Winter 2015 is go!

With good snow reports and a blue-sky forecast I headed over to Tignes today (after a slight delay to get the kids to school) for a bit of a play about and to get the legs back into ski mode again. Having not had a particularly active summer I want to hit the ground running this winter so a few gentle turns top start off seemed like a nice idea.

The upper slopes (around 3500 lift) are in great condition with a few patches of ice showing through lower down (Champagny & Rosolin) but most impressively, there was barely a queue on the mountain - a pleasant change from this time last year when we were queueing for 25 minutes each time...

The summit pyramid of the Grande Motte looked in good condition so obviously after a few laps off the lifts I though I had better see how my lungs would cope at 3600m for the first time since spring. As it had happened someone else had the same idea, as we both got off thetop lift, walked over and started strapping skis to bags in perfect unplanned synchronisation!

A little bit of scrambling to add some interest:

Almost like the Domes de Miage...

Bird's eye view of Tignes:

Joining the selfie craze:

Stunning views from the top:

And good powder on the way down...

And of course the obligatory Espace Killy Monoskier - seen here in 'I'm cool even when I'm riding the chairlift' pose...!

New Year couloirs

Great day in the Espace Killy today with Leanne & Si; a mix of technical coaching, lots of good terrain & fantastic snow!

Leanne in Table D'Orientation couloir:

Si ripping up PIsteur's couloir:

Loads of space to lay down tracks below Pisteurs:

Saying hello to Mickey's Ears

Leanne drops in:

Good snow all the way down!:

3 days off now & a good weather forecast. I might need a day off skis after 8 days straight of work, but the weekend could be fun!

Espace Killy off piste

Mixed conditions in the Espace Killy last week with the Craig & Longney families - Monday started very warm, with good spring snow up high rapidly giving way to breakable spring crust over 50cm of sugar... we did find some nice turns around the Col de la Leisse with a bit of skinning.
Tuesday was similarly warm, and after an epic descent of the Face in knee deep slushy bumps at 10am we headed up the Solaise side of Val D'Isere for a run down the Cugnai valley. This gave some good spring snow, and an interesting & adventurous exit involving a river crossing, breakable crust, and a close call with an early-closing Machet chairlift!

Wednesday came with the promise of a good refreeze overnight, and cold temperatures first thing in the morning at Le Fornet backed this up. we enjoyed a gentle cruise on softening spring snow to the Pont de la Neige and donned skins to go in search of good snow & maybe a summit too.
Leaving the crowds to the Col des Fours we made for the Ouille des Tretetes, and a great panorama from the summit with not a soul around.
The ski down far exceeded expectations, with some wind-drifted powder filling the slight gullies and providing some very pleasant skiing:





Thursday was cloudy & snowy all day, so we had a focussed technical day on & around the Grande Motte area, with the odd foray off piste when the visibility cleared momentarily...

Friday dawned with a mixed forecast, and with cloud, snow & -12C at the top of the funicular at 9.30 expectations were low, but after a warm-up run it was clear there was some sunshine to be found and we set off down through thinning cloud on the Leisse shoulder, finding some great spring snow covered by a dusting of fresh:



Leisse shoulder in the background:



Skinning up to Col 3015:



Trevor, Georgina, Claire, Keith & Pip on the col:



Great spring snow:



And it keeps on coming... 500m vertical down to the valley floor for a picnic in the sun:



A (very) warm skin took us back up to the Leisse chair, to rejoin the crowds on piste down in to Val Claret for a well-earned refreshment!