LA GRAVE MINI SUMMIT - THE RIPZALOT REPORT

[Ted Stryker]

Originally posted by Spamhelmet



looks like ban de rios (wrolngly spelled) ....

dude,
like its the Pan Reee Dough.

and how 'bout that Eegrrete (heh)? bring the tools.

[Ripzalot]

Originally posted by Spamhelmet
nice stokeage, euromang!!!

looks like ban de rios (wrolngly spelled) and trifides are in a quite bad shape? not much snow? was the any skiers on riding them?

dunno the names, you'll have to ask bad roo. i did see a snowboarder taking the route in red tho. f-n-a! big balls for sure.

[Schmear]

Originally posted by Ripzalot
Don't ask....

We've kinda learned not to.

[Mulletizer]

Nice report Ripz. I´ll be adding some of my own stuff in due course.

The Triffyde couloirs are ok. #3 has an impossible huck and doesn´t look as if it will be skiable this season (not unusual). Apparently #2 is ok, I haven´t skied it though. #1 is in good shape but the entrance is pretty tricky. #0 is cool, Roo and I skied it a couple of days ago.

The Pan de Rideau is the Couloir de Pan de Rideau this season - a narrow chute instead of an open field. There is more routefinding on the glacier than in previous years but it looks ok - although I am not sure how good the snowbridges are. There is hardly any snow in the Y couloir, loads of gaps, doesn´t look as if it´ll be doable for quite a while if at all.

[Mulletizer]

BTW It is snowing pretty hard now

Hoping to go up later; messed my foot up yesterday and not too keen to ski with it yet.

[Ripzalot]

Originally posted by Mulletizer
BTW It is snowing pretty hard now

Hoping to go up later; messed my foot up yesterday and not too keen to ski with it yet.

Damn, you boys be careful! Snowing, eh? Hey, it's only a 4 hour drive back down for the weekend. Hmmmm...

I'm jonesin' to get back down there already. La Grave makes everything else look like the kiddie slopes. I'm completely jaded now.

[Karl Stall]

Originally posted by Ripzalot
dunno the names, you'll have to ask bad roo. i did see a snowboarder taking the route in red tho. f-n-a! big balls for sure.

Micah Black skied that one in RAP's Snowdrifters, I think. There was way better coverage when he did it, though. Looks sweet. I'd love to test my fortitude over ther some time.

So fucking cool!

[Crinkle]

Damn, that was awesome. Those pics are fricking great. 5 stars brother.

[Ted Stryker]

Originally posted by Karl Stall
Micah Black skied that one in RAP's Snowdrifters, I think. .

OMG!

[sluffhunter]

Hey Mulletizer, you still have to show those boyz the goods. What no rope with you those dayz. keep rippin and tell everyone I'll be back.

[Mulletizer]

Originally posted by sluffhunter
tell everyone I'll be back.

They already know

The rope will come out soon...

[truth]

Just landed back stateside...all I can say is OMFG!!!! Thanks to all the euro mags for babysitting this uber jong on his euro vacation...pics and more will follow after a shower and some good lovin from my better half. She's waiting for me so I'm audi5000 G.

[Billow]

Make it a quickie so we can get some porn.

Nice shots Ripz

[Jiehkevarri]

Very Cool thread. Brings some memories to my mind...

I visited la Grave spring 2001. The conditions were superb back then. Skied Pan de Rideau many times, and once the Y; maybe the most extremo-mountain-doodhish run I've ever made
But it was in unusually good condition back then - my friend met Doug Coombs(!) in gondola, and they chatted for a while, and Doug pointed out that 'steep skiing conditions are excellent right now'...Still, maybe the best runs were just the bowls at Vallon after a huge dump, wind packed mach-3 cruising stuff!

We also watched some Finns hucking the Trifide 3...after seeing couple of skiers took some big yard sales, me and my friend decided we have no balls for that stuff. Afterwards thinking, a very good decicion, because when I think it now I wasn't ready for that!(and I doubt I ever will, with current back problems) One snowboarder stuck it nicely, just a slightly butt check (but he´s quite good, eh)...and then we saw from distance one swedish girl stomping it cleanly...very humbling

Also, the route down to Freaux through the woods was quite an experience...very tight trees, steep,heavy snow, some down climbing over rocks, sudden cliff bands here and there, and finally avalanche chute with volkswagen sized snow chunks ...obvioysly we didn't take the so called 'right' route...heh

By the way, no wonder that some of those Finns happen to live right there at 'Les Freaks'!!!

I think in Europe La Grave might be the closest equivalent(sp?) to Alta - every skier should visit it at least once!

[Ripzalot]

Originally posted by Jiehkevarri
I think in Europe La Grave might be the closest equivalent(sp?) to Alta - every skier should visit it at least once!

I was wondering about that - what other resorts stateside can compare to La Grave? Everything seems so short and dumb now.