Steep Vanoise 2019 - week 2

Week 2 of this year's Steep Vanoise courses started with uncertainty - after a majorly warm 36 hours would the snow forecast for the Sunday night do enough to repair the damage done?

The answer became apparent on our first run on Monday morning...:

And Tuesday kept up the momentum...:

Despite 2 days of sunshine Wednesday stayed cold and so did the snow:

On Thursday we made a pilgrimage to the North face of the Bellecote for a run down couloir Cairn, with lots of cold fluffy snow still left to ski:

For the final day we went hunting for spring snow off the back of Val Thorens, with a great run down the 'Deversoir' topped off with lunch at the Auberge du Col before a fun ski back through to Meribel...

Thanks to Amanda, Iain, Elliot, Rich, Andrew, Jack & Gavin for a great week, and to Dorian for sharing the guiding duties very capably!

Steep Vanoise 2019 - week 1

Last week was the first of this winter's Steep Vanoise weeks.
With a strong crew but wild weather in the forecast we set out on Monday not quite knowing what we would find - as it happens we found a near-emty mountain, with the cable car couloirs refilling between runs with wind-drifted powder!

Tuesday always looked like the best day of weather in the week and half the world seemed to have turned up in Meribel in the morning - combined with one non-functioning lift the queues were massive - forcing a tactical coffee break to let the mayhem subside. Once we got up the hill it turned into quite a nice day:

Wedsnesday was forecast for a clear start then gradually closing in, however the morning dawned snowy and windy. We took a gamble and went for a skin & bootpack, which paid dividends when the clouds cleared for a great run down:

Thursday was a road-trip day to Sainte Foy. Again expectations were low as the forecast was steadily worsening, but the morning gave enough visibility for 2 quick laps off the back of Col Granier in knee deep cold powder - top marks to the gang for making the second lap - it is a tight squeeze to get a lap in between the 2 shuttle buses, and you definitely don't want to miss the pre-lunch bus or it is a long long wait!!

Friday could have been an amazing day had the 0º isotherm stayed 500m lower - as it was there was porridge, porridge and more porridge pretty much everywhere, so a day of technical and tactical coaching, punctuated by coffee and lunch, followed to wrap up the week in good (if damp) style.

Thanks to Dave, David, Mike, Jeremy, Karen, Sandy, Rod & Chris for a great week, and thanks also to Rob W for a top job looking after half the team. Roll on week 2 of Steep Vanoise this coming week!

Maurienne, what else?...

Last week was the 2019 edition of my regular stint running some steep-ski-oriented CPD coaching for IFMGA Mountain Guides Andy Perkins and Jim Kerr, along with non-guides Peter B and Jim S. We had 3 productive days in the Maurienne, not only from a coaching point of view, but also with increasingly good snow conditions!

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Steep Vanoise 2018

Well the 10th edition of Steep Vanoise has been and gone - once again a high quality week of fun, despite some challenging weather and snow conditions. Thanks as always to IFMGA Guide Dorian labaeye for joining me on this one, and particular thanks to him for stepping up on Thursday and Friday when I was cut down by the flu..! Thanks also to Amanda, Iain, Dave G, Dave I, Mike H, Mike D and Rob for a top week!

Steep Vanoise 2017

I am a few weeks behind schedule on the blog front... it is hard to believe it is over 2 weeks now since the 9th edition of the now-legendary Steep Vanoise week! Where last year we had 5 days of waist-deep powder, this year was a complete contrast with chalky snow on North faces and some sublime spring snow on the sunny sides:

Day 1:

Day 2: Steep, smooth spring snow you say? Oh go on then...

Day 3: Bellecote North face and a 'Brucie (or Simon) bonus':

Day 4 - perfect spring snow out behind Les Arcs:

Day 5 - a massed ascent & descent down to Le Col with both teams with some 5 star spring snow with not another track showing:

Many thanks to IFMGA Mountain Guide Dorian Labaeye who was assisting me on the coaching/guiding duties, and thanks to Jack, Amanda, Rod, Michael, Dan, Gavin, Mark, David and Pete for being 2 great teams!

See you in 2018 for the 10th birthday of Steep Vanoise - provisional dates are 12-18 March so pencil them in to your diary now!