I didn't know I needed quasi-human sacrifice to get some powder. But one half-ACL (my girlfriend's) and one dislocated shoulder (my son's), both just after last Christmas, did the trick for the annual boys' March trip to La Grave.
I'm posting it here in the hope that Ullr decides to show them, too, some love this Christmas.
Last season was pretty barren in the Alps. When we arrived in La Grave, the valley didn't look great, but the forecast did. The next morning, things started off well:
A couple of our group of six hadn't skied much that year. We were supposed to start off with a warm-up run. But Pierre, our guide, had other plans. "When it's good it's good", he said, showing us the way to Triffides 2.
Good thing that La Grave is flat:
(bonus telepherique in the background)
Or maybe not quite so flat :
(rappel in La Voute, starring irbis)
It's fun inside the couloir, too:
That night it started snowing properly:
So the next days we skied some trees:
But also Triffides again:
And put first tracks in Les Freaux:
...and then, following Pierre's faultless timing for a half-hour sunny window, first tracks in Chirouze all the way down. Too much fun to stop for a lot of photos in the actual couloir (and there was another group following), but here's one of Arno starting out:
This led to what must have been the comment of the week. The next day there was a long queue at the telepherique and Pierre looked at everyone and said: "Look at all these guys waiting to lay second tracks in Chirouze"
I mentioned Pierre a few times. I think we fell in love with him. We certainly look up to him:
He must like us too, his body language says it all:
He gives us climbing tips:
Saves the best lunch spots for us:
...and when he gets bored of us, he steps on the gas and gets lost in the distance:
Then again, wouldn't you, if you had this crew on your heels?
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