Chamonix February 2011

In the weeks leading up to our trip for “The Ordinary Skier” we got JP Auclair (my ski partner for the trip) dialed in on a gear list, just to name a few items: ice axes, crampons, narrower waisted skis, harness, and essential climbing gear. In a nutshell Chamonix is lift accessed mountaineering. Trams take you up to the top, then you ski to a skin point and climb after that with crampons and ice axes. This was JP’s first time there as well as first time doing such mountaineering. The conditions were prime for “Extreme” skiing regardless of how bad everyone told us it was going to be. Sorry but everyday isn’t a powder day! That’s fine, its what we wanted for what we went there to do.

We started off with a bang for our crew. Not many people out skiing the lines this year, more people into climbing and ice climbing due to the firm conditions. We were more than glad to have it this way, less to deal with. Some of us had been there for a number of weeks last year and it showed by our movement through the mountains and JP had no problem fitting in. Everyday is a learning experience and a plan is never set in stone till you get out to the objective. As days went along small problems turned into time consuming events that cost you getting to the top sometimes. That’s just a matter of safety, turning back is a let down, but more than often the right decision. The mountains make the decisions for you, you just need to be able to read them.

More than anything this trip was a preparation for the Chamonix spring trip. Get our heads back into the game and more experience. Spring is when it turns on and the ice covered faces get a nice coating of snow on them. The town felt like spring as there was not many folks around skiing the mountains. Looking forward to getting back and tuning back into Chamonix life. The energy of the people and mountains draws you in, in a way no where else can. Till next time! Check out the photos!

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