Backcountry in France

[Rod9301]

Today, nice crust. Ok if steep, heinous if low angle.

 

[Rod9301]

This morning, doesn't look like it, but the steepest i skied this year. Actually, my wife skiing, no pictures of me.

 

[Paul Lutes]

Out with Co-editor Gav and his 2 Jack Russel terriers yesterday, first spring snow of the season, 13km of approach in total, but worth it! Gav filming with the Gopro Max 360.........

Those are some chunky JRs! I'm assuming they got a lift during at least part of the approach?

 

[KenX]

Nope! All under their own steam, we call them "Les Rando Chiens" here!

 

[KenX]

Sadly due to a Saharan sand storm a couple of weeks ago, plus no fresh snow and higher temps than normal we've seen a major degradation in the snow quality, no re-freeze at night means the snowpack is slushy mank most of the time, and the red sand layer is attracting more heat from the sun and warming fast.........

 

[Primoz]

Hollyshit.... we got away pretty good with this. Just slightly yellow snow over here (no not that yellow snow ) , but nothing even close to be comparable to this. We had similar some 2 years ago, when I finished my ski touring season month early, even though there was plenty of snow in mountains, but something like this just wasn't too appealing to ski. This time, we were obviously lucky and missed big part of this crap.

 

[KenX]

We're clutching at straws here, tomorrow Tech editor Gav is hiking 1200m vert to see if he can find anything worth skiing, I'm taking the dog to the vets so sadly can't join him

 

[Rod9301]

Today's couloir.

 

[KenX]

So we decided to hike up 1222m (4000') to try and find something skiable, which we did, cold pow at 2600m (8500')! Had to carry the dogs on a powder traverse, with their short legs they manage a powder descent ok as long as it's steep enough and gravity lends a hand!

 

[Rod9301]

And another one.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Today's couloir.

That cornice drop into the couloir looks fun!

 

[Rod9301]

That cornice drop into the couloir looks fun!

Top is the couloir was over 50 degrees, so i skied into it on the side of the cornice.

 

[KenX]

Finally some snow here in Serre Chevalier, around 10-15cm so nothing to get toooo excited about, but it's been around 5 weeks so.........
That said, the forecast was for even more over in neighbouring mystical La Grave, around a 40min drive away, so we headed there this morning first thing and were rewarded with 25cm fresh, yay!
Not too many people around and this being France during Covid, no lifts running so we had the place pretty much to ourselves!
Opted to skin up around 3300' to P2, the mid station and skied untracked pow down to P1, then dropped into the forest for the final descent, skied this line before, but never got it untracked
P2 at the top of the photo, P1 at the bottom of the line we skied under the lift, hopefully 360 video later!

 

[KenX]

Strava track:

 

[KenX]

As promised, Gopro 360 video from yesterday in La Grave with a classy slo-mo head plant from Gav after catching a hidden tree stump

 

[KenX]

What we have to go through in these testing times to score a few turns..........
Hiked up 4000' to the Col de la Cucumelle and then on up a bit more, reward: untracked boot-deep pow!
Caught a nasty hidden rock at 13 seconds in, luckily no damage
Really have to think deep on where to go now, and looking at the weather forecast it'll be spring snow skiing soon, can't complain eh!

 

[Rod9301]

Yesterday

 

[Rod9301]

More couloir skiing.
Don't fall to the right.

 

[Rod9301]

Yesterday, 8 hour mission

 

[PowHog]

Nice one Rod. Where in the French Alps are you located?