Nearly a month in the Alps TR
After several winters of living in one place (and choosing the place with the worst snow in the Alps last winter) it was time for a change. The solution: to tour round different ranges for a month each, cadging beds, bumming food (not bumming literally, obviously) and dirtbagging wherever not unpossible. Month 1: the Alps. The camera was a bit grouchy (think I need new battery) so unfortunately I have few pictures. Anyway, here's the long version as I can't be bothered to write a snappy short one...
We hit the road out of the UK at 3am and drove 700 miles through Europe with snow on the ground the entire way. After sneaking over the border into Switzerland and avoiding getting charged road tax we finally made it to to Verbier late at night. Fun to be back where I lived in 2000 and where I met Mrs Mullet (not a real Mrs but she's now been on the scene 6 years...) on a ski lift, the very first time.
Verbier had grown out of recognition in 5 years but luckily I still had a few ideas about where to find stashes. Bruson - still great. It snowed a load and we had some of the best powder I've had in the last 5 years. We also hit an uncut gem: Ovronnaz, a small family resort the other side of the Rhone, beyond Martigny. We skied untracked 40cm pow all day and could count the other people's tracks we crossed with the fingers of two hands. Result! After 10 days of great skiing, some heavy drinking, failing to meet Verbier61 and Neon (sorry guys, my lameness) it was time to head onwards and upwards.
With no new snow anywhere reachable we were unsure where to head next. Eventually we plumped for a week in Les Gets where I'd found an übercheap deal on the intraweb that included accommodation, passes, food, the works. It didn't snow at all while we were there and the snow everywhere was bulletproof (both on and off pistes) so we mainly cruised around, perfecting our epicski steeze. Fun, but only for a while. Luckily we hooked up with Vertigo and his mates who showed us the only slightly soft snow in the Portes du Soleil. Cheers guys!
Next stop Grenoble, home of the 1968 Winter Olympics and the 2005 French race riots, for touring in the Charteuse, Vercours and Belledonne ranges. Typically the weather came in with high winds and snow, putting most of what we wanted to do off the menu. This gave an opportunity for Mrs Mullet to blow a load of wedge on a touring setup - Freerides for her Apache Chiefs and wide skins - sweet. :D We managed a short tour by the Dent de Crolles to test the gear out but not much other touring.
Instead we hit a couple of "resorts". St Pierre de Chartreuse first with Zee Dude - buttery Sierra Cement, loads of fun, classic St P. We were even shown the double-secret backide stashes. Nice. :D Second was les 7 Laux with Tonio and Supercastor, the skipass.com megaboffins. We were treated to a tour of an area with some awesome terrain and hit some great powder. Unfortunately the higher stuff had been kept shut by the wind/avy risk so we couldn't hit any really cool stuff but had fun anyway. This place has serious potential, check it out if you can. Many thanks to Dude and the boffins for putting us up in G-town, not to mention for the copious amounts of fromage.
From Grenoble we left early for a day in Meribel with the mother of Mullet who was tehre with friends. After a painfully expensive lift ticket (made Verbier look cheap) we headed up, in an area I didn't know and didn't really want to know (due to the types of Londoners who populate the area in winter). Despite my prejudices I was impressed: these were people who didn't like to ski powder - they are welcome where I am any time, apart from the braying laughter. We skied big vertical, lots of soft snow (although it had no base - coreshot central) and in several different Valleys. Despite myself, I would actually like to go back...
Next stop La Grave, for a party in the 3200 restaurant/refuge with a load of old friends. A pair of old boys gave us their passes in the car park, saving us a load of money and allowing us to get a tad more skiing than we anticipated. The 2400 - P1 trees were fun, it was not tricky to find soft stuff, even a few days after the snow.
Up at the refuge I followed my normal plan of action for managing to sleep at altitude: remain as far from sobriety as possible. The plan was only semi-successful due to some dude who snored like an exploding freight train. After a great party with beer, tartiflette, loads of armagnac, many jolly japes and not much sleep it was time to ski down with a slightly fuzzy head. Many thanks to Fils for a great shindig. The wind was blowing hard and there was a big queue for the ed-down lift so we stayed off the mountain, preferring to drag a slightly jaded Glisseur and TT out of bed for a chat instead. Sorry guys, hope you got back to sleep afterwards. ;) Then off, towards Chamonix.
After the obligatory McD drive through at Albertville and the fur-coat parade through Megève we finally got to Argentière and found Mrs Roo's flop-house. Not shabby at all, the girl knows how to do things. The next day was spent recouperating and sorting out some touring boots for Mrs Mullet. Then beers at Chambre Neuf with some maggots (Hayduke, Train 07, Mrs Roo, Lars - surely a maggot to be). Fun times.
The following day Idris/Tom took us on a great little tour from the top of Flegère through the Aiguilles Rouges and down to le Buet. Great fun, lots of chat and just what the Mrs needed for her first day in new boots (and I was pretty happy to keep in gentle). Tom is a great guide and has a seemingly endless supply of tasty things in his pockets. Many thanks! Also many thanks to Mrs Roo and Petra for letting us squat. Unfortunately time was getting short so we needed to head off and missed the greater maggot contingent - another time, I hope.
Last stop was the St Bernard Pass for a wander up to the hospice to spend the night. Funny place, seriously worth a visit - the atmosphere up there is something else. After a nice meal, meeting the coolest avalanche hound ever (not a St Bernard, a golden retriever actually) and a good night's sleep we headed off for a short tour into Italy before heading home. Mrs Mullet's new blisters got a good work out although she had a serious gaper moment which put her in the doghouse for the entire journey home. Whilst stopped at an exposed point and moving stuff around her pack she managed to drop her sleeping bag in its nice, slippy stuff sack. When it finally came to rest (thankfully in sight) it was halfway to Courmayeur... No guessing who got sent to get it... Nice work, chica. ;)
After crashing a night in Geneva it was time to fire up the wagon and head home. The washing machine has since had a good workout.. Many thanks to all who helped us out, maggot and non-maggot, it was an awesome trip. Hope to see you all soon again. Next stop Reno and Tahoe for the first stop on the February/March NorAm extravaganza. Pictures to follow when I get home to my fast connection.
