So I came back from a week in the Maurienne in bad need of a rest but also with an idea in mind. I was fairly certain the West Face of the Grand Bec would be as skiable as it has ever been in the last 7/8 years, and a zoomed in photo from my terrace on Saturday lunchtime confirmed this - as I was scanning the picture I saw what looked like ski tracks in the top couloir - binoculars out and sure enough, some time later 3 skiers emerged from the bottom of the face.
The line of the Chauchefoin route:
Steep skiing round here is a fairly small world and sure enough a quick text to Yorick confirmed that he had been up there & also gave an idea on conditions... I now knew what Sunday's goal would be!
6.30 start at 1550m, only 1800m to go...
Grand Bec in the morning light:
Looks OK from that angle, but as you get closer it starts to loom:
Approaching the first crux c 2800m - a short mixed step in the goulotte, with 4m of sketchy thin ice on slabs. Time to man up and get on with it (in a delicate ice axe placement kind of way...):
An exposed traverse then leads over ontot he hanging ex-glacier, from the top of which the summit gully /snowslope emerges. 2nd crux, mostly snow, but not wide enough to ski for a few metres.
Summit/obituary photo - slightly tense smile?
Anyone fancy the first turn here?
To ski right from the top and avoid a short downclimb I traversed out right to where one of the guys had skied in the day before - this turned into a buttock-clencher after one gimme warm-up turn, with 10m approaching 60º on firm snow! Lower down the skiing was OK, not as good conditions as the guys had had the previous day, and alot of care needed to avoid old ski tracks & the odd random patch of hard snow, but actually some pleasantly soft turns all the way back down to the higher crux.
Mid-way down the top - solid high 45s/50º down to above the crux, where it steepens some more:
Tracks aren't bad considering!:
Below the high crux downclimb - looking down onto the hanging glacier & beyond:
The hanging glacier gave excellent skiing - as this stares me in the face every day in Bozel it was amazing to finally put some turns down this! At the bottom the sketchiness resumed, with a teetery traverse on 'snow-stuck-just-about-on-rock-slabs' to a few airy turns above the ab point for the short ice section (merci Yorick!).
Time to relax - choppy snow below the lower crux, still 45+ here:
And back out onto the moraine finally - some nice turns in the bowl below the West face:
Slightly more relaxed smile this time!
And some great powder turns to savour, before the slushfest began lower down:
Last look back at the face - have been dreaming of skiing this for years, but it is very very rarely in condition - if anyone is interested it probably will knackered now after today's heat...
Apologies for lack of action pics but as you may have surmised this was a solo mission!!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Amazing. Solo - you absolute nut bar!
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?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Good God, I wouldn't have gone down that on a rope, never mind on skis.
Balls of steel!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Nice!
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.
F that respect
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Nice work!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Chapeau.
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.
Ah, wow, I look out my window every day from La Tania at the Grand Bec.. Thanks for this.. now I can dream that one day I might ski it.
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
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I hope you hid the binoculars from Mrs OPS before you set off
And did those sunglasses come free with Viz magazine - which you must obviously buy to read the exploits of Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large dangly bits.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
F me. Respect for sure. I love doing the solo thing (although not to anything like that degree), Mountainbiking, surfing etc. The feeling of alone-ness and self reliance is great when you're miles from civilization.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Brilliant Simon, well done doing it Solo. 60 degrees is just nuts!!
One to show the Grankids when your sat on that porch
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Parp!!
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?
Great report, nice one! kudos on the Solo, i am either massively impressed or very worried about your mental state....
out of interest do you have a marked picture showing the ascent?
looks somewhat scarey at about 2 mins. dust on ice springs to mind....
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Patch, yes she was & yes she was....
After all it is free
After all it is free
DB, nope - the Rampe Chauchefoin is in the Aravis - on the Blonniere E face...
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.
That last video made me feel quite unwell Respect.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
my goodness.
There is a funny line between what is amazing- stuff that makes mates buy you a beer- and stuff that that makes people look at you oddly.
I don't know enough about skiing to say where this is- but it looks pretty close, but then Yorick's video just seemed to show people in total control. So what do I know? (not much before anyone says)
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
ed123, people have been looking at me oddly for years - I am quite used to it...
Remember - a black run looks like death to a green run skier, but once they ski blues it looks slightly more viable, and once they progress to skiing reds then it seems more realistic...
And as a wise man once said: "conditions, conditions, conditions" (ie, think Gd Couloir in Courchevel with bullet-proof ice first thing on a spring morning, or with 3 feet of fluffy powder on it. Very different propositions.)
Without getting too 'new-age' about it, there is nothing like a no-fall zone to clear your mind of b*llsh*t - its a zen thing...
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 4-03-13 21:22; edited 1 time in total
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.
offpisteskiing wrote:
Without getting too 'new-age' about it, there is nothing like a no-fall zone to clear your mind of b*llsh*t - its a zen thing...
Which of course neatly leads us on to these thoughts on steep skiing from the Tecrew (not safe for work or minors - those without a sense of humour look away now...):
No idea how to embed... and possibly best if I don't...
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 4-03-13 21:20; edited 5 times in total
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
Boom! Awesome work!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Good work there! Quite a decent.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
offpisteskiing, yep I get the zen thing indeed. Like flyfishing, or climbing- and I get the conditions thing too. Which is why I guess the line is rarely skied and then skied a few times in a couple of days. Yorick and friends also looked (to me- for all I know) in their element...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Wow! Just frikkin' wow
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?
offpisteskiing,
Quote:
there is nothing like a no-fall zone to clear your mind of b*llsh*t
1. How long did it take you to do the 1800m climb from 1550m ?
2. What's next on your list - another epic adventure or have you now earnt your stripes and qualify for a chicken?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
DB,
5.5 hours - I am very unfit at the moment (and was recovering from a really bad chesty cough on Sunday). Reasonable skin track to 2700m but 600m of boot-pack to break as the tracks from Yorick & co had filled in during their descent/overnight - hard going...
Wasn't particularly rushing on the skin part though as wanted to save energy and also wanted some sun on the face for the ski down.
Next on the list is lots of work and very little time off sadly (though a trip to Lofoten upcoming...). The 'to-do-list' is very long though (and tends to get longer rather than shorter...) - as to exactly what is next, all depends on conditions...
Yes no point racing up, tiring yourself out and then trying to tackle frozen crud on 60 deg slopes. I haven't attempted anything above 50 Deg yet, did you also ski with an ice axe in hand as seen in Yorick's clip?
A nice tour to have under your belt, hope you are blessed with the right conditions again - look forward to the trip report(s).
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
