backcountry journal
March - April 2007
3 April - Chamonix
To my surprise Mio still wanted to attempt our scheduled Grand Autannes tour. So we dosed her on pain killers and changed the dressing on her injury then set out for the day. Access to the foot of the Grand Autannes ridge is via the Le Tour resort lift system, after which you take boot crampons and climb a 45 degree line for 600m of vert. The possibility for an uncontrollable slide on the steep icy corn snow was very high, so Mio spent worthwhile effort getting good footing and not catching her crampon points. There was no element of careless risk, just cause to be careful. It took Mio about 1.5 hours to reach the top, slower than normal but still resulting in a very satisfied feeling of reaching the objective. The run down was fantastic, great sping condition powder snow, quite untracked, long and fast. The descent ends in a death trap stream gully called Nant Noir - a nasty place to be on a warm spring avalanche prone afternoon. The best idea is to get out of this long gully quickly and stay on the skiers right and so avoid being under the warm steep south facing gully wall that releases large areas of snow as it softens in the sun. The ravine was full of gnarled avalanche debris and we got out fast. The tour deposits you in Switzerland and some nice guys from Finland gave us a ride in their van back to Chamonix. The alternative is to drink beer in a really small Swiss village whilst waiting for the twice daily bus (it's a good end to the day). I have (will) put a full description of the Grand Autannes tour here.
To my surprise Mio still wanted to attempt our scheduled Grand Autannes tour. So we dosed her on pain killers and changed the dressing on her injury then set out for the day. Access to the foot of the Grand Autannes ridge is via the Le Tour resort lift system, after which you take boot crampons and climb a 45 degree line for 600m of vert. The possibility for an uncontrollable slide on the steep icy corn snow was very high, so Mio spent worthwhile effort getting good footing and not catching her crampon points. There was no element of careless risk, just cause to be careful. It took Mio about 1.5 hours to reach the top, slower than normal but still resulting in a very satisfied feeling of reaching the objective. The run down was fantastic, great sping condition powder snow, quite untracked, long and fast. The descent ends in a death trap stream gully called Nant Noir - a nasty place to be on a warm spring avalanche prone afternoon. The best idea is to get out of this long gully quickly and stay on the skiers right and so avoid being under the warm steep south facing gully wall that releases large areas of snow as it softens in the sun. The ravine was full of gnarled avalanche debris and we got out fast. The tour deposits you in Switzerland and some nice guys from Finland gave us a ride in their van back to Chamonix. The alternative is to drink beer in a really small Swiss village whilst waiting for the twice daily bus (it's a good end to the day). I have (will) put a full description of the Grand Autannes tour here.
Les Grandes Autannes. After taking some resort lifts you scale the ridge - our approximate route is marked with red dots. The descent is over the reverse side of the ridge.
The area of descent on the reverse side of Les Grandes Autannes. Pure northerly aspect. This is one of my favorite areas to ride around Chamonix and Mio really enjoyed it herself.
Mio climbing. Its nothing major, but certainly steeper to climb than it looks here.
4 April - Chamonix
It snowed overnight and the windy white out weather was totally unsuitable for touring. We packed some thermos coffee and went to Grand Montets ski resort looking for fresh snow in the trees. There was 20cm of rubbish wet new snow on ice. A bad day for the mountains, but half a rest day.
5 April - Chamonix
Mio still had a very tender arm, but was still determined to make a third attempt to complete the Amethysts Glacier tour that we failed to finish last season and again earlier in this week. This time we made it, but only after a disgracefully long 2 hour line to use the Grand Montets ski resort cable car (necessary to get access to the glacier at much higher altitude). The escarpment at the top of the tour is at 3500m and the view is amazing. After joining the cable car line up at 8.30am, we reached the glaciers at almost midday and endured a long hot afternoon of ascent. The Amethyst is a long blistery tour and people often give up along the way. We didn't start our descent until 4pm! A very late hour in the day, usually well beyond our safety threshold, but such is the way in Chamonix.
It snowed overnight and the windy white out weather was totally unsuitable for touring. We packed some thermos coffee and went to Grand Montets ski resort looking for fresh snow in the trees. There was 20cm of rubbish wet new snow on ice. A bad day for the mountains, but half a rest day.
5 April - Chamonix
Mio still had a very tender arm, but was still determined to make a third attempt to complete the Amethysts Glacier tour that we failed to finish last season and again earlier in this week. This time we made it, but only after a disgracefully long 2 hour line to use the Grand Montets ski resort cable car (necessary to get access to the glacier at much higher altitude). The escarpment at the top of the tour is at 3500m and the view is amazing. After joining the cable car line up at 8.30am, we reached the glaciers at almost midday and endured a long hot afternoon of ascent. The Amethyst is a long blistery tour and people often give up along the way. We didn't start our descent until 4pm! A very late hour in the day, usually well beyond our safety threshold, but such is the way in Chamonix.
This ridge is at the top of the Amethysts Glacier. I rode the nice and quite steep peak in the back ground last season.
At last, Mio made it to the top after two previous attempts. She was happy.
6 April - Chamonix/Switzerland
Today we decided to complete the usually easy col du Passon tour that we made our stupid spring corn mistake on earlier in the week. Mio's arm is still very sore. After getting our gear ready at 8am we see a line waiting for the cable car that is beyond description. We had totally forgotten about Easter and what a rude reminder. It was way bigger than the previous 2 hour waits we had suffered that week. There was mayhem, like a circus full of desperate holiday makers all out for their bit of resort riding our ski mountaineering. I have never seen anything like it. Faced with this horrible scene and the doubtless 3 hour cable car effort we did what any rational back country tourer would do: go and buy two new bivy bags, leave Chamonix asap and head for a remote Swiss alpine valley and build an igloo. I love Chamonix terrain but do not like (nor even stayed in) the town itself. Nor do I like the obsessive crowds when I do not have the resources to escape them. We reached the small town of Oberwald early that evening, population, 200 people.
Today we decided to complete the usually easy col du Passon tour that we made our stupid spring corn mistake on earlier in the week. Mio's arm is still very sore. After getting our gear ready at 8am we see a line waiting for the cable car that is beyond description. We had totally forgotten about Easter and what a rude reminder. It was way bigger than the previous 2 hour waits we had suffered that week. There was mayhem, like a circus full of desperate holiday makers all out for their bit of resort riding our ski mountaineering. I have never seen anything like it. Faced with this horrible scene and the doubtless 3 hour cable car effort we did what any rational back country tourer would do: go and buy two new bivy bags, leave Chamonix asap and head for a remote Swiss alpine valley and build an igloo. I love Chamonix terrain but do not like (nor even stayed in) the town itself. Nor do I like the obsessive crowds when I do not have the resources to escape them. We reached the small town of Oberwald early that evening, population, 200 people.
7 April - Switzerland
A full slide show with story of our very special igloo experience is (soon to be) here. During the whole time in our igloo base camp we only saw one other person. It was so nice after Chamonix. Today we lugged our far too heavy back packs up almost 1000m vertical and established an igloo base camp at 2100m. It was a very hard long day, including a few hours building our igloo into the evening. But what an amazing home it made. No riding, just packing and trekking up into the remote valley.
8 April - Switzerland
First morning in the igloo, a magic start to the day. We hiked for an easy going 2 hours for about 700m of vertical to ride a 30-35 degree slope. We then rode totally untouched 6 out of 10 powder for a half of it and excellent fast corn right up to our igloo doorstep. This tour served to get a feel for the terrain and to start setting the up-track to the higher glacier and peak at 3100m that we hoped to reach later in the day.
A full slide show with story of our very special igloo experience is (soon to be) here. During the whole time in our igloo base camp we only saw one other person. It was so nice after Chamonix. Today we lugged our far too heavy back packs up almost 1000m vertical and established an igloo base camp at 2100m. It was a very hard long day, including a few hours building our igloo into the evening. But what an amazing home it made. No riding, just packing and trekking up into the remote valley.
8 April - Switzerland
First morning in the igloo, a magic start to the day. We hiked for an easy going 2 hours for about 700m of vertical to ride a 30-35 degree slope. We then rode totally untouched 6 out of 10 powder for a half of it and excellent fast corn right up to our igloo doorstep. This tour served to get a feel for the terrain and to start setting the up-track to the higher glacier and peak at 3100m that we hoped to reach later in the day.
Our own personal valley and the upper right glaciers we got to know over the week.
To the igloo door, 1000m vertical, only us to share it with, 15-25 degrees in the foreground, 25-35 in the middle ground and steeps in the back. We were all over it. This is just a fraction of the available terrain.
9 April - Switzerland
Today we had an easy tour directly up our valley. The angle is moderate, about 25 degrees, but the terrain is crammed with morains and rollovers making it like a long fun park full of huge banks to surf off. During high avalanche periods this valley would give excellent safe high speed powder riding. The tour ended again when we took our snowboards off at our igloo entrance. What a life. I stupidly left a note in our campervan window advising a return on the 9th. We wanted to stay longer and so needed more gas. Plus Mio needed her ski crampons to aid in our planned ascent tour that required an earlier start before the sun softened the lower altitude corn. So in the afternoon we went back down to the campervan, mostly riding on very poor quality snow below 2000m. It took 2 hours to get down, we went for a coffee, bought some food, drank beer and wine and had a quick shower.
10 April - Switzerland
Started early back up to the igloo and made the 1000m vertical journey within 3 hours. In the afternoon we toured another 800m to just below the crevassed area of glacier. This gave us a chance at close recon for the next days ambitious itinerary. An ascent of almost 2000m vertical in a day on 2 week old legs is quite a big deal, but the run back down to the igloo was worth it along a long rolling hump backed feature.
Today we had an easy tour directly up our valley. The angle is moderate, about 25 degrees, but the terrain is crammed with morains and rollovers making it like a long fun park full of huge banks to surf off. During high avalanche periods this valley would give excellent safe high speed powder riding. The tour ended again when we took our snowboards off at our igloo entrance. What a life. I stupidly left a note in our campervan window advising a return on the 9th. We wanted to stay longer and so needed more gas. Plus Mio needed her ski crampons to aid in our planned ascent tour that required an earlier start before the sun softened the lower altitude corn. So in the afternoon we went back down to the campervan, mostly riding on very poor quality snow below 2000m. It took 2 hours to get down, we went for a coffee, bought some food, drank beer and wine and had a quick shower.
10 April - Switzerland
Started early back up to the igloo and made the 1000m vertical journey within 3 hours. In the afternoon we toured another 800m to just below the crevassed area of glacier. This gave us a chance at close recon for the next days ambitious itinerary. An ascent of almost 2000m vertical in a day on 2 week old legs is quite a big deal, but the run back down to the igloo was worth it along a long rolling hump backed feature.
Thats me.