Guy's blog 2010

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Alpe d'Huez: Combe du Loup

Back to a home from home. I lived and skied here during the winter of 1993/1994. A full first day of mountain skiing: we traverse into the off-piste route past windblown "sastrugi" or etched snow, and later walk up a hill to get some great fresh tracks at the end of the day (see right two photos!). We are staying with Ski Peak in Vaujany where I worked as a ski guide eleven years ago.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 9:14 pm 0 comments

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Col d'Entreporte - first descent

Sue, Steve and Jon climb Aiguille Grive (left picture shows Sue's crampons to be sure during the 20 minute climb with Mt Pourri behind which I climb later on 6th April 2005) and ski over the Col d'Entreporte and down to the chapel. I have wanted to ski this route for over a year! The snow conditions are very variable.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 11:51 pm 0 comments

Friday, January 28, 2005

Hike up the Aiguille Grive

Jon, Rachel and I hike 20 minutes up to the summit of the Aiguille Grive. There are only 12 other skiers' tracks in the huge south-west facing bowl behind, and so we find some brilliant untracked snow on the way down to Peisey. across the valley is the North face of the Bellecote.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 4:12 pm 0 comments

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Col de la Chal and the Carro Blanc forest

Mum, Dad and I meet cousin Jon and Rachel at 1130am, and after a coffee we traverse into a very pretty route down to Nancroix. We find several pitches of untracked powder heading down opposite the spectacular north-facing Bellecôte. In the valley we take a navette shuttle bus back to Les Arcs. The bus is full of local school children from Peisey-Nancroix who are going skiing as part of their afternoon activities - lucky kids! Returning home I receive by post from the Office National des Forêts a pass allowing me to ski in the nature reserve above Villaroger, very pleased for it is great terrain

posted by Guy Nicholson, 4:08 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

First trip to Trois Vallees

I drive over to Three Valleys to visit Roy and Belinda Davies who are running a chalet there above Les Menuires. It's so cold that the car won't start at 7.15am, and it takes an hour to get the car running with the help of Sue and Tom. The temperature at Les Menuires is -16 degrees. We ski with Paul who also works there, and do the classic itinerary routes around the Lac de Lou. A terrific day in magnificent scenery. This photo shows me laying fresh tracks down to the Lac du Lou. R&B cook dinner, and I drive home late.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 7:18 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Notre Dame des Vernettes, Peisey-Nancroix

The chapel situated above Peisey-Nancroix. This astonishing construction was built in the early 18th century by faithful believers above alpine meadows. With Hugh, Jon and Rachel, and Dad, we skied here stopping for a quick picnic lunch. Les Arcs. France.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 4:49 pm 0 comments

Telemark trip to Peisey

Hugh and I meet Jon, Rachel and Dad at midday and ski off-piste down past the pilgrimage site of Notre Dame des Vernettes to Peisey - the village in a valley below Les Arcs. The sun is shining and all enjoy this trip with superb fresh snow. Very cold weather (-17 degrees C at the Renard chair lift), and we have trouble starting the car at the end of the day. More pictures: village lift, Hugh telemarking, Guy telemarking, Reservoir run, Telemark!, Cousin Jon, Telemark to Peisey.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 10:48 am 0 comments

Monday, January 24, 2005

Ski boots RIP

My alpine ski boots have passed away. After ten years faithful service (including one season of ski guiding in 1994/1995) through nearly forty weeks of skiing, both boots expired today: one with a large crack across the entire sole, and the other with a broken pivot. I limped home with cold feet, after a great day with Mark, John, Sue and also briefly saw cousin Jon and Rachel who are staying at La Plagne. Benoit called from Singapore when I was skiing in the powder snow. The sun finally came out (seventh day after the snow started). Very cold weather.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 7:28 am 0 comments

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Powder day, Villaroger

Doesn't get better than this! With just our two chairlifts, and no visitors from Les Arcs because of the high lifts being shut, we get fresh tracks all day long around the Villaroger trees. Ski most of the day with Hugh: plenty of "face shots" with snow erupting upwards quite literally into your face. It keeps on snowing the whole day long: sixth consecutive day of snow. I am getting used to waking at 7am by the sound of detonated explosives reverberating in the valley, as the ski patrols of the local resorts trigger avalanches to stabilize the snow pack.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 7:00 pm 0 comments

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Telemark Festival, La Rosiere

Day event called "Le Pachon" today at nearby ski resort La Rosiere. I drive over at 8.30am through a blizzard to find more than eighty telemarkers gathering for a day of telemarking, eating and drinking: many dressed in fine vintage garb. It's been snowing continuously since the 18th, so the snow is very deep making the off-piste skiing lots of fun. These folks are really convivial!

posted by Guy Nicholson, 7:43 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Fresh snowfall, Villaroger

The second big powder day this winter (the first was on the 29-12-2004). Today was a day that us skiers and boarders live for. I got onto the first lift with Mark and Sue. Steve had already skinned up at 8am and was skiing down to join us. We also skied with John the boarder and Tom throughout the day, skiing fresh tracks the whole freakin day at Villaroger. After today's experiences the passion for this sport is in full focus; and tonight the snow continues to fall :)

posted by Guy Nicholson, 6:36 pm 0 comments

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Looking across to the Aiguille du Clapet

This is the ski touring route Steve and I climbed on 16th January. This photo taken later across the valley on the Pre St Esprit track to Villaroger near sunset on 24th January, after the snow had arrived!

posted by Guy Nicholson, 10:19 pm 0 comments

Ski touring: Aiguille du Clapet, Tarentaise

Steve and I spend a day ski touring up to the Aiguille du Clapet in Tarentaise. By attaching skins to the base of our skis, we can walk uphill on snow. We spend three hours climbing 1100 metres of vertical ascent, eat lunch on a col, and ski down. Hard work, but rewarded by spectacular views. The snow is quite worn on these south facing slopes and the weather is more like April than January. We only see three other skiers all day. Picture shows Steve on a col near the summit.

posted by Guy Nicholson, 9:27 pm 0 comments

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Verbier, Switzerland

Just spent a week in Switzerland at fabulous Verbier. I drove through the Col du Forclaz from Chamonix on Saturday the 8th, dropping brother Steve off in Argentiere. Verbier is a very smart chalet town with great skiing terrain. Unfortunately the snow depth is not yet enough, some of the classic itinerary routes were unskiable. Our chalet party had Australian cousins Tim and Ana, and Jon (pictured looking over Verbier) and Rachel, Rachel's brother Richard, and little Emily and Zoe. Our excellent chalet host Gavin is also an ex-Meriski employee (like myself) and did everything possible to make our stay enjoyable, even thai fishcakes and Tarte Tartin on the last evening by popular demand. We bumped into Warren Smith who arranged ski instruction for Jon and Rachel. Can't recommend Verbier enough: a world class ski area, and so a "must go" place.