 Poster: A snowHead
|
Trip report: ski tour to (almost) Col Tuckett
Big day out today, with over 2,000m of vertical ascent. Left Monetier in the dark, had a gorgeous sunrise with pink mountains turning golden while we were skinning up the Montagnole traverse, then made fresh tracks for 1,500m of vertical. The steep section to get on the glacier was a bit dodge. We went on the gully on the right as that seemed safest given conditions. Then skied about 50m away from the Col. The Col itself was looking like a deathtrap: steep, and with the lower half of the slope missing as it had avalanched, so the top half was hanging over air. Did not fancy it.
The descent was lovely - there was over 30cm of fresh powder at altitude (was expecting 5 to 10 given the forecasts, so that was a lovely surprise). On the steep section came down just to the left (looking down) of the ski tour line on the IGN map. The snow was transformed lower down, but all very good skiing until the bottom of the Montagnole: a mix of powder, transformed powder and a bit of spring skiing all the way down. Not one bad bit until the flat section of the Montagnole: that was on heavy, sticky snow.
We were alone all day in the entire valley/mountain area, except for 3 people far away who used our tracks and eventually went to the Col du Monetier.
With temperatures sky rocketing, unsure there will be much powder left. And we'll need to go very high for any chance at spring skiing given where the freezing line is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@wimpytwo, big day indeed, good work 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
More powder tomorrow? Will be my last day touring in Serre Chevalier, nice to finish with yet more snow. Today was a rest day while it rained incessantly. Over the weekend we went high, staying a night at the Glacier Blanc hut and another at the Ecrins hut, doing a couple of peaks in the area. Some nice spring snow, some horrible icy crusty horror, some melting slushy softness - a bit of everything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Good that you'll be back for the end of the season @weathercam. Hope the UK goes okay. I'll be going back next week. Before that a bit of mountaineering on the Swiss/Italian border, going to try to go up a few 4,000m peaks to finish off the season.
Today was decidedly wintry. Windy and cold - one of the coldest days of the season (in mid April!) We went up a few things from the Lautaret. It was empty. No-one on Cote Plaine, or on the col between Trois Eveches and Pic Blanc - or anywhere in the entire valley. The snow was a bit heavy from the wind. So not perfect powder, but still pretty nice.
I'll be checking out the pistes tomorrow before heading off on Friday. Warmer and calmer, should be a good day of piste skiing. Maybe with a bit of off piste here and there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We skied for a week in Serre Chevalier recently at the end of March. Talking to the hotel manager in Briançon, he said that all snowmaking stopped mid-March. I can understand that there is a point in late season when the benefits are limited because everything will soon be closed anyway. Also conventional snowmaking is only possible when temperatures drop below freezing, but he stated that it was a legal requirement that applied to Serre Chevalier along with all French resorts.
Is this really the case?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@bolderz, it is often too warm for snowmaking by then anyway, but there may be energy-saving and water-saving regulations coming into play.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
I had to fly back to the UK at short notice on Tuesday and then returned yesterday, Saturday, and the temp on the SnowCab van was showing 26 and I was none too surprised having been keeping tabs on the forecast etc
However, the temp driving around the top of Briancon was still 25 - I've never known Turin & Briancon temps be so similar.
And walking down to the 1420 last evening I was just in T-shirt & summer shoes etc and even walking back was still mild.
Saturday is very much the end of season party day/night and it did look like the 1420 was gearing up to be a good night as we left.
We went up from Aravet at 09:00 to make the most of the pistes before the sun softened them up to much, and looked like there had been a basket-ball thing going on at Aravet 2000 yesterday which they were starting to pack away.
Met fellow geezonaires at Ratier at 09:45 after a few lovely deserted runs and then under Les Combes chair spotted my first marmot of the season, and then a few more more up the Grand Serre.
Finished up with drinks at the Ratier and then we had to ski back to Aravet from there and again deserted.
We then tooks the dogs up to the lakes beyond Monetier and walked up to Le Casset and back, and I've never seen the torrents so full of water and the Durance was positively raging. Dogs loved being able to cool down and it was really like high summer!
Back on the terrace temp has just hot 26.22 and the sensor is in the shade of the eves!
Forecast is for more cooler temps mid week so points to hopefully good ski-touring, though I'm a tad concerned about all the Saharan Sand and what that will do, and then as ever where to go?
So maybe road bike up the Granon tomorrow to scope out what the access is like as from the pistes of Serre it look like one blob of snow on the road which you might not be able to drive through/over and then two km of tarmac before the snow-line, perfect for me if just on the e-mtb but not good for OH !
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
