Saturday 16 March 2013

Chamonix Freeride coaching week

Last week I was in Chamonix for 6 days of coaching on the www.offpisteskiing.com Freeride course, run alongside Jagged Globe.

With a Foehn system having blown through over the previous few days the Chamonix valley was not necessarily going to be in prime condition and this was proven true at the Grands Montets on the first day, with a thin layer of powder over big bumps everywhere apart from the very top lift.
Plan B was called for, and this appeared in the shape of Courmayeur, with 30cms of powder on a soft base almost everywhere!





The scenery matches the quality of the coffee & food!



With such good conditions it would have been rude not to spend a bit more time exploring the massive off piste potential of the area,

High entry to Dolonne in top form:



900m vertical of powder? Yes please...



Alex lower down:



The exit "combat ski" was actually in reasonable condition:



Arp Vieille shoulder couloir:



Alex:



Alice:



Audrey:



A happy team:


A day back at Le Tour midweek only confirmed how much better the Italian side was, though we found good conditions in the Combe des Jeurs and below the Arolette. Given the option though, everyone voted for Courmayeur again for our last days.

Looking into the Arp face:



Audrey in the couloir:



Amanda reaping the rewards:



Alex:



The team's handywork:











All in all a fantastic week! The team all made great progress with their skiing, and we ticked off an enviable number of classic lines in great snow - roll on next year!

1 comment:

  1. Really glad I came across your blog, I have been looking at booking that freeride course for a while but wanted to hear from someone if it was worth the money or not. Good to hear you had a great time!

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