Couloir skiing in Switzerland – Part 1 – Good snow, beautiful surroundings and an easy day in good company.

I just got back from Switzerland and a two-day ski mountaineering adventure in Chablais and the mountains des Dents du Midi together with friends Stéphane Shaw and Felix Hentz. We took the train yesterday (Wednesday), before noon in Chamonix direction Marecottes. On arrival in this beautiful little village we walked up to the ski station to get up in to the mountains. From the top of the ski area we continued over the back of the mountain via a couloir skiing great snow all the way down to the lake Salanfe, then traversing the lake and climbing the other side to the Refuge Dents du Midi. Surprised by the standard and the location of this little hut we enjoyed a three course meal with red wine planning the next days adventures skiing some of the classic couloirs of the Chablais region starting just a few hundred meters from the hut.

It was a dream coming true to finally be skiing in this region so near to Chamonix, but still so completely different. We did not see another human being on the whole trip, and the mountain have another feel to them resembling more the mountains back in Sweden or the Italian Dolomites. And of course being able to cruise good snow in easy terrain a month after snowfall feels much more like Scandinavia than mountains a few kilometres away from Grand Montets.

The story from the next day is coming up shortly… 

On the train Chamonix – Marecottes

Hungry train driver 

 Walking trough Marecottes

Lift ride 

 Hiking above Marecottes
Happy boys
Les Dents du Midi, we skied down to the lake and ascended the other side, the hut is on the big plateau just before the peaks
Steph skiing
Traversing the lake

Refuge Dents du Midi 

Appero with wine and grapes planing the next day

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There is always powder; you just have to find it…

Watch good friend Felix Hentz skiing some good snow two days ago on a secret spot in Chamonix. 

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There is always powder; you just have to find it…

Watch good friend Felix Hentz skiing some good snow two days ago on a secret spot in Chamonix.
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Powder skiing yesterday in Cham…

Friend Felix Hentz skiing some powder yesterday in cham…

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150383093740367

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Médonnet

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Aiguille Mesure couloir south-west – a beautiful day, great ski mountaineering, some good skiing and a possible first decent…

Up Brevent, pist skiing over to Flegere, a traverse over to Lac Blanc, then up the alternative finish on Col Beugeant, down on the other side in boot deep pow for a few turns, traverse over to Col de Encrenaz, keep on going and up right in the next couloir, when the snow ends traverse left (grade 3 rock climbing – loose rock) to another couloir, climb this one to the top, traverse over a steep rocky face to the south west couloir on Mesure, say hello to a family of Ibexes, click in to your skis, ski some great corn down to a big cliff band, down climb this for a few meters, keep on skiing great snow to a second cliff band, try to set up a rappel, finally succeed with this and end up in another couloir, ski this one down to avalanche cone heaven, survive down to the little track at the bottom of the valley, follow this one all the way down to Buet, miss the train by 2 min, get a hitch on your first try and get back to Cham in time for dinner.

That’s my day today. Felix saw this line earlier this week doing Mt Oreb and after some talking and planning it seemed to be a line treating with a great ski mountaineering adventure. Up and down, skins, skis and crampons on and off, off and on, line checking, rock climbing, a bit of nerve, a meeting with a family of ibexes, great skiing and some problem solving. And then, we haven’t seen any trace of skiing activity on this face (or in any guide book) giving the day an extra nerve that post information cant take away from us. Again a great day on the mountain… 
 
 Approach
 First couloir of the day
 Skiing some good snow with our coming ascent in the background
Felix Hentz finds great snow
End of the climbing
Close to the top
 Our friends
 Just about to do the first turns
 Excellent spring skiing
Couloir skiing
Our tracks from the approach
 Going down the last rock band
Sunset skiing
The Face
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Annecy

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