Paging Chamonix Mags

[vertigo]

I'm currently out in La Grave, i've been here the last 3 seasons, but this is the first time i've had the use of a car, and i'd love to get up to Cham, and do a bit of skiing there. I've only ever been to Argentiere for a day, and i've heard so much great stuff about it up there, i'd love to come up and have a look.

Obviously, if anyone's down in La Grave, and i'm about i'm more than happy to return the favour and show you around (or meet up with any mags who are about).

[jwolter7]

Aston Villa is a great team. Olof Mellberg, and Martin Laursen have given my fantasy team many points. Have fun skiing in France.

How are the snow conditions? I am hoping to ski the French Alps in late March/April. Has the snowpack covered the glaciers yet, do you think they will be in good condition for skiing this year?

[Huck_Schmuck]

I can help with Verbier? Not so close but some amazing skiing.

Stantonskibum, scottishskier, hot female non-mag and myself are heading your way next weekend. Wanna hook up / show us around?

[Mulletizer]

Hmmm, a lesser spotted Vertigo sighting. How's LA Grave been treating you?

[Scottish_Skier]

Yup - 4 of us will be escaping verbier on 18->20th feb, to cleanse our souls, and become at one with the mountains in LG.

Any info on conditions? Would love to ski Pan De Rideau - but the traverse scares me.

If your going to cham then verbier is just along the road - and well worth a visit.

[vertigo]

jwolter7 - yes, mellberg and laursen are quality, especially laursen, he's a fcking monster! he must be one of the best defenders in the premiership.

huck_schmuck, scottishskier, yes, i'd be happy to show you around, and not only because you've got a nice looking girl with you! pm me a mob number and i'll text you with my french number (i don't actually know it to pm it to you). i'd love to come up to verbier. my friend has a place in morzine, so i could stay up there, and drive over sometime.

scottishskier, the pan is amazing. maybe the best thing i've ever skied, but the traverse is currently very scarey. i skied it about a week ago, me and my friend were the 3rd group down (3 other people before us). normally you can just point the traverse, and get off it quickly, but this time there were alot of rocks everywhere, and you had to do some sidestepping and clambering about. i think in this case, without being too dramatic about it, if you made any mistakes you would die, as the snow below was hard, and there is no snow in the ygrec. i think that because there was alot of snow early in the season the pan is skiable a bit earlier than normal. it would be safer after a few more storms. if you're keen to do it bring an axe. but that said, it was fcking great once we were off the traverse!

mulletizer - hi, good to hear from you again! are you doing much skiing this season? any plans to come out anywhere around here? you could show me around. la grave is great - as you know - i think i'm a bit hooked on it here. if you ever fancy it you are more than welcome to stay. i hope mrs mullet is good.

[Huck_Schmuck]

PM on it's way bro! Thanks man.

[pivko]

I am heading to Chamonix on Friday for a week and then directly to La Grave (once i figure out how to get there) for another week.

I am flying solo so it would be great to meet up with any of you for some skiing or at least a beer.

[cberry]

Just got back from a week at cham. Without question the place rocks. Rec #1 is to get a guide for at least a day or two- they may break the bank but there is just so much opportunity for cool lines. Find one or two other good skiers and suddenly not terribly expensive...

For accomodation: If you like good prices, great food, amazing chat, an awesome old-school wooden chalet and the friendliest host possible then you should definitely stay with gary bigham - <vitamin_ski@yahoo.com>

[Spark]

I'm SO stoked. Can't believe I'm heading to Cham Saturday, arriving on Sunday. I'm planning on getting a guide for 1-2 days and promised papa that I'd ski the Vallee Blanche with him.

I'm up for skiing with some mags since I have no definite plans yet and will post-up a get together for some time next week. Not sure how many will be around but we'll see.

Praying for some fresh snow.

[Bob O]

how are the conditions around the alps right now? what resorts/bc are skiing the best?

[StevieG]

Big high stalled over most of Yuroland at the moment. Not much sign of it giving out for a while if you believe the forecasting models.

[jumpturn]

Well, good weather just means you need to go high and earn your turns ... There is always fresh.

[Spark]

For any mags in town pivko and I will be MBC Friday night to check out Gary's band. He's on at 10 pm...I'll probably be there around 8:30 pm.

[Lance_K]

yea made it! See you there.

[gramps]

A couple friends and I are going to be out there for about three weeks starting Thursday. If anybody knows the area or wants to meet up, let me know. We mostly want to do tours versus resort style skiing, but we're up for anything. We'd consider getting down to La Grave as well, so drop me a line.

BTW, what's the weather looking like now? I saw snow in the forecast for Cham on weather.com, but that doesn't really tell us much.

[Scottish_Skier]

Getting back on topic - hopefully someone can sort Vertigo out a tour of the chamonix valley

He did a stellar job of showing 4 Verbier seasonaires around La Grave at start of the week. So would be nice to see the TGR karma returned.

Doug.

p.s And obviously if anyone is up in Verbier this winter then fire a message this way.

[jumpturn]

Here's some beta!

I'm sure some of the local pro skiers know better, but anyway it's a start.

Here is my interim TR for this year's January trip all in one thread. Euro TR

Check out some of this stuff as entry level descents.

Search TGR for many fine Chamonix TRs

Mountaineering skills are a big plus for Chamonix. Opens up terrain and increases safety. For sure, bring crampons, ice axes, harnesses, avi gear, etc plus maybe a rope, ice screws, rock gear if you're feeling ambitious.

Definitely pick up both these guidebooks in the book store.

• Chamonix Hors Piste/Off Piste
• Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles Rouges: A Guide for Skiers by Anselme Baud (available in French and English)

Les Grands Montets: Ski the Brochard Gondola and the two bowls on skiers left. Then, take the telepherique to the top. Do the piste if you're not comfortable skiing glaciers. Otherwise do the glacier du Rognon (skiers right) and La Face (skiers right, 45&#186. Couloir Rectiligne (45&#186 to Montvers. See guidebook for descriptions.


Aguille de Midi: Grand Envers (5 sections of 40-45&#186, forget about the rest. Really. Take the Vallee Blanche to the skin up to Italy with the Glacier Toule (40&#186 and return via the Combe Noire (40&#186. The Glacier Rond and the Couloir des Cosmiques are fantastic and easily-accessed intermediate extreme skiing (50&#186; sections).


Courmayeur: Go to the very top and ski the off-piste that drops back down to town on lookers left. There are some couloirs on the front if the weather is good. Also, go up the Funivie to Pointe Heilbronner and ski the glacier Toule (early morning, or cloudy with fresh snow).


Anglo Hangs: Canadian micro brewery (MBC) across from the Sports Center.

Gites: Beledere in Argentiere

For yet more stoke and ideas for more descents, see:

• TVMountain
• Davide Capozzi
• SkiTour.fr
• Phil Ingle
• Il y a du gaz

Caveat emptor -- get a guide if you're clueless.

According to the archives of the mountain rescue services, nearly 160 bodies have been found buried in the glaciers of the Mont Blanc region. As many alpinists or skiers have also been reported missing since the 1950’s. Since the beginning of the 21st century, more and more human remains have been found in the surrounding ice, as global warming causes the glaciers to recede. -- Chamonet

But in any case, have fun!

Ausie punches it, Grand Envers, Chamonix, January 19, 2008.


Shredding first tracks on the Couloir Rectiligne, Grands Montets, January 23, 2008.

[Alkasquawlik]

Holy chit, saw the possibly the biggest avy/serac crumble off the west side of the aguille du midi yesterday. gnarbles.

[jumpturn]

Holy chit, saw the possibly the biggest avy/serac crumble off the west side of the aguille du midi yesterday. gnarbles.

Wow! Looks like something right of the Aguille de Midi on the Bossons Glacier. Might have been exciting exiting the Rond or the Cosmiques!

On the looker's left of the 'pherique, the glacier ice near the top station looked really primed to fire in January. There were huge gaps behind it and it was pretty clearly balanced. If that cut loose, it would be quite the show! Wouldn't want to be standing around by the plan d'aguille!

[Ripzalot]

Here's some beta!

I'm sure some of the local pro skiers know better, but anyway it's a start.

Here is my interim TR for this year's January trip all in one thread. Euro TR

Check out some of this stuff as entry level descents.

Search TGR for many fine Chamonix TRs

Mountaineering skills are a big plus for Chamonix. Opens up terrain and increases safety. For sure, bring crampons, ice axes, harnesses, avi gear, etc plus maybe a rope, ice screws, rock gear if you're feeling ambitious.

Definitely pick up both these guidebooks in the book store.

• Chamonix Hors Piste/Off Piste
• Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles Rouges: A Guide for Skiers by Anselme Baud (available in French and English)

Les Grands Montets: Ski the Brochard Gondola and the two bowls on skiers left. Then, take the telepherique to the top. Do the piste if you're not comfortable skiing glaciers. Otherwise do the glacier du Rognon (skiers right) and La Face (skiers right, 45º). Couloir Rectiligne (45º) to Montvers. See guidebook for descriptions.


Aguille de Midi: Grand Envers (5 sections of 40-45º), forget about the rest. Really. Take the Vallee Blanche to the skin up to Italy with the Glacier Toule (40º) and return via the Combe Noire (40º). The Glacier Rond and the Couloir des Cosmiques are fantastic and easily-accessed intermediate extreme skiing (50º sections).


Courmayeur: Go to the very top and ski the off-piste that drops back down to town on lookers left. There are some couloirs on the front if the weather is good. Also, go up the Funivie to Pointe Heilbronner and ski the glacier Toule (early morning, or cloudy with fresh snow).


Anglo Hangs: Canadian micro brewery (MBC) across from the Sports Center.

Gites: Beledere in Argentiere

For yet more stoke and ideas for more descents, see:

• TVMountain
• Davide Capozzi
• SkiTour.fr
• Phil Ingle
• Il y a du gaz

Caveat emptor -- get a guide if you're clueless.



But in any case, have fun!

Ausie punches it, Grand Envers, Chamonix, January 19, 2008.


Shredding first tracks on the Couloir Rectiligne, Grands Montets, January 23, 2008.

IAOIPPS

(incredible amount of information post preservation service)

[ulty_guy]

great rectilligne shot! i got about 3rd tracks on feb 3rd. money line.

edit- and oh yeah, la face is not 45 degrees, but it is fun.

[jumpturn]

edit- and oh yeah, la face is not 45 degrees, but it is fun.

Dunno. Probably depends on how you hit it and the snow cover. Best to check the book.