snow but all the autumn vegetation still about, and cattle out quite high - it was mid October. Not quite in the same league, though it is good to remind ourselves that winter sports aren't just about riding up lifts and down pistes. maybe I should do a TR on a couple of hours potter (with Beaufort and jambon sandwiches) on my snowshoes. Guaranteed no heart-stopping ridges.
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