Finally Spring Skiing at it's best

A snowHead

So have been out here since March 15th and have only done three or four tours, but no classic spring skiing to speak of, as we just have not had the right freeze / melt conditions.

However the forecast for yesterday and today was looking good, sunny yesterday with temps dropping overnight and then a good freeze, that said had to be up early to be sure.

We left the apartment at 07:50 and by the time we drove past Pont D'Alpe that was rammed with people going up and then the parking where we park for Galibier was crazily mobbed, never seen it so busy, must have been because the forecast was so good for ski touring and there have not been that many good days, plus was a Sunday, and holidays for the Marseille region!

Anyway as I hoped, 90% of all the French feckwits merrily went up in the direction of Pic Blanc leaving Elaine and I on our own. Just don't understand why, think they all want to bag a "summit" or something, and the descent back down from Pic Blanc having done it a couple of times is not that memorable.

Had to do a little navigation at times to be sure of the route, even though this was the fourth trip up there, just that there are a few gulleys, and if you're not careful you end up going down, only to have to climb back up, anyway all was perfect, at times a little hard on the hard icy snow on traverses, not quite crampons, but not far off!

Elaine didn't fancy the last steep section to the ridge (she did the same last time) so she stayed down whilst I skinned up to the ridge which then looks down on to the Col and below to the tunnel entrance and Henri Desgrange monument.

We then skied down to the tunnel and had a snack in the snowhole at the base of the monument, letting the sun just do some more work on the snow.

And we timed it to bloody perfection with a superb spring snow descent, if the snow started to become a little heavy you just skied a slightly different aspect / angle of slope to the sun, that made it all the more fun sussing the snow.

I was on my new Black Diamond Factors which I picked up for a good price yesterday, along with some Dynafit compatible soles, and used my K2 Mount Bakers for the first time since I did my knee, and when I was in the shop yesterday, turned out I had one of the back binding settings on max (Dynafit have two on the back), that might have been the cause of the knee!

So superb classic spring snow descent, not really been waiting nigh on four weeks!

As ever was all over quite quickly Sad

Once back down and after lunch, though there was only one more thing to do, so go the bike out and cycled up to the Lautaret, though cramp was kicking in big time towards the end as I was joined by a Belgian !

More images on the link below

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200280527110877.1073741830.1084457608&type=1&l=45f553d89d

And for Strava fans GPS tracks etc of both of today's climbs

http://app.strava.com/activities/48720396

http://app.strava.com/activities/48754501

Happy Days

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

clarky999, last three or four weeks have been doing a fair amount of "boot" research, brought on from a La Grave day when both guide and mate said I should consider a change in boots and or skis, bearing in mind you can't get much more heavier boots than my current Axons!

Said mate and his bro also have had Factors, I wanted boots that would work with my light weight touring skis avec Dynafit, would also work with my heavy Markers on my Missions and with a possible change in soles also on my Doctor 104 wide skis, so in essence a one boot does it all ?

Have been to three shops here in Briancon / Serre as well as two in LG and have talked the hind leg of a donkey about boots. In two shops I was more or less laughed at when I asked about the Tecnica Cochise, and these were very serious climbing / randonne shops. In the final place where I bought my boots the Cochise's were grouped together with the Alpine boots on a separate floor to the ski touring dept, and again the bloke just shugged his shoulders when I asked about them, but value for money they could have been tempting, around 50€ less than the Factors I think, but as I said you get what you pay for rolling eyes

Now if you want firm evidence of any of the above I'm willing to back and take photos!!!!

Might well keep my Garmont Axons for snow kiting now.

Anyway it's all bollox to a certain degree, if you're happy with your boots, then great, but what I commented on originally in that other "thread" seems to have a degree of logic, or me and many others have fallen for a huge marketing ploy to buy over priced boots when the Cochise would sufficed Shocked

Would be interesting to see amongst SnowHeads, via Strava how much vertical people actually do in a season (set it up for next season) as opposed to talking about it versus walking the walk Smile

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Weathercam, just pulling your leg wink

I'm happy with them, but will freely admit the vast majority of my skiing is downhill, hence why I want something as close as I can to an alpine boot with Dynafit compatability - certainly not claiming they're the best pure touring boot. Seem to be pretty popular around here though.

I know a couple of people with the Factors too though, seem very happy with them, so I can't imagine you'll regret them.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The Factor is in the same "class" as the Cochise anywho. It just happens Black Diamond are a known climbing brand and Technica aren't.

Nice photos Weathercam.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Sorry about above, drunk in charge of a keyboard and prattling on, did say to myself that I was not going to respond to anything more on the boot front Confused

Another superb day today for touring, but I'm having to stay in this morning for the Orange technician, hopefully a degree of broadband internet by the end of next week!

And have some work to do, so maybe back on the bike this afternoon.

Help!!

Finally Spring Skiing at it's best

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