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Mt Blanc du Tacul - back on the snow

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
At last, after four months of repose, it is time to ski again. Dave, Stevie and I decided to head up Mt Blanc du Tacul to get some turns in.

Dave hikes over the shoulder of the Tacul. In the background you can see the Aravais mountain range and Sallanches huddled at the bottom of the valley.


Stevie and Dave on the summit ridge. Behind is the Aiguilles Rouge and just over the Swiss border is the Tour Salliere (3219m) with a bit of snow still on it.


Looking back at the Aiguille du Midi where we set off from. The little climb from the plateau of the Col Du Midi (3532m) back to the lift is about 250m and is always a killer at the end of a long day.


Although France was bathed in sun Italy was covered in clouds. Dave and I on the summit at 4248m.


The Nordica 105 was not created for lugging up over 1000 meters of mountain at over 4000m of altitude. But it was created for this.


Back at the Col du Midi. The route in red in the background. The line on the left of the triangle, just in the sun, was looking almost in condition. I think that there will be another trip up there soon.


There are more pics here


Phil
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Very nice. Very humbling.
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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?
Wow, that look fantastic

/renry sad to be at work and seeing somebody out at place of such beauty
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
Always a good idea to ease yourself back in gently Shocked

Thanks for the pics, Phil.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Cheers for posting that, Phil. Got me in the mood for Deux Alpes tomorrow Cool (not that my skiing is anything like that Sad )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Inspiring stuff, thanks for putting it up. Oh to be able to walk up and ski down a mountain like that on any old typical day in October ...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Looks a very nice day out, thanks
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 brian
brian
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Cracking pics once again, Phil. I think that's actually about the first time you've posted something I could contemplate following you down. Must've been pretty tame for you wink
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Phil,

Inspiring stuff - thanks very much for posting it. Enjoyed your web site too.

I wonder if I could ask you a couple of gear questions as I'm weighing up options?

1. In that sort of snow (looks fairly firm consolidated with a little fluff on top) - what benefit does a fat ski have over a midfat like a stormrider XL?

2. Somebody else mentioned that you look like your using alpine boots. Do you think the stiffer AT boots (say Garmont Adrenalin) are still too inferior in downhill performance?

Thanks

J
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
philinglewrote:
Quote:

The Nordica 105 was not created for lugging up over 1000 meters of mountain at over 4000m of altitude. But it was created for this.

Great line Phil. Can I suggest that if you have a video of this then edit it and put yourself on the opening scene quoting that phrase and then cut straight to the action accompanied by the opening music in Pulp Fiction , Miserlou by Dick Dale and his Del Tones.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
philingle, Thanks and good to see the season has started for you guys! Look forward to sharing this years descents!
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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.
Flippin implausible....compared to Phil I feel so feeble...
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
jedster wrote:

1. In that sort of snow (looks fairly firm consolidated with a little fluff on top) - what benefit does a fat ski have over a midfat like a stormrider XL?

2. Somebody else mentioned that you look like your using alpine boots. Do you think the stiffer AT boots (say Garmont Adrenalin) are still too inferior in downhill performance?


Hi Jedster

The answer to 1 is not too straight forward. The reason that the Nordica is a great ski for those conditions is not specifically because it is a fat ski, but because it is a proper racing GS ski that they made a few cm wider. It's GS pedigree makes it superb at speed and happy carving great big arcs, it's extra width makes it good at dealing with the variable snow you get in areas with some wind effect and sun crust and its extra weight makes it plough through just about anything so once you have set your mind on a line it will follow it faithfully. This does not mean that a fat ski, in general, is ideal in these conditions. Another ski that would be great here is the Igneous FFL or the Movement Pow Pow, which I guess are both mid fat. And a couple of ski’s that would not have been so much fun are the Fischer Watea and the K2 “Made’n AK” which are fat ski’s

I do use alpine boots, I have tried to use touring boots in a quest for comfort on hikes and weight for climbs but they just don’t work when it comes to skiing back downhill. I have tried the stiffer boots from Scarpa and Garmont and none are comparable with skiing an alpine boot. Basically if I thought that my life depended upon it then I would use and alpine boot, if I wanted to enjoy the ski I would use an alpine boot, and if I had lift access then I would use an alpine boot. The only time I would use an alpine touring boot would be for something like the Haute Route where there is not a great deal of good skiing but there it lots and lots of hiking and skinning. I have eventually settled for having a Vibram sole fitted to my alpine boots. This makes them much better for hiking in and walking around and scrambling over boulders etc but doesn’t help with the weight issue. It does mean that I am a bit limited on the bindings that I can use though.

Hope this helps.

Phil
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Phil,

Thanks very much - just the input I was looking for.

J
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