It seems like we’ve had a couple of weeks worth of bad weather to bring the spring ski touring season to a close. Sometimes the crux of a weeks guiding is working out where to go in the first place. When the forecast changes every day, with occasional promises of sunshine in amongst the cloud, it’s hard not to be drawn into sticking with your big plans.
Unfortunately this past few days and weeks has seen a large number of serious accidents in the alps, with folk getting caught out in the weather. A lesson for us all, guides included.
Sparky, Hamish and myself quickly ditched our plan A, and instead cobbled together a trip day by day. We got a couple of 4000m peaks done, a long traverse in the Aiguille Rouge above Chamonix and then a overnight trip to the Argentiere refuge, which was super quiet as both the lift and the hut were shut, meaning a long skin from the valley with weighty sacks.
We skied some superb powder snow coming off Pyramid Vincent above Gressoney, and some total rubbish porridge below the Emosson Dam. The Mantova refuge was quiet and cooked us some excellent food, along with beer, whilst the winter room of the Argentiere was quite the contrast, where drying out the kit was a challenge.
Hamish also whittles a fine spoon. Handy when you’ve left yours in the valley….. I’m not sure what our weekly total was, but we must have averaged over a 1000m a day, with a fair amount of trail breaking, navigation and decisions all the way.
Our planned traverse of the Zermatt skyline would have been brilliant, but sometimes (quite often) in the mountains the weather or conditions conspire against you. Next time….
All photos: Ben Bradford, Hamish Calder, Stephen Park
Ski Touring towards the 4040m Giordanispetx
Cold and windy on the summit of Giordanispetx
Great snow skiing down from 4200m Vincent Pyramid
Hamish skiing below the ice cliffs of Vincent Pyramid
Snow clearing on the solar panels at the Mantova refuge
Walking towards the snow line below the Loriaz refuge
Steep boot packing towards the col du Terrace
Boot packing below the Col
Roped up to cross the lake
Scrambling around the side of the Emosson dam
Crossing the Emosson Dam
The Emosson Dam access road
Quenching the thirst after a very long day.
Brewing up in the Argentiere winter room
The ever impressive north faces of the Argentiere glacier
Skiing down from the Aiguille d’Argentiere
