Couloir Poubelle, Aiguille du Midi

[Roo]

Watching Scot Schmidt ski this line in Blizzard of Aaahhs opened my eyes to a whole other world of skiing but I'm trying to remember anybody else skiing the chute and apart from a TR from Phil Ingle here quite a few years back, I'm drawing a blank.

It's such an obvious and inviting line that in this GoPro era, you'd think there would be some footage somewhere of someone skiing it. Every time I've looked at it, there's never been sufficient snow cover. It always seems to look like this.



Anybody got any experiences, pics or video?

[JayPowHound]

Wait a minute... this isn't a TR at all. Consider me disappointed. And hire a guide?

[atkinsonvt]

Umm ... I am no expert on Cham, but the Poubelle is off the Grands Montets.

[Roo]

Umm ... I am no expert on Cham

Well at least you got that bit right.

[Roo]

Wait a minute... this isn't a TR at all. Consider me disappointed.

Did I suggest it was? You want some Couloir Poubelle stoke? Guess why I started this thread? Me too.

[Hicks]

^^^^^^

So it's getting summer and you start getting bored ......

[hick]

Umm ... I am no expert on Cham, but the Poubelle is off the Grands Montets.

I always heard it reffered to as the Petite Poubelle with the Poubelle being off Grand Montets. We must of been there on a good year as we would hit the P. Poubelle on many laps off to other good stuff. Sorry Roo, no video, this was in the era of non digi cameras (at least for me!) and no go pros!

[Roo]

I know the Poubelle off the GM, but this is the iconic one for me due to Schmidt skiing it and then Plake almost taking Hattrup down it with him.

Good to hear that you managed to hit it. Such an aesthetic line and it looks so dramatic from the gallery corridors on the side of the mountain.

I have heard people say that a whole section of the couloir collapsed, leaving a cliff where there was once a steep slope and this renders it largely unskiable in all but the most massive snow years.

[Roo]

"It's too steep to be fucking around in there. I said to Plake "I don't want you behind me, there's a crevasse at the bottom!" - Mike Hattrup

Couloir Poubelle, Aiguille du Midi. Jan 2002

The view down from the top.

[lynchdogger]

If you was a bitch I'd call you a cock tease. Awaiting more stoke of a true classic line. Someday.

[Poop~Ghost]

Plake's beater save is fucking ALL TIME.

[f2f]

wondering who that bad_roo character was.

[subtle plague]

since the glacier has receded the line is rarely oin shape.

[powdherb]

I have the impression that this couloir and a lot of other s-facing couloirs have lost their perennial ice and snow. It's quite obvious in places like there and as well up on the Trient Glacier. I was looking at a pic from when the build the Trient hut and comparing it with today's snow/ice cover on the faces of the aiguilles grises and the copt couloir, and they barely resemble their state of the past.

That fact is that decreased snow pack isn't always only seen at hte tongue of glaciers, the thickness of the ice as well as its ability to fill couloirs has obviously been greatly impacted.

[lynchdogger]

I have the impression that this couloir and a lot of other s-facing couloirs have lost their perennial ice and snow. It's quite obvious in places like there and as well up on the Trient Glacier. I was looking at a pic from when the build the Trient hut and comparing it with today's snow/ice cover on the faces of the aiguilles grises and the copt couloir, and they barely resemble their state of the past.

That fact is that decreased snow pack isn't always only seen at hte tongue of glaciers, the thickness of the ice as well as its ability to fill couloirs has obviously been greatly impacted.

Sad truth.

Hey powdherb nice blog/forum. Enjoyed that and will visit again soon.