Mini-TR: Mont Blanc du Tacul - 2007.04.09

Took a little stroll up the old Tacul today, with non-maggot Richard. Two days ago I watched a few troopers bootpack their way up a strange, direct route for the first time this season... no ski tracks as of then. So I was hoping to break the first ski touring track of the season. Alas, the way that mountain works is when one person makes that first trail, it becomes a highway overnight - I'd guestimate 20+ people skied the mountain with another 30+ today.

Ohh well, it was still North facing powder in pretty OK conditions, followed by another lovely slush run down the Vallee Blanche Vrai Vallee variation.

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The route

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A Happy Easter summit shot

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Ricard enjoying his first Chamonix summit

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Checking out the Gervesutti Couloir. It starts right over that edge, direct from the summit...

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...and looks like this.

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We decide to give 'er a go!

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Yeah right. Actually we decided to take a variation from the summit that traverses the ridge at the entrance of the couloir. I did make one sweeping turn in the couloir side of the ridge and after spent a few minutes thinking about how I will never ski this couloir in this lifetime.

It's like the fourth time on this mountain, so I wasn't feeling too motivated for photos. We just cruised down in semi-crusty pow, trying not to fall in several very scary big crevasses.

Next target: Mont Maudit. Then an overnight at the Cosmiques to do all three of the "trois mont blancs":
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