I was skiing with Brian and Liz O'Connor this week based around Chamonix. The week started with beautiful spring conditions so we took the midi cable car up then skiied under the east face of Mont Blanc du Tacul then skinned to the Col d'Entreve then down the Vallee Blanche all the way to the road (just). The following day we ski toured the classic Crochu Berard traverse. The ski out through the woods was in the best condition I have seen. On tuesday the weather looked better in Italy where high winds had closed the top lifts so 30 minutes of skinning found great fresh tracks down the Yula couloir. We had some fresh snow to ski in Megeve on wednesday and a great powder day in Les Contamines on thursday. Unfortunaley Brian had cracked a rib falling on his shovel so he couldn't enjoy it. Liz and I finished the week in Courmayeur.
I was skiing with Brian and Liz OConnor this week, it had been snowing heavily on Friday and Sat so are touring plans were swapped for some Off Piste action. The fat skis were dusted off as we headed for Megeve on Sunday skiing round the Jailet area there was a team decision to seek out some fat skis on the way home. Armed with her new Ten Eighty Guns Liz was enjoying the powder experience a bit better on Monday back at Megeve this time skinning up the Petite Croz Bollet. We managed to get Brian some Salomon Sandstorms on the way home. On Tuesday we skied in st Gervais skiing great untracked lines all day, Wednesday we visited Les Contamines which had great snow on the N faces. We took a gamble on Thursday heading for Courmayeur which hasnt had quite so much snow the gamble paid off with first tracks down the Yula couloir. We finished the week in La Clusaz again finding great snow on the on faces.
The Snow has arrived and the skiing is great. Some of the local ski area are opening for the weekend with Courmayeur, La Thuile and Grande Montet opening full time on a limited service. Richard Lundberg and I skiied at Les Contamines on Sat in fantastic powder, there was hardly anyone there and we hardly cut another track all day. Sunday was fairly misserable with lots of rain low down and wet snow in the ski areas, kate and I did a couple of runs at Cote 2000 which has some great terrain and some of the most expensive coffee in the Alps 9 euros for 2. On Monday we headed through to Courmayeur in search of cheaper coffee, 3 euros 50 including a post card we also found loads of thigh deep powder, we did a couple of runs through steep trees into Val Veny then moved over to the main area where there was acres of untacked snow next to the Piste. We skied fresh tracks all day with hardly a person in resort.