I think Ushuaia could be resumed in 2 words by mountaineering nonbelievers : shitty weather. Of course there are some nice landscapes, and renting a car for a pair of days can give you a taste of the surrounding nature. For those who are not afraid by touristic attractions you can also enjoy yourself on a catamaran excursion or just shopping on the main road (another San Martin avenue).
I guess I was just about to leave the place with yet another bitter taste if I hadn't met this funny, crazy, impressive group of young french alpinists ! Their idea : going from north to south, following the Andes while doing as much summits as possible, going down either with skis or paragliding !
To do so, they started the trip in Colombia where they bought a 4x4. After 6 month of travel, the poor car looks like a retired Paris-Dakkar 4x4. I believe every piece of it has been either stolen or broken at some point !
As for the guys, they are exactly what I was hoping for : laid-back, not pretentious, fun and completely mountain addict ! Not surprisingly, the offer to jump on the bandwagon came naturally. I don't think i've been thinking too long about it :)
Once on the snow I could measure their amazing skills ! Of course they live almost in a ski resort in france, and most of them (if not all) live for and by the mountain. Still, seeing the technique in action remains astonishing ! I took as much advices as I could ... can't wait to work on it !
For the people interested in ski-alpinism, here is the post about the 2 days we spent together in the mountains : http://andesthologie.over-blog.com/article-co-godoy-1173-m-f-pass-45-et-co-martial-1264-m-pd-pass-45--39011387.html
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Patagonian tourism
The girls have cooked up a nice and neat patagonian travelling program ! There it is :
The first day is painful (5h of freezing and heavy rain / melted snow fall). Hopefully the camping site is nice and we can eat in a kind of hut. The following days, we can enjoy different impressive views of glaciers and immense smooth rocky faces, with a nice weather.
Back to Puerto Natales where we spend a day (and a bouldering session with Ivan for me) before taking a bus to El Calafate, in Argentina. In the bus we meet a group of 3 french guys who are travelling since 6 month. We decide to rent a car together to go the next day to the Perito Moreno, a huge glacier.
Wake up at 6am to avoid the parc entrance fee (french style). We find 15cm of fresh snow when we arrive. Quite cool for snow battle but not so good for the view. Anyway, we can watch a huge piece of ice falling into the water while getting completely wet with snow balls.
The next day another bus take us to the alpinism Mecca, El Chalten. This town is amazing. Not the town itself (I'm actually older than the town !) but the surrounding landscape. You can even see the Fitz Roy while walking in it.
Beside the fleas, the hostel is a nice heterogeneous place. Antonio the polish andinist, dreams of immense glaciers (just came back from a 3 weeks solo trip on the Hielo Continental, one of the biggest ice field in the world), and other similar kind of adventure. Fakundo, an argentinian who looks like an indian escaped from a western movie and travel while selling all kind of handcraft stuff. An italian french-spanish-english speaking globetrotter with his son, who are working as cook in the local trek industry. The whole thing run by 3 argentinian guys from buenos aires and a funny english bulldog (with a tendency to fuck legs).
We stay there 4 or 5 days, enough for 2 amazing treks and few big parillas. The latest trek, below the Fitz Roy ("lago de los tres") is a must do !
A nice program that notheless leaves a tiny taste of excessive organisation and lack of wild / adventurous experiences (I want to get out of the well marked track !).
- The famous W trek in the park "Torres del Paine"
- Glacier Perito Moreno
- Trekking around El Chalten
The first day is painful (5h of freezing and heavy rain / melted snow fall). Hopefully the camping site is nice and we can eat in a kind of hut. The following days, we can enjoy different impressive views of glaciers and immense smooth rocky faces, with a nice weather.
Back to Puerto Natales where we spend a day (and a bouldering session with Ivan for me) before taking a bus to El Calafate, in Argentina. In the bus we meet a group of 3 french guys who are travelling since 6 month. We decide to rent a car together to go the next day to the Perito Moreno, a huge glacier.
Wake up at 6am to avoid the parc entrance fee (french style). We find 15cm of fresh snow when we arrive. Quite cool for snow battle but not so good for the view. Anyway, we can watch a huge piece of ice falling into the water while getting completely wet with snow balls.
The next day another bus take us to the alpinism Mecca, El Chalten. This town is amazing. Not the town itself (I'm actually older than the town !) but the surrounding landscape. You can even see the Fitz Roy while walking in it.
Beside the fleas, the hostel is a nice heterogeneous place. Antonio the polish andinist, dreams of immense glaciers (just came back from a 3 weeks solo trip on the Hielo Continental, one of the biggest ice field in the world), and other similar kind of adventure. Fakundo, an argentinian who looks like an indian escaped from a western movie and travel while selling all kind of handcraft stuff. An italian french-spanish-english speaking globetrotter with his son, who are working as cook in the local trek industry. The whole thing run by 3 argentinian guys from buenos aires and a funny english bulldog (with a tendency to fuck legs).
We stay there 4 or 5 days, enough for 2 amazing treks and few big parillas. The latest trek, below the Fitz Roy ("lago de los tres") is a must do !
A nice program that notheless leaves a tiny taste of excessive organisation and lack of wild / adventurous experiences (I want to get out of the well marked track !).
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Osorno
Mmm, after a week of inactivity the perspective of a huge snowy slope surrounded by astonishing landscape is quite appealing !
Starting at 8am with a beautiful sunrise we are all eager to walk up this big white cone. Celia & Damien have never done such things but seem in good shape.
I can start with skis from the begining and after half an hour, with the slope getting steeper, we try the crampons we've rented for Sophie, Celia & Damien, the day before. Funnily Damien's shoes (a huge french 45) don't fit in the crampons. I give him mine, but while tighting them the strap breaks ... it must have been a sign !
Anyway, somehow we can find a workaround.
Sophie who has exchanged her stomachache to a pulmonary infection stops at the top of the ski resort.
Except for a small diarrhea incident, everything goes well until the last 200m ...
The slope gets steeper so I leave my skis below some kind of icy bloc and put my crampons too. I teach Damien & Celia the basis and we arrive on the crater. This one is completely full of ice. Not impressive but at least toxic gaz free !
The clouds that were sitting far below the summit are now running up and within minutes we are in the fog. The obvious track we took becomes now a little more tricky. Everything is white and without neither a map nor a GPS we end up relying on our footprints. Unfortunately it's not that neat in this kind of snow ... Somehow, 1h later we are going down the same way we came from. And now the best is to come, find my skis I left on this immense, foggy, white slope ! Another hour goes. The fog remain the same and I still not have my skis. I've walked around in all directions but nothing looks familiar ! Desperate we go down and while going down things start getting more and more familiar until ... I end up on the skis.
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| pics over here |
200m below we are in the sun once again, enjoying a cool descent. Unfortunately the fog comes back and Damien & Celia want to go on a different way. We agree to meet up 50m down. Obviously skiing down is much faster, so after a quick run I start waiting for them, soon realizing it's really stupid to split in the fog ! After 20 min I guess they have taken another path. We are not so far from the ski resort so they might have found a straighter slope ? I go down until the top of the ski resort were Sophie was waiting for us. It's over 5pm and of course she isn't there. I wait another 20 min and think that once in the ski resort it's a piece of cake to get to the parking. I also want to tell Sophie everything is fine.
I'm now with Sophie, it's 6:30 pm, and we start thinking that something wrong happened to Celia & Damien ... There are few guys in the ski resort but they can't really help. Still one of them lend me a GPS and I go back to the point where I last saw the two (roughtly 900m above us). I walk quickly and within an hour I can see their footprint, going down ... in the wrong valley ! They have crossed many footprints including my ski tracks and went down in something completely unfamiliar ! I guess we could call that flair. Seems that not everyone is well equipped :) Anyway, I go down thinking they could have hurt themselves. At some point their tracks go up toward the ski resort ... before going down again :( The large snowy valley soon becomes a narrow rocky canyon. I'm walking with the skis on my backpack, it's 8:30, getting seriously dark. They still don't answer when I shout and I eventually loose their tracks. It's now time for me to get back ! I skin up another 300m on steep slopes reaching one of the ski resort edge. At 9:30 pm I'm back to the car, where Sophie and Damien are waiting for me ! Luckily the 2 have found a way in the valley, leading to the road.
A long day (almost 3000m of altitude difference for me) full of lessons ! It's crazy how small mistakes could lead to a big issue. I'd say :
- never split in the fog
- if absolute necessary try as soon as possible to meet again (I should have skined up rather than going down)
- in any case expect beginners to have flair / instinct => think for the worst !
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Chiloe
Puerto Montt isn't such a great city to visit, and after a night in a friendly but disgusting pension we meet Celia & Damien with our brand new peugeot 207. We will attempt volcano Osorno and spend some days on Chiloe, a big and apparently beautiful island.
Once in Ensenada, the little town below the volcano, the weather becomes really crap with even worse forecast. The next day is actually OK so we can enjoy the sun around a lake while eating a delicious trout. The old man who took us accross the lake to the restaurant showed us around on his small boat while fishing for our dinner, unfortunately, without much luck ...
To end the day we had heard about hot springs. After driving down a muddy track to a small place we ended up on a little boat with oar driven by an old lady ! That was indeed the best part ... the thermal area was just a muddy lukewarm ditch. In short, if you hear about rajún spring pool, just pass away !
Given the forecast, the sun was going back 3 days later, so we decide to visit first Chiloe and then come back to the Osorno. We put the car on a boat and arrive in Castro, the main touristic city on the island. Beside the local wool craft industry, nothing really exciting (I mean no big mountains !). I think one day would have been enough ..
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| pics over here |
Once in Ensenada, the little town below the volcano, the weather becomes really crap with even worse forecast. The next day is actually OK so we can enjoy the sun around a lake while eating a delicious trout. The old man who took us accross the lake to the restaurant showed us around on his small boat while fishing for our dinner, unfortunately, without much luck ...
To end the day we had heard about hot springs. After driving down a muddy track to a small place we ended up on a little boat with oar driven by an old lady ! That was indeed the best part ... the thermal area was just a muddy lukewarm ditch. In short, if you hear about rajún spring pool, just pass away !
Given the forecast, the sun was going back 3 days later, so we decide to visit first Chiloe and then come back to the Osorno. We put the car on a boat and arrive in Castro, the main touristic city on the island. Beside the local wool craft industry, nothing really exciting (I mean no big mountains !). I think one day would have been enough ..
S.A.
Today I start a new chapter in my life. Yet another trip to South America beginning in Madrid at the "Casa Tony" with a bunch of delicious tapas !
The initial plan has changed a bit but the goal remain the same : visiting Patagonia by doing as much sport as possible. Of course the cherry on top of the cake is ski touring.
So here we are, 2 days later with Alain, Suzanna, Eric and Sophie, in Chillan with a big Nissan 4x4 waiting for our first volcano. Unfortunately Sophie has a bad stomach ache which prevents her from doing much activity. Alain too decides to not go because of a muscle ache and stays with Sophie. The weather isn't perfect but with 1600 m of altitude difference, that's a good start :)
Surprisingly we find a track on the last slope ! The explanation comes 5 min after reaching the top. 4 snowmobiles arrive with a huge noise ! It's even more hopeless to see the guys proud of their ascent ... Anyway the descent in the last corridor is really good.
The following days Sophie & Alain get better and we can ski volcanos Antuco, Lonquimay, Llaima and Villarica (1st ascent for me). The last is the most active one and while we were taking pictures on the crater with Sophie a heavy acid wind blew our faces .. Unfortunately, I didn't have a hat so I lost half my hair ... people now call me John Malkovitch ! ... just joking :)
Eric, Suzanna & Alain decide to visit Atacama rather than driving further south to attempt the majestic Osorno. We split at Lancoche after a funny night in a pension ran by 3 old ladies.
The next day Sophie & I take a bus to Puerto Montt were we'll meet her friend Celia and Celia's friend Damien.
The initial plan has changed a bit but the goal remain the same : visiting Patagonia by doing as much sport as possible. Of course the cherry on top of the cake is ski touring.
So here we are, 2 days later with Alain, Suzanna, Eric and Sophie, in Chillan with a big Nissan 4x4 waiting for our first volcano. Unfortunately Sophie has a bad stomach ache which prevents her from doing much activity. Alain too decides to not go because of a muscle ache and stays with Sophie. The weather isn't perfect but with 1600 m of altitude difference, that's a good start :)
Surprisingly we find a track on the last slope ! The explanation comes 5 min after reaching the top. 4 snowmobiles arrive with a huge noise ! It's even more hopeless to see the guys proud of their ascent ... Anyway the descent in the last corridor is really good.
 |
| pics over here |
The following days Sophie & Alain get better and we can ski volcanos Antuco, Lonquimay, Llaima and Villarica (1st ascent for me). The last is the most active one and while we were taking pictures on the crater with Sophie a heavy acid wind blew our faces .. Unfortunately, I didn't have a hat so I lost half my hair ... people now call me John Malkovitch ! ... just joking :)
Eric, Suzanna & Alain decide to visit Atacama rather than driving further south to attempt the majestic Osorno. We split at Lancoche after a funny night in a pension ran by 3 old ladies.
The next day Sophie & I take a bus to Puerto Montt were we'll meet her friend Celia and Celia's friend Damien.
Friday, 11 September 2009
Paragliding baptism
I guess flying is quite a common dream, and everyone would do his best to please his young sister for her 18th birthday. As I wasn't sure about jumping from the Eiffel tower we went to our good old pyrenees, just above Foix, for a paragliding baptism !
The wind was good and we took off really fast, after 3 sec we were 20m above the ground ! The guys even did cool loopings with us ! It's so impressive, and of course, like the worst roller coaster, makes you want to throw up everytime it speeds up ... Actually Marie didn't like her last loop so much ;)
The wind was good and we took off really fast, after 3 sec we were 20m above the ground ! The guys even did cool loopings with us ! It's so impressive, and of course, like the worst roller coaster, makes you want to throw up everytime it speeds up ... Actually Marie didn't like her last loop so much ;)
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| pics over here |
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Coup de Barre
It's been 4 years since I climbed some mountain with Pascal ! We kind of lost contact over the last years but it's been always like that since I know him, since 20 years !
Anyway I took a train on friday to aix-en-provence nearby where he lives now, with his wife, Marguerite.
After a quick lunch, his half broken peugeot 405 took us to the Pres de Mme Carle where the hike starts.
We stopped at the Glacier Blanc hut to enjoy a nice meal while watching the night set, blown by a crazy moon rise before the stars started to pop all over the place.
Funnily everyone in the dorm woke up at 6:30, needless to say, 2h late ! There were a group of english guys pissed off to miss their last day as they had planned a short route before leaving. No big deal for us, the warm up day was just shifted. As always we started really fast and took the wrong path on the glacier which ended up in the middle of cracks ! Interesting navigation that eventually led us on the ridge. Unfortunately we were missing some time and Pascal was paying the price for 3 weeks of twisted ankle so we didn't reach the Roche Faurio summit and went back to the Ecrin hut.
D-day, this time impossible to not wake up ! A massive bustle took up the hut at 3:30. Half an hour later the usual procession started on the Glacier Blanc.
We reached the Lorry breach (nearly 4000m) around 8am. Sounds like we had a lot of time ahead ... not so much indeed. We spent 5 bloody hours on this impressive ridge ! But it was the price to pay : the whole thing was really beautiful and exciting.
Hopefully our young legs took us down to the car (~ 1800m) fast enough to get back to salon de provence not too late for the dinner !
Anyway I took a train on friday to aix-en-provence nearby where he lives now, with his wife, Marguerite.
After a quick lunch, his half broken peugeot 405 took us to the Pres de Mme Carle where the hike starts.
We stopped at the Glacier Blanc hut to enjoy a nice meal while watching the night set, blown by a crazy moon rise before the stars started to pop all over the place.
Funnily everyone in the dorm woke up at 6:30, needless to say, 2h late ! There were a group of english guys pissed off to miss their last day as they had planned a short route before leaving. No big deal for us, the warm up day was just shifted. As always we started really fast and took the wrong path on the glacier which ended up in the middle of cracks ! Interesting navigation that eventually led us on the ridge. Unfortunately we were missing some time and Pascal was paying the price for 3 weeks of twisted ankle so we didn't reach the Roche Faurio summit and went back to the Ecrin hut.
D-day, this time impossible to not wake up ! A massive bustle took up the hut at 3:30. Half an hour later the usual procession started on the Glacier Blanc.
We reached the Lorry breach (nearly 4000m) around 8am. Sounds like we had a lot of time ahead ... not so much indeed. We spent 5 bloody hours on this impressive ridge ! But it was the price to pay : the whole thing was really beautiful and exciting.
Hopefully our young legs took us down to the car (~ 1800m) fast enough to get back to salon de provence not too late for the dinner !
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Back to Corsica
It's definitely hard to resist to the Corsican beauty ! After my 2007 experience I thought it would take me quite some time to get there again .. but when Jörn told me about another climbing trip on the island I couldn't say no ! Jörn fell in love with this magic land years ago and often goes there. That's actually where we met, 2 years ago.
Last time we saw each other was in Saxonny Switzerland, eastern Germany, for a traditionnal climbing session on amazing sandstone mushrooms ! Jörn was leading the really impressive routes (using only few rope nodes for the security as metallic protections are forbidden !).
This time we decided for a tour starting and ending at Calvi. We had various different kind of climbs, beginning with short routes next to the sea in Ile Rousse. Then a nice bouldering / bivouac session in Porto, and finally few days in the Restonica Valley, swimming in the rivers during the hot time !
 |
| here are the pics |
Last time we saw each other was in Saxonny Switzerland, eastern Germany, for a traditionnal climbing session on amazing sandstone mushrooms ! Jörn was leading the really impressive routes (using only few rope nodes for the security as metallic protections are forbidden !).
This time we decided for a tour starting and ending at Calvi. We had various different kind of climbs, beginning with short routes next to the sea in Ile Rousse. Then a nice bouldering / bivouac session in Porto, and finally few days in the Restonica Valley, swimming in the rivers during the hot time !
Monday, 3 August 2009
Ossau with Marie
There we go, brother and sister on their own in the beloved pyrenees ! We needed lakes for swims and for a change we've decided for the Ossau, a tour around the Pic du Midi.
The summit is an easy climb (few short parts in french 3 / 4) which doesn't necessarily need a rope. Of course Marie made a point to not use it at all !
The summit is an easy climb (few short parts in french 3 / 4) which doesn't necessarily need a rope. Of course Marie made a point to not use it at all !
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Défilé de Pierre-Lys
Few w
eeks ago I went once again with the Valet gang. This time they took us (Youth and I) to a really nice multi-pitch route above the Aude river, in the Pyrenees Orientales (PO). To get to the climb you need to cross the river using a zip-line !
It was quite an easy climb, I led most of the pitches, except one of the last which was 6b, a pleasure for Pascal !
eeks ago I went once again with the Valet gang. This time they took us (Youth and I) to a really nice multi-pitch route above the Aude river, in the Pyrenees Orientales (PO). To get to the climb you need to cross the river using a zip-line !It was quite an easy climb, I led most of the pitches, except one of the last which was 6b, a pleasure for Pascal !
Saturday, 30 May 2009
The traditionnal Aneto
Here we are, the ascension and its traditional ski-touring week-end around the Aneto (the highest summit in the Pyrenees).
This year we've minimized the risks : only 6 persons are heading to the mountains, and no beginners ;)
The forecast are no so great, the isotherm zero should above ... 4000 m ! Useless to say that we're not expecting powder snow.
Anyway, after the usual fat spanish fonda we walk up to the hut (2100m). No snow (glups). The hut is still the same piece of shit : a bloody engine near by spits a shit load of stinking fumes !
We ascent goes well and we can go down around 11am. The snow is so wet that every turn creates a mini avalanche (check the last picture) !
This year we've minimized the risks : only 6 persons are heading to the mountains, and no beginners ;)
The forecast are no so great, the isotherm zero should above ... 4000 m ! Useless to say that we're not expecting powder snow.
Anyway, after the usual fat spanish fonda we walk up to the hut (2100m). No snow (glups). The hut is still the same piece of shit : a bloody engine near by spits a shit load of stinking fumes !
We ascent goes well and we can go down around 11am. The snow is so wet that every turn creates a mini avalanche (check the last picture) !
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Pyrenees sweet pyrenees
After a 14h drive through the Massif Central we're back at Alain's House. Tomorrow, saturday, the sun will be shining on the pyrenees. As always Eric is keen on skiing ! After 1h of hesitation we decide for the Nord Nere, 2850m, next to Luchon.The tour is quite long (we start at 1000m) and since all the gears are in the car we decide to keep driving to the
pyrenees and sleep in the tent !That's another 2h of car and at 2am we can sleep ...
Eric, Suzanna and Suzanna's sister arrive at 7h and we start walking straight away (well just waiting Eric 15 min .. hehe).
I'm quite surprise as we find the snow quite early, a bit below 1800m. Surprisingly it's been freezing enough so we don't sink in the snow !
We start the day with a 68 years old man walking amazingly fast ! Of course Eric try to show off but after 2h he starts slowing down ...After a bit more than 3h of walk we can enjoy a quite good descent :)
There we are, finishing our ski touring trip in the most beautiful mountains in the world ;)
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
THE ski touring trip, por fin !
After loads of shitty weather and a twisted ankle I eventually get my revenge : 3 intensive ski touring weeks !
Wednesday is my ultimate working day. We check the weather : all fucking good ! But how can we avoid wasting one day driving to the alps ? Easy, drive by night !
Alain arrives and we leave toulouse around 10pm, driving all the way to Villars d'Arene where the (first) trip starts : 5 nights and 6 days in the Oisan.
Oisan
To save some money we'll eat our own food for the first 3 days and we'll take dinners + breakfast the last 3 days. As a result walking up to the hut isn't such a pleasure.
A beautiful sun and a perfect snow is waiting for us ! The sleepiness is getting stronger but for Chris sake we can't miss these perfect conditions !
At 2pm we are sleeping ... what a day !
Except this noisy group in our room (the price to pay for
a comfy bed !) we manage to recover from the previous night. A pasta party at 10pm and we plan the next day : La Grande Ruine !
I couldn't manage to reach the top 7 years ago so now it's time to see what's up there.
The day is perfect. Alain who's only ski-touring for the second time this year saves his energy for the following days and stops a bit before the summit.
The descent is gorgeous (check out les Ecrins) !
The third day we calm down with a short tour before crossing the next day through Neige Cordier.
The hut is almost empty.
We meet a swiss couple who is going to la barre des Ecrins. We'd like to follow them but we lack both some time and experience : the last bit is a quite steep and icy slope. They manage to do that and reach the Dome with us !
To conclude the trip we've got to go through a pass and ski down 1800m ! Some hitchhiking and we can relax in the brand new spa-pool of Monetier-les-bains !
La Haute Morienne
This good old Bruno gave us many ski touring tips and his mother apartment keys. She lives in Termignon, a strategic town when it comes to skiing, where Bruno grew up.
Few hours in Italy, just to say Ciao, see few principesas, eat a pizza (5/5 on the Stefano scale !) and we drive through the Frejus tunnel to another alpine valley : the Haute Morienne.
The weather god is still with us : another beautiful day is coming. We're too late to go to a hut so we decide to just start from the valley to the Albaron, a great summit sitting on top of a big fat glacier.
In front of us the Pointe de Charbonnel, a more ambitious summit which shows an impressive 1800m slope. The classic route is exposed to serac and as a matter of fact while we are walking up to the Albaron, few serac fall, creating a nice alpine avalanche !
The forecast are not so optimistic now, obviously it couldn't last forever ... We just have time for a little tour (Ouille du Midi) before taking a little rest. The valley is quite dead, but we manage to do some climbing and try some alpine techniques.
The weather seems fine again for a few days so we target the Evettes hut, a central point at the
very end of the valley.
Except few marmots the place is completely empty ! A comfy 64 beds hut for 2. It's like the pyrenees, just bigger ;)
Unfortunately after the well called Col de la Disgrace the weather turns bad. We have to admit, skiing below 3000m is a bit compromised.
The Swiss Alps attempt
Maybe we should move to another place. We've been driving 100th of kilometers in the Haute Morienne so now it's time for plan C : the Valais, in the Swiss alps !
Another 6h drive and we're at Romaric's place, in Fribourg. We spe
nd 2 days there doing some climbing before surrendering ... Ski touring in the Valais is like swimming in the Bahamas : nice, sweet and classy but you better have a well-equiped wallet ! Moreover the weather isn't so good. Damn we've eaten our white bread !
A 14 hours drive through the heart of France and we're back in Toulouse, just in time for our Pyrenean ski tour !
Wednesday is my ultimate working day. We check the weather : all fucking good ! But how can we avoid wasting one day driving to the alps ? Easy, drive by night !
Alain arrives and we leave toulouse around 10pm, driving all the way to Villars d'Arene where the (first) trip starts : 5 nights and 6 days in the Oisan.
Oisan
To save some money we'll eat our own food for the first 3 days and we'll take dinners + breakfast the last 3 days. As a result walking up to the hut isn't such a pleasure.
A beautiful sun and a perfect snow is waiting for us ! The sleepiness is getting stronger but for Chris sake we can't miss these perfect conditions !
At 2pm we are sleeping ... what a day !
Except this noisy group in our room (the price to pay for
a comfy bed !) we manage to recover from the previous night. A pasta party at 10pm and we plan the next day : La Grande Ruine !
I couldn't manage to reach the top 7 years ago so now it's time to see what's up there.The day is perfect. Alain who's only ski-touring for the second time this year saves his energy for the following days and stops a bit before the summit.
The descent is gorgeous (check out les Ecrins) !
The third day we calm down with a short tour before crossing the next day through Neige Cordier.
The hut is almost empty.
We meet a swiss couple who is going to la barre des Ecrins. We'd like to follow them but we lack both some time and experience : the last bit is a quite steep and icy slope. They manage to do that and reach the Dome with us !
To conclude the trip we've got to go through a pass and ski down 1800m ! Some hitchhiking and we can relax in the brand new spa-pool of Monetier-les-bains !
La Haute Morienne
This good old Bruno gave us many ski touring tips and his mother apartment keys. She lives in Termignon, a strategic town when it comes to skiing, where Bruno grew up.
Few hours in Italy, just to say Ciao, see few principesas, eat a pizza (5/5 on the Stefano scale !) and we drive through the Frejus tunnel to another alpine valley : the Haute Morienne.
The weather god is still with us : another beautiful day is coming. We're too late to go to a hut so we decide to just start from the valley to the Albaron, a great summit sitting on top of a big fat glacier.
In front of us the Pointe de Charbonnel, a more ambitious summit which shows an impressive 1800m slope. The classic route is exposed to serac and as a matter of fact while we are walking up to the Albaron, few serac fall, creating a nice alpine avalanche !
The forecast are not so optimistic now, obviously it couldn't last forever ... We just have time for a little tour (Ouille du Midi) before taking a little rest. The valley is quite dead, but we manage to do some climbing and try some alpine techniques.
The weather seems fine again for a few days so we target the Evettes hut, a central point at the
very end of the valley.Except few marmots the place is completely empty ! A comfy 64 beds hut for 2. It's like the pyrenees, just bigger ;)
Unfortunately after the well called Col de la Disgrace the weather turns bad. We have to admit, skiing below 3000m is a bit compromised.
The Swiss Alps attempt
Maybe we should move to another place. We've been driving 100th of kilometers in the Haute Morienne so now it's time for plan C : the Valais, in the Swiss alps !
Another 6h drive and we're at Romaric's place, in Fribourg. We spe
nd 2 days there doing some climbing before surrendering ... Ski touring in the Valais is like swimming in the Bahamas : nice, sweet and classy but you better have a well-equiped wallet ! Moreover the weather isn't so good. Damn we've eaten our white bread !A 14 hours drive through the heart of France and we're back in Toulouse, just in time for our Pyrenean ski tour !
Monday, 20 April 2009
Yeaaaaaah
Sad news ... I got bored of skiing and in order to break the routine i've decided to break my ankle. Okkkkk, I'm kidding ... I didn't quite get bored of skiing ;)
Some people might know, I'm officially in holiday (some might say out of work) ! After 2 weeks of shitty weather I finally give up and start focusing on my beloved computer ... hmm.
Sooo, what a good time to look at blogspot .. I'd say the harder is to find the blog title : you wouldn't believe how many blogspots have been created !
Anyway, here we are, writing the first post. Hmmm, sounds like I should go ahead and tell you why on earth I'm creating this blog (as if we'd need a reason to create a blog).
Wellll, I'll just post ski-touring reports and other (funny / sunny / crazy / sexy) mountain related stuff.
Enjoy :))
Bruno
Some people might know, I'm officially in holiday (some might say out of work) ! After 2 weeks of shitty weather I finally give up and start focusing on my beloved computer ... hmm.
Sooo, what a good time to look at blogspot .. I'd say the harder is to find the blog title : you wouldn't believe how many blogspots have been created !
Anyway, here we are, writing the first post. Hmmm, sounds like I should go ahead and tell you why on earth I'm creating this blog (as if we'd need a reason to create a blog).
Wellll, I'll just post ski-touring reports and other (funny / sunny / crazy / sexy) mountain related stuff.
Enjoy :))
Bruno
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