Sunday 18 March 2007

Couloir Parent, Val Thorens

Quick foray into Val Thorens today to ski the Couloir Parent. A couple of delays and a hot sun meant the snow was starting to become dangerously soft in the couloir, so an about turn was made at about 3/4 height, with all the usual antics involved with swopping from crampons to skis on a 50 degree slope. The descent was good, but with a lot of heavy snow kicked off on each turn...


The Couloir Parent is the obvious steep right-facing line in the centre of this photo.

Friday 16 March 2007

Jagged Globe Off-Piste Course (continued...)

Some more pics of Rob, Nick and John in the Tarentaise...


Thursday 15 March 2007

Jagged Globe Off-Piste course: Tignes/Val D'Isere



Another fine week off piste...Blue skies all week, and once the strong East wind died away after the weekend the skiing has been great. On Tuesday we found some chalky, skied-out snow in the Grand Vallon, and off the Epaule du Signal, and then some spring snow in the Pays Desert. Wednesday we set out on the Tarentaise tour, with great spring snow on the descent from Col du Palet to Champagny, and then good firm, cold snow on the North Face of the Bellecote.

Monday 12 March 2007

High Winds in Savoie

Sunday saw very strong Easterly winds blowing in Tignes/Val D'Isere and across the Savoie region. This has put paid to alot of the light fresh powder that was around unfortunately, although there are still sheltered pockets to be found. Conditions are still OK though give or take the odd patch of crusty snow.

Sunday was the start of another Jagged Globe Off-Piste coaching week, and we managed to get some fresh tracks down the Vallon de la Sache before the wind kicked in. Chardonnet couloirs, Grappillons, Tour de Balme, and Petite Balme have all given reasonable snow for John, Rob and Nick to work on their skills.

Saturday 10 March 2007

Tignes/Val D'Isere Off Piste

Last week was Jagged Globe's Off Piste Improvers course in the Espace Killy. Based at the Hotel Le Marais in Tignes Les Boisses we left very few parts of this fantastic area untouched. The week started with very high avalanche risk, but as this settled down we were able to access some great powder. The classic descents skied included: Aiguille Percee, Couloir du Chardonnet, Petite Balme, Cretes de Genepy, Tour de Balme, Tour du Charvet, Cugnai, Campagnules, Familiale, Pays Desert, Epaule du Petit Signal, Grand Vallon, and Col Pers (twice since the snow was so good...). Not bad for a weeks skiing!

Pictures to follow...

Back in Tignes this week for another Jagged Globe course, Beginners/Improvers, snow is good, weather forecast is good...bring it on!

Saturday 3 March 2007

Tracks in the powder



This is what its all about... perfect powder, blue skies, noone about, and some nice tracks...

Chamonix - Alpine Guides Off Piste course

I have just returned from 5 days in Chamonix running Alpine Guides Off-Piste coaching week. Thanks to Isobel, Clare, Susan (get well soon!), Paul and Sam for making this an enjoyable week to run.

Weather conditions were variable to say the least, Monday and Tuesday saw near perfect powder conditions, with 50cm of light fresh snow making Tuesday on the Grands Montets a day to remember. The second half of the week saw the rain level creeping higher (1800m). A brief foray to St Gervais found some trickier (very tricky!) snow conditions, with a final day hiding in the trees on the low level chairs at the Grands Montets, skiing some heavy powder.

The avalanche risk is extremely high at the moment (5/5 in places), large amounts of precipitation, high winds, and very variable temperatures have made the snowpack extremely unstable...take care out there folks!

Welcome

Welcome to the www.offpisteskiing.com weblog. Keep up with news from our courses this winter, and conditions reports from around the Alps...