The Brenva Glacier is a wild location on Mont Blanc’s Southern Slope. Formed in a cirque below Mont Blanc itself and its gendarme Mont Maudit, it cascades down to the Val Veny with its enormous moraine a reminder of its extent prior to its recession in the more recent, warmer years.

This time we were joined by some old friends from Mt Buller, Samala and Christophe. With their family they now spend the winters in Chamonix and I was stoked to finally ski with them over here.

As the climbing would take longer and we wanted to time the sun hitting the corn snow we had an earlier start, although this was partially stymied by large queues at the Helbronner Cable car Jerome managed to wangle our way through a little earlier than they would have liked.

Sardines in the Helbronner Cable Car

After the usual sardine conditions we headed to the top and then started the day in an almost exact fashion as yesterday, except when we approached the Col d’Entreves we veered right to the E face of the Tour Ronde. We were in a hurry & Jerome was setting a cracking pace so I finally managed to refrain from taking dozens of photos in this now familiar part of the world.

Skinning up to the E Face of the Tour Ronde

Once we reached the base of the E face it was time to transition from skis to crampons & piolet and begin our ascent. I am still very much a beginner at snow & ice climbing so I was ably led by Jerome on a short rope – I must admit that at times I felt like a tethered dog, but on the odd occasion where I broke my own rule and looked down I was extremely appreciative of his assistance. And before somebody gives me shit about it – yes Jerome did carry my skis.

Climbing the E Face of the Tour Ronde

Almost there…..

The climbing was not particularly difficult for a seasoned climber (which I most certainly am not), and I managed to avoid skinning my shins which was my main goal (as well as no more holes in my pants). But it was no picnic either and topping out just shy of 3800m we found the top of the couloir and had a quick bite to eat before transitioning back to skis. We did not climb the 50m or so to the summit of the Tour Ronde as we were keen to get on the slopes at the correct time, so that is something we can do again later.

Once again the views were spectacular, especially underneath the Italian summit of Mont Blanc – many of the peaks were familiar but it was by far the closest I had ever been to them.

Christophe & Samala at the top of the Couloir

Samala and Christophe getting ready to ski

Mont Blanc from the Tour Ronde

Top of the SE Couloir of the Tour Ronde

After a quick snack it was time to put on the skis and drop in to the couloir. It was tight at the top with some rocks below so Jerome put me on a rope as a precaution, we had to sideslip the first 50m before we started skiing properly. The pitch was not quite as steep as yesterday, so after the usual nervy first couple of turns I started to relax and had a ball in the couloir down to the glacier below.

Richard skiing the SE Couloir of the Tour Ronde

Richard mid-jump turn on the SE Couloir of the Tour Ronde

Richard skiing the SE Couloir of the Tour Ronde

SE Couloir of the Tour Ronde

Yesterday’s highlight was the steep skiing as the snow was a little crusty and manky below, but what awaited us on the Brenva was kilometres and kilometres of the finest corn snow I have ever skied. It was just superb. We weaved our way through the seracs, just waiting for the snow to turn ugly and it never did. It was amazing skiing with great friends in a wild setting and we were just ecstatic.

Richard, Samala & Christophe – Best. Corn. Snow. Ever.

Richard & Christophe on the Brenva Glacier – Best. Corn. Snow. Ever.

Richard, Samala & Christophe on the Brenva Glacier

Jerome & Christophe, Arete de Peuterey behind.

Samala on the Brenva Glacier

Brenva Glacier, Courmayeur in Background

Christophe on the Brenva Glacier, Arete de Peuterey behind

Samala on the Brenva Glacier

We started waaaayyyyyy up there….

Brenva Glacier, Mont Blanc top Right

Christophe on the Brenva Glacier

After what was literally kilometres of some of the finest spring snow I had ever seen it was time to negotiate the icefall at the foot of the glacier to ski down in to town. Icefalls are never a fun place to be and while Jerome selected a safe route we skied as fast as we could until we re-emerged into the sunshine on the moraine below, stoked with our accomplishment for the day. The feeling in the icefall was ominous and proof once again that the mountains only barely tolerate our presence and they are to be treated with the utmost respect.

The Icefall. Scary place to be.

The moraine was yet another long stretch of rollercoaster fun corn snow and we finally reached town.

Skiing to the bottom of the moraine.

Richard on the Brenva Moraine, Icefall above.

Richard on the Brenva Moraine, Arete de Peuterey above.

But as with all good days in this area, there is always a sting in the tail at the end of the day, where we took our skis off in Val Veny was still quite a distance from the car and we began the long uphill slog. It felt trivial to complain about walking uphill in mild temperatures and low altitude considering what had happened over 2000m above, but all we wanted was a nice Italian meal and coffee, which we naturally found in Courmayeur.

Richard slogging back to the car

It was a fantastic experience for us all – Christophe and Samala have skied much of what Chamonix has to offer but never the Brenva, and for me it was a great opportunity to continue to add climbing skills to my repertoire and also ski some superb snow in a truly breathtaking location.

Once again none of this would be possible without the amazing guide Jerome Para – he is a full UIAGM/IFMGA Qualified guide working with the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix. For any Chamonix adventure be sure to get in touch with him either through the Compagnie des Guides or via email: parajerome@yahoo.fr (not hotlinked to prevent spam – cut & paste into your email client)

So after heading through the tunnel, we jumped in line and bought tickets for the soon-to-be-replaced cable car. While we were waiting for our allotted time we jumped into the cafe for a coffee, a must when in Italy, and we were not disappointed. I had been drinking shit coffee for almost a month and I was over it, but the Italians delivered in spades, and with that I was ready to face the day.

Due to it being a weekend the time spent lining up and waiting for our alotted cabin meant we were later up than we were hoping which struck a line through one particular route, but as it happened we were not to be disappointed. We jumped on the series of three cable cars to the magnificent Punta Helbronner where I proceeded to yet again take dozens of photos of peaks that I already have dozens of photos of. But it’s just so beautiful up there that I couldn’t help myself.

Punta Helbronner Cable Car

Aiguille d'Entreves is the peak directly below Mont Blanc, we skied the steep slope that disappears behind the ridgeline

Top of 'Italian Vallee Blanche'

Richard with Dent du Geant behind.

Dent du Geant

Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc du Tacul

We then set off to the skier’s left as if we were skiing the Glacier de Toule which we have done several times previously. But in this case we would be skiing further to reach the Col d’Entreves, which afforded us a short section of lovely powder before we fixed our skins.

Combe Maudit, North Face of Tour Ronde on LHS

Richard skiing Powder below the Punta Helbronner

Jerome Skinning, Tour Ronde ahead

Skinning up to Col d'Entreves

Richard Skinning up to Col d'Entreves, Vallee Blanche and Aiguille du Midi behind

The skin up to the Col was a basic affair, great snow, not much elevation gain and epic scenery. We were well above 3000m and my lungs did very well which was a great sign. At the col it was decision time. One option was to climb the East Face of the Tour Ronde to ski the Brenva glacier but the delays in the morning meant we would likely be too late in the day, also Jerome wanted to test me out on a smaller climb before we committed to that. The other option was to just ski straight down from the Col on the headwall of the Glacier d’Entreves. We didn’t feel like we had done enough work yet so we elected to climb the arete towards the Aiguille d’Entreves and ski from the highest point. This would afford us some extra vertical and also some even steeper terrain, plus it would give Jerome the chance to see how I coped on the rock where I have very little experience.

Glacier d'Entreves

East Face of Tour Ronde, future climbing route

Arete towards L'Aiguille d'Entreves, ski slope on right

Col d'Entreves below, Arete de Peuterey behind

Richard Climbing with the Arete de Peuterey behind

Richard Climbing with the Arete de Peuterey behind

Climbing the arete was a pretty simple affair, as much a scramble as a climb. It let me practice using a piolet both in the snow/ice and also as a dry-tooling aid. With no major issues we made a fairly airy traverse to a nice ledge where we had our lunch, it was also at the very top of the skiable snow and a previous skier had dug out a lovely trench which we could use to put our skis on. The view from this ledge was absolutely outstanding. We had a 180 degree panorama and could see just about every significant peak in the Western and Southern Alps. It was also the first time I’ve eaten a sandwich while being tied to a piece of rock.

View from Lunch (Grand Combin, Matterhorn, Monte Rosa)

View from Lunch (Aosta Valley)

View from Lunch (Courmayeur, Vanoise)

View from Lunch (Aiguille Noire, Barre des Ecrins)

Once we had finished our lunch it was time to put on our skis and make the descent. The top was very steep and very exposed, we did some poking around to find the aspect that the sun had softened the best – initially we thought we might descend the headwall into the Glacier de Toule but as it worked out we went right into the Entreves.

The top few metres was quite rocky so we mainly stepped until we could traverse into a more defined couloir and from then it was pure steep skiing on corn snow. I don’t know the exact pitch as this route is not in the guidebook, but it had to be around 50 degrees at the top as my first few turns I did not want to link, I was happier coming to a complete stop in between. As we descended the pitch slowly mellowed to a point where you could make linked jump turns and I was a little happier. The snow was well bonded and there was no chance of setting off a wet slab avalanche so we skied with more confidence until we crossed the rimaye and got on to the glacier.

Richard on the top slope. Steep.

Richard on the top slope. Steep.

Top of the slope. Steep.

Once on the glacier the pitch mellowed and we could let it rip a bit. As the aspects changed the snow varied from lovely corn to ‘crusty mank’ and everything in between, which we experienced between the enormous and imposing walls of the Combe d’Entreves.

Mellower slope, corn snow, speed. Bliss.

Looking back up from the Glacier d'Entreves

Once we descended the glacier we cut hard left below the Glacier de Toule to the Pavillion which is the mid-station of the Helbronner Cable Car, a cold drink was definitely on the menu and then we descended the cable car and returned to Chamonix.

It was a quintessential Chamonix day – a cable car direct into glaciated high alpine terrain, skied a little powder, a short skin to an amazing zone, a little taste of alpinism, sandwich lunch with an amazing view, skiing something really seriously steep and then returning in all kinds of difficult snow.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed that thinks like crampons and piolets & ropes are starting to feature more and more in our adventures, it seems to be the progression in Chamonix and I’m happy with being able to access more of the mountains. I’ve also arrived with a far higher base fitness than our last couple of trips which is probably the main reason Jerome is happy to drag me into more committed zones, and for this I am extremely pleased.

Once again none of this would be possible without the amazing guide Jerome Para – he is a full UIAGM/IFMGA Qualified guide working with the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix. For any Chamonix adventure be sure to get in touch with him either through the Compagnie des Guides or via email: parajerome@yahoo.fr (not hotlinked to prevent spam – cut & paste into your email client)

The Glacier Rond is one of the few skiable lines off the North Face or ‘frontside’ of the Aiguille du Midi. All of them are steep & exposed, and also highly coveted. As I had come to Chamonix to ski some steeps it wasn’t much of a decision so the plan was changed. I slept fitfully that night, as the Rond is not to be trifled with – it was the line featured in the recent movie ‘The Edge of Never’as the location that claimed pro skier Trevor Petersen and the movie was the story of his son Kye, himself an emerging pro, coming to Chamonix to ski the line where his father perished.

The Rond is a hanging glacier virtually directly below the Refuge des Cosmiques – the glacier itself is only a couple of hundred meters long, descending to a point where it turns into fresh air with a large drop below – you ski roughly the first half of the hanging glacier and then turn left and ski the exit couloir down to the Bossons glacier and then make your way back down to town, roughly where the Mont Blanc Tunnel takes you through to Italy.

This is a zoomed & cropped photo I took from Flaine which clearly shows the glacier just below the refuge, but does not show the exit couloir:

Glacier Rond & Aiguille du Midi

Given we were home late from dinner we decided a small sleep in was best, this also would ameliorate the usual cold temperatures on the Aiguille and let the sun begin to face the Rond. We woke up to clear skies but a high wind aloft, though this was planned to moderate through the day. We had a moderate wait at the Cable Car and were up the top before long. We fitted crampons for the arete, and moved swiftly down, passing the larger groups on our way. The arete becomes less and less scary each time I get out there which is a good thing. We put on our skis but then traversed back under the South Face of the Midi to head towards the Rond. There was a steep & icy but short face on the way so we did some turns there to get the feel of the steeps. After traversing under the Midi it is a short but lung-busting sidestep to just below the Refuge des Cosmiques to the top of the Rond.

Sidestepping up to Glacier Rond

We then made a very exposed and ‘airy’ traverse on to the top of the Rond, and sideslipped down to a belay point. Jerome’s friend Stephane ‘FanFan’ Dan was belaying a client into the Rond – it is quite ironic that Fanfan was the lead guide in the production of ‘The Edge of Never’ plus he has also featured in a number of recent movies set in Chamonix such as ‘Deeper’ and also ‘Art of Flight’.

Exposed Traverse into Glacier Rond

Looking down Glacier Rond. Chamonix Below

Mont Blanc du Tacul from Glacier Rond

Jerome & FanFan belaying on Glacier Rond

FanFan’s client went further and further down on belay and reported the snow to still be quite icy, at which point we pulled the pin & his client sidestepped back up. FanFan and Jerome said that they could have belayed us down the whole face to the couloir but there would be no point in that as it isn’t skiing, so we took off our skis, switched to crampons and climbed back out, disappointed but glad that our keenness to ski the line didn’t force any poor safety decisions. Having now looked straight down the line I agree that it would be fantastic in soft snow but a death wish in firm snow.

Climbing back out of Glacier Rond

Climbing back out of Glacier Rond

Despite the myriad ways I could have died on the arete and the Rond, when I took off my crampons my first reaction was to be thrilled that I had used them twice without putting any more holes in my pants!

Keen to salvage the day Jerome and FanFan roped up to see if they could find an entry into the rarely skied ‘Vrai Vallee Blanche’ but again we were stymied by the crevasses. So we again roped up and sidestepped up and across and entered from below. The skiing was simple and fun, there was some light powder on top as we played amongst the enormous seracs, often in a roller-coaster fashion.

Vallee Blanche

Crevasses Ahead

Sidestepping Back Out

Vrai Vallee Blanche

Richard in the Seracs

Skiing in the Seracs of the Vrai Vallee Blanche

Vrai Vallee Blanche

Skiing in the Vrai Vallee Blanche

Skiing in the Seracs of the Vrai Vallee Blanche

Once we descended into the main tourist Vallee Blanche route, the party was over, it was icy moguls all the way to the Mer de Glace. That’s why we have never skied it, preferring to ski the Grand Envers du Plan route.

The Mer de Glace is the worlds longest green run, albeit with epic scenery and we skied down to the moraine where we climbed up, had a cold drink and then took the forest road down to town. The sun had melted out a couple of sections where we had a short walk and unfortunately one of these was on the train line which we didn’t get to jump, a highlight of our last descent through this route.

Seracs du Geant from Mer de Glace

Mer de Glace, L'Aiguille Verte

Trail back to Chamonix

So overall it was a good ski day, with safety and common sense being the winner. But now I’ve seen the Rond and can’t wait for the right conditions to ski it.

Once again none of this would be possible without the amazing guide Jerome Para – he is a full UIAGM/IFMGA Qualified guide working with the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix. For any Chamonix adventure be sure to get in touch with him either through the Compagnie des Guides or via email: parajerome@yahoo.fr (not hotlinked to prevent spam – cut & paste into your email client)

Obligatory shot of Mont Blanc & L'Aigulle du Midi from Grands Montets

So we decided on another objective which was to climb the Glacier du Tour Noir and if possible traverse into the Glacier des Rouges du Dolent for our descent. The best thing about doing this is before you even start you head to the top of the Grands Montets and ski powder on the Glacier des Rognons, which is a treat all in itself. As we were heading down to the Argentiere glacier we went far skier’s right from the Grands Montets and weaved our way through the seracs and crevasses until we reached the point where we put on our skins and stripped off some layers for the climb.

Skiing Powder Amongst the Crevasses down to Argentiere Glacier

Putting On Skins

The lower reaches of the climb went quickly as we headed towards our target. The pitch was barely perceptible and we made good time with some of the most dramatic peaks of the Mont Blanc Massif towered above us. The weather was extremely mild and there was barely a breeze – even at the top of Grands Montets which is usually a chilly affair. We passed under the Refuge d’Argentiere to our left and the enormous peaks of L’Aiguille Verte, Les Droites and Les Courtes to our right. At the end of the valley is the pyramid shaped Mont Dolent, the summit of which is the convergence of France, Italy and Switzerland. The climb to the base of the glacier is about 300m vertical but it felt like nothing due to the slight and even pitch.

Skinning Up The Argentiere Glacier

L'Aiguille Verte

Heading up to Glacier du Tour Noir

Les Courtes

Les Courtes, Les Droites and L'Aiguille Verte

End of Argentiere Basin & Mont Dolent

However the altitude was a different story, in the major ski tours I have done to date, most of them have topped out at about 2500m, whereas in this case 2500m is where we put our skis on and started climbing. In fact when we went touring in Japan in January the altitude was about 400m! I was fortunate that I had spent the last weeks at some sort of elevation, Flaine was 1600m and our hotel in Turkey about 2100m but the lack of oxygen really became apparent as we got above about 3000m.

Me Skinning Looking Back to Les Grands Montets

Me Pointing at Something

Me Skinning up the Glacier du Tour Noir

Apart from the altitude the climb up the glacier was pretty basic – there was an annoying icy layer under the fresh snow, so while the snow for the most part gripped to the skins perfectly it did not adhere to the base in some sections making the bottom ski break away occasionally. It was just an annoyance and not worth fitting ski crampons for however. We stopped for lunch at a very scenic point at about 3200m with the intention of climbing another 150m or so to traverse into the adjacent valley. However the head cold I had been holding off in Turkey was starting to flare up again, and we also saw the wall we would have to bootpack, it was about 100m vertical and no track had been set, Jerome and I agreed that combined with the altitude the climb would finish me off, so after my sneezing fit we climbed just a little further to get around an enormous crevasse so we could remove our skins and ski the shady snow on the skier’s left of the glacier.

Having Lunch with some OK Scenery

Little Skier, Big Seracs!

Skiing on the Glacier du Tour Noir

Skiing on the Glacier du Tour Noir

As with yesterday the conditions were ‘dust on crust’ so while we had acres of untracked powder at our feet it was just a tad shallow to rip down without rattling our fillings loose, so we opted for slower smaller turns which felt much better underfoot. The seracs above made for some dramatic scenery and all too quickly we were down at the Argentiere glacier again. As the shadows lengthened across the glacier we found our way to the skier’s left and skied down alongside the dramatic icefall. As the snow levels this year are very high it is safe skiing and you could get right up close to the seracs, there was even some black glacial ice in the troughs of a couple of moguls. Before long we were on the piste, and at the base of the Grands Montets having a beer. As so often happens touring we spent over 3 hours ascending about 750m, but then skied down 2000m in about 30 minutes!

From Whence We Came – Glacier du Tour Noir

Skiing down the Argentiere Glacier

Argentiere Glacier Lower Icefall

Peekaboo!

Once again it was a great day in the mountains. The weather was superb, the scenery unparalleled and it’s a privileges to get some exercise in such a setting.

The weather looks a little iffy for tomorrow morning – snow overnight and perhaps clearing during the day. If there is a reasonable amount of snow we may head up the Aiguille du Midi to ski the Grand Envers du Plan, but it’s looking more like a day off, and to be honest I’d be equally happy with either outcome!

Once again none of this would be possible without the amazing guide Jerome Para – he is a full UIAGM/IFMGA Qualified guide working with the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix. For any Chamonix adventure be sure to get in touch with him either through the Compagnie des Guides or via email: parajerome@yahoo.fr (not hotlinked to prevent spam – cut & paste into your email client)

I was pretty exhausted from the week in Turkey with various issues in the hotel conspiring to seriously impinge on my sleep time, but an early night here in a nice dark bedroom led to a 10 hour deep slumber and I was ready to roll. Jerome asked if I preferred a day of lifted off-piste or ski touring, and I decided it was best to get straight on the horse and opted to earn some turns. Being my first day skiing for myself this trip Jerome chose a medium sized tour up to Col du Belvedere.

Col du Belvedere is one of the classic Chamonix ski tours and I was excited to see what the fuss was about. As we have done many times before I bought a ‘one way’ alpinist lift ticket and we headed up to the top of Flegere, made a traverse and then put our skins on. Due to the extremely warm weather last week the surface is extremely firm underneath but with a layer of fresh on top. The traverse was a pretty chattery affair but it was over soon enough and it was time to climb. A layer of cloud enveloped the valley, the top of the Floria poma was just above it but we descended into the murk on the traverse and looked forward to climbing back out of it.

Flegere Tram

Jerome above the Clouds

Mont Blanc in the Clouds

By the time we reached Lac Blanc we were back above the cloud and the views were spectacular. As I have often mentioned one of the best parts of skiing Brevent & Flegere is the view afforded of the Mont Blanc massif and today was no exception. There was only one other party on our route but we chose a more direct skin track and were treated to some particularly aesthetic views while climbing. The climb was a total of 500m and while that does not come completely for free it is a moderate hike and I felt good at the top.

Jerome Pointing out some Chamois

Chamois on the move

Jerome Skinning Below Col du Belvedere

Skin Track all the way to Lac Blanc, Aiguille Verte and Les Drus behind

Richard Skinning up Col du Belvedere

From the Col du Belvedere there is a steep icy slope that requires a series of rappels to reach the glacier below. Jerome remarked that there is less snow than normal on the descent, most probably due to wind so we had to rappel further than normal, which was a little annoying but no big deal.

Arriving at the Col & Setting up the Rappel

Rappelling below Col du Belvedere

Hanging out in the Couloir

Once off the rope we were treated to fresh tracks all the way down to the Berard Valley. As with the earlier traverse the conditions were ‘dust on crust’ and we were feeling the bottom but it was lovely snow overall and we had a blast. The upper reaches of the glacier were steep powder turns with slough following you down the hill and this slowly mellowed as we reached the valley floor.

There had only been one party ahead of us on the glacier and they kept well to the skier’s left, so we had the whole skier’s right to ourselves and didn’t cross a track until we got to the main drag down below.

Glacier below Col du Belvedere

Fresh Tracks under Col du Belvedere

Richard Skiing below Col du Belvedere

Richard Skiing below Col du Belvedere

I was anticipating the usual ‘James Bond’ trail from the bottom of the valley to Le Buet but did not quite anticipate the poor condition of the snow – it was absolutely rock hard blue ice moguls, something that Mt Buller would be proud of, which is always interesting on blunt fat skis with touring boots & bindings. Skiing out of a valley after a powder run is usually an interesting affair but this was full on combat skiing. We remarked that it was amusing that the skin up and the ski down were the easiest parts of the day, it was the rappel down from the col and the bumpy trail that were actually the most tiring.

Finishing in Le Buet

As with all tours in this part of the world we waited for the train with a drink a the Hotel du Buet though in true French fashion there was a strike so the trains were far less frequent. However we reached Chamonix soon enough after a great day. This tour had most of the elements that you hope for in a day in Chamonix – great views, a bit of climbing, some nervous steeps with ropes & ice axes, powder on a glacier, wide open valleys and combat skiing below.

Great day and looking forward to more. Weather permitting we are hoping to do some touring on the Argentiere glacier tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Once again none of this would be possible without the amazing guide Jerome Para – he is a full UIAGM/IFMGA Qualified guide working with the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix. For any Chamonix adventure be sure to get in touch with him either through the Compagnie des Guides or via email: parajerome@yahoo.fr (not hotlinked to prevent spam – cut & paste into your email client)

We spent much of yesterday evening wondering what exactly happened that day. The powder was mindblowing yet it exerted a calm over Team Powder Bible rather than the usual euphoria that typically follows an epic day. A sense of anxiety had been brewing, despite the fact that we had spent the bulk of this trip skiing powder in one form or another, we hadn’t scored big time. That emotion was rectified by some of the deepest snow we had encountered anywhere, and with a great looking forecast it was great knowing that things would continue.

Cortina reported yet another 25cm overnight so the destination for the day was an easy decision. The only factor that would make you not consider today to be an epic powder day was the conditions that preceded it. The snow-starved residents of the Western US would kill for what we found today, but we approached it with a somewhat relaxed attitude due to the physical toll on our bodies and the mental calm provided by yesterday’s efforts.

There was still plenty of fresh in the trees, with face shots most turns, but fewer choking episodes and wondering just how close that tree actually is as you make your third totally submerged turn……

Team Powder Bible have rolled in to Hakuba with exquisite timing, hitting Cortina in the midst of an epic snow cycle.

While we had great fun in Niseko with excellent company the snow gods didn’t deliver, yet in true ski holiday fashion it started dumping as we were due to leave. It went against all my principles not to reschedule our exit but this was due to the forecast for Hakuba showing strong snowfall for the coming week. I had faith, stuck firm and we were well rewarded. We hooked up with Sandy from the ski.com.au forums who was most kind in picking us up from the airport and having us at his home, and also showing us around Tokyo for the day and driving us up to Hakuba, it is most appreciated!

Once we made our way up to Hakuba we settled in at the White Horse Hotel. Our first day was a little bit of a misfire, we read the early report for Cortina and they had not yet decided to open the top lifts. Not wanting to take the risk we headed to Happo One but after the first couple of early runs the place was pretty solidly tracked as the upper lifts were delayed opening for avalanche control. It was due to a stroke of good luck that we were in the right place at the right time when one of the upper lifts opened and we were able to have half a dozen epic runs with face shots every turn. It wasn’t pleasant however when we got home and realised that Cortina did indeed open one of their top lifts and the day there was being called ‘best ever’ by people who really do know their powder snow.

So all we could do was go there today. Another 40cm fell overnight making the total around 2m of fresh snow in the last 4-5 days, and we were also rewarded with the opening of the other top lift, which had not yet opened during the storm cycle and yielded snow that was bordering on too deep. (I know what you are thinking but it’s true!) – We ran in to Mark102 and paedde from the ski.com.au forums in the line for the first lift and Mark was extremely generous in showing us around for the day, he and Patrick also got the cameras out and took the great pics you see below.

It’s hard to describe the day, it was basically a continuous face shot with multiple episodes of choking. I have never had to stop so much during powder runs due to inhaling snow and complete disorientation due to my goggles being caked in snow. Only once have I skied snow this deep before but never so much of it during a day. Every run yielded amazing blower powder and thanks to Cortina’s policies which are far less regressive than other Hakuba areas we were able to enjoy it in nice steep tree glades.

Given our unfamiliarity with the area we decided for a very safe and conservative option, and decided to climb the Weisshorn, where the majority of the ascent would be within the old disused Weiss ski area. Weiss is generally used by snowmobiles however we were fortunate not to have to share it with them today, in fact the only other sign of life was a single snowboarder, and also the infernal lift announcements from Niseko booming across the valley.

Apart from a small pitch near the summit the slope angles were too low for avalanches, though while we saw some tempting tracks heading down the main summit bowl there were enough signals that we shouldn’t be skiing down especially considering our conservative mindset.

Our friend Andy who is the Program Director of Japan Powder Tours based out of Moiwa joined us for the day, it was his first ever ski tour and we were glad to share it with him.

Given the tired legs from the skiing so far, the pace was moderate and we kept the skin track angles low, and didn’t torture Andy with any kick turns, but when we saw the sun lowering in the sky we skipped a couple of gears and forged our way up to the summit. I think it was about a 500m vert climb, so nothing record breaking but not insubstantial either.

We did feast on a sushi lunch during the climb which is something that is really quite unique.

We were rewarded with a stunning view on the summit seeing both the Sea of Japan and the Pacific, not to mention the striking Mt Yotei and also Annupuri (the main peak of Niseko) and also Iwanopuri.

Once we summited the light was getting low so we made our way back down. In the conservative vein of the day we skied some lovely powder down what I am guessing was the main intermediate run of the old Weiss resort – the pitch was mellow but apart from jumping the occasional snowmobile track the main obstacles were our own skin tracks.. As always with ski touring the descent was lovely with every single turn earned for the day.

The long climb also allowed time to reflect on the sad loss of Sarah Burke. The sport we all love is not without its risks and we should all remember that the professionals out there are tempting fate every day in order to provide us with entertainment.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day, and followed it up with a soak in a local Onsen and then dinner at one of the best restaurants in Hirafu.

It was a superb day and we are now eagerly awaiting the snowfall anticipated starting tomorrow afternoon.

The Weisshorn, Hokkaido Japan

Richard & Andy Skinning with

Richard & Andy Skinning with Yotei

Richard Skinning with Yotei

Skinning through the forest

Disused Lift Station

Disused Lift Station

Disused Lift Station

The Weisshorn

Richard, Nicole & Yotei

Nicole and Richard at the Summit with Yotei

View from the Summit

Annupuri and Yotei from the Summit

Sea of Japan

We have skied for 3 days now warming up and familiarising ourselves with the area, while we are yet to receive a mega dump of Niseko’s famous powder we have skied pretty consistent boot to knee deep snow each day.

I will endeavour to write semi-regular reports on the snow and our adventures throughout our three week trip, but here’s a teaser of what we have been up to so far:

Niseko

Richard in Japow

The Crew in Niseko

I tend to think of today as ‘Day 1′ of the season for powder. Any good conditions in November and early December fall into the ‘good luck’ basket, and are generally enjoyed by opportunistic locals. The crowds between Christmas and New Year are horrendous in most resorts and should be avoided if schedules permit. All the snowfalls prior to today should be viewed as ‘base builders’ rather than missed opportunities, and by now on average most resort should be close to fully operational.

But are they?

Heavenly California January 2 2012

A quick glance at the main regions of the Northern Hemisphere gives this summary:

Hokkaido, Japan: Excellent
Honshu, Japan: On Average for this time of year
Western Alps: Excellent
Eastern Alps: Average for this time of year
British Columbia: Excellent
Pacific Northwest: Excellent
California: Significantly below Average (Borderline disastrous)
Colorado: Well Below Average
Utah: Well below Average

(North America stats can be found on Tony Crocker’s site here)

I’ve been speaking to friends in the Western US states who have been mentioning that the skiing is like Australia. Unofficial Networks even had a blog post from Snowbird where they described some rain as welcome as it softened up the ice! Meanwhile friends in Chamonix are lamenting that there is too much snow and they can’t ski due to the avalanche danger. Niseko had one of the better Decembers on record.

So what does this all mean?

One of the central tenets of The Powder Bible is that snowfall is variable. Even though certain areas have good records they are not immune to periods of prolonged high pressure and low snowfalls. One good friend of mine (and proofreader of The Powder Bible) has cancelled her trip to California and Utah & is thinking about doing Japan later in February.

It sounds like a drastic move, but she hasn’t been lucky (though I disagree with the concept of luck when it comes to snowfall ) in her last few trips and doesn’t want to prolong her misery.

I have some more friends (and Powder Bible purchasers) who have to confirm some pre-booked accommodation in Tahoe in a few days for a trip later in February. They are definitely sweating on the decision – a lot can happen in 6 weeks, but California is so far behind the 8-ball that it will need a hell of a lot of snow between now and then to even the ledger and things look pretty poor right now when they need to decide to part with the cash.

It has been interesting talking to them about the decisions they have made and the decisions they face. Just as I wrote in The Powder Bible, sunk costs play a big factor in to trip planning, even when the writing is on the wall. I prefer to avoid this by leaving plans until the last minute, as prebooking, even in an area with a snowy average has the potential to backfire.

Who has made trip plans that are being threatened by poor snow conditions? Who is making plans now based on what is out there? Will you try to salvage a bad decision or cut your losses? Or have you been one of the lucky ones gorging on the pow?

Let us know in the comments below.