Last of the snow?

Sorry to keep banging on about the snow, but we keep thinking there can't possibly be any more and spring is going to set in again... and then there is more.
We went up the Grands Montets ski area today. A lot of the lifts were closed because of wind high up but there weren't many people.
We weren't on literally the first lift, but close on the eighth or ninth.

We arrived at the start of several runs to the lovely view of fresh fresh fresh snow waiting just for us

We shredded it up good!!

 

And we were very happy!

Brévent is closed. What now?

So what are we doing now that Brévent is closed?
Guess what? We are skiing!!
The Grands Montets ski area is open for another couple of weeks. Over night there was 30 cm or more of snow and we had an awesome day today. Definately up there with the best!
We timed everything very well and were on one of the first lifts up from the bottom. Then after a number of awesome runs from different lifts as they opened, Richard spotted the top lift was about to open. We took a similar route to the one we did a few days ago (see here). The top part of the run is a bit less steep so with that much snow on it, it was a matter of straight lining it. Then we had lovely lovely fresh snow for bouncy turns the rest of the way down. AMAZING!!
For those of you who are sailers you will understand that skiing is a bit like sailing, some of the time you can't do it because the conditions are too extreme and dangerous, most of the time you do it and enjoy it but it isn't perfect, then occasionally everything comes together and you are in the right place at the right time for the most perfect powder (good wind strength from the right direction with nice waves to surf down)

Rhoda with Doug and Richards tracks. LOVING IT!!

Bye bye Brévent

Our local ski area Brévent closes this weekend. Despite having better coverage than it has had some years in the depths of winter.
We have been up there a few times recently and it has been very quiet. Great for us, but I guess it just isn't worth it financially for them to keep it running.
Last year at this time we skiied down a stream with a little bit of slush at the bottom of it in the middle of an alpine meadow. We then abandoned skiing as a bad job and did something else instead... these horses are really lovely and very strong and sure footed, we will look at this breed (Comtois) when we buy our own...

Bit different this year...

April freshies in Brévent

Doug saying goodbye to Brévent

It is quite emotional saying goodbye as we have been skiing there for many years and feel much more affection for it than the other Chamonix ski areas, it is small but perfectly formed and with a lot of hidden stashes.

Top of the Grands Montets

The Grands Montets is the biggest ski area in Chamonix and the highest. We don't go there very often as it is also the busiest. However as it gets warmer with spring we have been going there more as the snow is better high up.
To get up to the very top there is a big cable car which during the main season can have an hour or more (loads more) wait. It is possible to make a reservation, but this can only be done on the previous day so you have to be organised - on the times we are organised enough we often find it is already fully booked. Today we just walked straight on with no queuing.
There are various routes down from the top including two pistes and a lot of off piste, some of which goes over the glaciers and apart from the best known routes is best avoided without a guide. It is from up here that we left to do the Pas de Chevre earlier in the season (Skiing the Pas de Chevre)
Today we took a different route that ends back in the ski area and is much nearer to the piste than the Pas de Chevre, it goes along the side of the glacier for a bit which gives amazing views.

Taking heed of the warning signs near the top

The glacier

Staying off the glacier

Nearly down now

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

The weather seems to have decided to finish the season with a flourish and it has been snowing pretty much every night recently. The slopes have been very quiet since easter, so we have been getting plenty of lovely fresh snow.
Typically we don't get very many photos of skiing in powder because we are too excited and busy skiing it before someone else does, but we have made a special effort recently (plus it has lasted long enough for us to have a few runs and then get the photos)

Doug getting fresh tracks in the Grands Montets area

Winter has returned

After weeks of early spring in Chamonix it has been snowing a lot.
A few days ago I posted summery shot of the view from our window.
This is what it looks like now. Much better!!

'Winter' view from the flat in April

Two seasons in one day

We got up early to go skiing this morning because it was raining in the valley yesteday evening and we hoped that meant snow higher up. It seems it did. It was still snowing when we got up there this morning and kept at it most the day. The visability came and went (or rather went and went more) which did make some of the skiing a tad tricky - but good never the less.

Winter

Soon after we got home it turned to lovely and sunny and all the birds were tweeting away, spring like, on the bird feeder

Summer (or spring anyway)

The snow came!!

It has been spring for many weeks in Chamonix - which is lovely and warm and sunny with nice spring snow to ski, but we have been worrying it will all melt before we leave in May.
It snowed some last night so we rushed out this morning at the crack of dawn (or 8.30 am) to make the most of it.

Ski God

Our tracks

Like the new trousers?

The Crochues-Bérard tour

Spring has been in the Chamonix valley for some time now (with a brief dip back in to winter last week when it snowed). This means that touring is a nice change from the ski areas which have got a bit mogully.
It isn't very easy to illustrate where we went. The tour goes from Chamonix (off the bottom of the map) to Le Buet (off the top of the map) which is on the Swiss border.

Map

There is a description of the tour here

On the way to Flégère

On the first climb (Red on map)

Top of the climb (v hot now)

Recovered enough to smile

View down first ski (Green on map)

Left tiny dot is Rhoda with miles to go on second climb (Blue on map)

Setting off on the second ski (Purple on map)

Getting close to the bottom of the valley

Bit tiring!!

Skiing in Brévent and Flegère

We often skiing the Brévent ski area as it is so close to the flat - as you can see here
From there it is easy to get to Flegère as there is a cable car between the two areas.

We skied with Rob today starting in Brévent and then going over to Flegère.
We had a snack of some Cricket Club cake - Rob was very impressed with how moist and tasty the cake was - unfortunately it is all finished now - but we will make some more very soon.

A couple of little gullies in Flegère

Rob skiing the one shown in Red (for once something looks vaguely steep in a photo)

Doug skiing the one shown in Red

Active day

We went up skiing quite early in the morning (blasting made us think there might be fresh snow like yesterday - but there wasn't) and skied a number of things including the Hotel Face

For lunch we took quiche up the Aiguille du Midi. It was really really cold at the top, minus 17 with some wind. Amazing views though.

New snow

It has been like Spring for a couple of weeks, which has been lovely. But it has been getting a bit worrying that all the snow is melting so we were pleased to have some new snow overnight.
It wasn't enough to cover the giant moguls that have formed in a lot of places (and turned to giant ice moguls with the colder weather) but on some more remote places was lovely.

A bit of cloud makes everything look more scenic too!!

Day in the Grands Montets

We had a lovely day in the sun with Sarah, it was WARM. We took it quite leisurely with a few sit downs in the sun to admire the view but managed to cover a fair amount of ground anyway.
At the end of the day we came down a gully under the Plan Joran chair lift. It is reasonably steep - something that photos always fail to do credit to.

Red - The route

Doug setting off 

Rhoda and Sarah on way down

View from near the bottom

The picture says it all...

One of Doug's ex colleagues emailed and asked if he was bored yet...

Skiing the Pas de Chèvre

This is the Pas de Chèvre as seen from Brevent.
Red is the route Doug and Richard took (dotted line is because they were behind ridge there)
Green is the route Rhoda took

Red     - Doug and Richard

Green  - Rhoda

Richard setting off down Rectiligne Couloir

View down the Rectiligne

Proof that Pas de Chevre means 'Goat pass' not 'No goats'

Starting the climb up (after skiing down and crossing the glacier)