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Friday, April 14, 2006
Face Nord de Turia, Savoie, France
In mountain guide Didier Givois' book "Les Clés de Paradiski" there are just three routes in Les Arcs that get four or more stars for technical difficulty: one of them is the North Face of Turia. A late change in Bonnie's plan to come to Europe mean that I visit Villaroger over the Easter weekend. Feeling energized and up for a real challenge I put skins on my skis at the Grand Col after 10am and climb up the glacier to reach the Col des Roches at 12pm. Whilst drinking water and eating, I watch two athletes race up Mont Pourri behind. I put my skis onto my pack and with ice-axe in hand I set off on foot to climb the couloir leading to the shoulder of Turia. The wind is blowing hard and I am glad for the security of the axe. I reach the top of the couloir (3515m) at 1pm and stop to relax and recover. Didier Givois writes that you must test the snow on the North Face before your first turn: if there is ice turn back, otherwise it will be the last turn you make. I take my time to check the snow pack. Then I'm off and feeling both scared yet very calm right to my core (update: the initial slope photographed on 14th May by another group). Each turn is measured and made as precisely as I know how, each time dropping some distance because it's steep. The wind blows all loose snow into a storm and snow races ahead of me down the face. I traverse left of the huge rock crop and quickly find myself on a surface layer of ice. At 45 degrees, my edges lose their grip and suddenly I am sliding down. A voice inside me tells me to flick a turn in (NOW!) and get back to safety, and seconds later I am back in control. Later I stop above the glacier and remember our old skiing mate Tim Johnson. Further down I reach the relative safety of the Grand Col itinerary and enjoy gliding over spring snow in the warm sunshine until arriving back in Villaroger. The rest of the weekend is spent enjoying family company and precious time with two young nieces. Emily (age 6) skis her first black run with me on Easter monday - there's so much in the mountains for her to look forward to.
posted by Guy Nicholson, 7:06 pm 
Comments:
Dude,
That looks so fucking ballsy!!!!
Great job!!!
Did you have a knot in your stomach?
We must start planning a trip together again!
P
Post a Comment
That looks so fucking ballsy!!!!
Great job!!!
Did you have a knot in your stomach?
We must start planning a trip together again!
P
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