Steep Vanoise 2016

This week has seen the 8th year of the now legendary Steep Vanoise course, with possibly the best conditions ever!

The Steep Vanoise week combines maximum mileage on steep off piste terrain with coaching on the go, and has become a firm fixture in the offpisteskiing.com calendar, with 3 groups running this year.

We have been treated to some amazing snow - Monday kicked off the week in style with January temperatures, blue skies and cold, deep snow in Courchevel:

Tuesday served up more of the same, but with cloudier weather forcing opportunistic use of the short sunny spells. Dorian and his team trenched their way up the NW couloir of the Aiguille du Fruit, Rob was busy around Courchevel with his group, and I spent most of the day around the Creux Noir area, with 2 laps on the far side of the Pointe Emilienne (it was so good first time that it seemed a pity to waste the bootpack we had put in!):

Wednesday peaked way off the scale.

An all time great Breche Portetta with waist deep snow!

We had a lot to live up to for the last 2 days of the course, but managed to pull another blinder out of the bag on Thursday - a local 'mole' told me the Cheval Noir NE face had not yet been touched, so we set the controls for Valmorel and another stunning day:

For our final day, and with everyone keen to search out more untracked snow, we put skins on again for a little known line out behind Valmorel. Result: more great powder all the way to Celliers, and a bonus lap or two in resort on the great steep 'spines' and faces accessible from the lifts.

A fantastic end to a fantastic week! - Steep Vanoise 2017 will most likely be around the same dates - so don't hesitate to get in touch to reserve your space now!

Thanks again to Rob & Dorian who led two of the groups, and a huge thank you to all those who took part - see you next year!