This winter has provided some incredible moments for photography, so I thought I'd look back through the archives and choose my top 5 moments through the lens. Ski touring on La Para (2540m)In January came the opportunity for my first major ski tour of the season. I was privileged to be invited by Terry Ralphs, a full British Mountain Guide, and his friend Pierre Starobinski, an aspirant guide in the Association of Swiss Mountain Guides. This photo shows my first true backcountry turns of the season, the start of my best ski touring season to date. I am so grateful for the chance to join these two masters on such an adventure. Ski touring on Le Génépi (2884m)Later in the season, it was time for me to lead a major trip of my own, choosing a technical descent of a summit in the Massif du Mont Blanc. This picture shows me laying the first track down the couloir from the summit, with a gradient of over 45 degrees. I was pleased to have remembered the ice axe that morning. The descent then opened up into a glorious descent back to Champex-Lac Coaching the Freeride World Tour ClubVerbier is known for its world-class off-piste ski terrain. It was honour to be a coach for the Freeride World Tour Club, an initiative set up by the Ecole Suisse de Ski Verbier to inspire the next generation of off piste superstars. These kids give it 100% with an insatiable hunger to ski deep powder, drop cliffs, and spin 360s. It was all smiles at the end of a great week. Exploring Verbier's TerrainWhen a good friend of mine told me mid week that she was leaving at the weekend, yet had not yet had the chance to sample Verbier's finest descents, I set myself the challenge of a whistle stop tour of the greats. We ticked off Mont Gelé, Mâche, Rocky garden, and the Attelas Couloirs to name a few, but it was the descent of the backside of Mont Fort that served up the best photo oppurtunity. With a fresh snowfall overnight, we descended an east facing couloir before drawing the first tracks on this spectacular face, enjoying a powder descent all the way across the glacier, and back down to Siviez. Chamonix to Zermatt - The Haute RouteI had been planning to complete this, the world's most famous high altitude ski traverse, from the outset of the season. When my longest standing ski and climbing partner Tom, informed me he had some spare time in April, plans were quickly put in place. We completed the route in just 5 days, opposed to the usual 7, and this photo in the shadow of the Matterhorn and Dent d'Hérens was the clear winner, giving just a snapshot of the breathtaking scenery we encountered along the way. I cannot wait to see what the winter of 2016/7 holds in store whether it be personal adventures or my professional projects. Just a summer on the sea to endure before then!
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It's always with a heavy heart that I approach the end of the ski season, but with some exciting sailing projects just around the corner, and one more ski touring adventure planned this week, it could be much worse! The March Newsletter looked back over some great projects this season during the winter months, but the Spring has been all about Ski Touring. Aside form the usual day tours, this year we took on the infamous Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route, completing it in just 5 days. Read the blog here or watch our film below... Even last week, when most resorts in the Alps had closed their lifts, we made the trip to Pointe des Grands in the Massif du Mont Blanc, climbing 1600 vertical metres from the car at Col de La Forclaz. It's safe to say with a little bit of effort and research, there are always some fresh turns to be had! I hope that many more of you will join me next year on an adventure or two in search of virgin snow away from the crowds. Fresh tracks on the Pointe des Grands This weekend, the skis will be packed away, and I'll be on the road once again ready for my first sailing project in early May. I am looking forward to continuing to work with my private clients, many of whom are committing to longer term coaching plans. Working together over a longer period allows much more scope for improvement and consolidation, as Piotr Nahajski's crew on Jollity proved. Putting the effort in over a whole season, they progressed from bringing up the rear to regularly finishing on the podium, and ultimatley taking line honours in their last race of the season, competing in their regular club series. The largest sector of growth in the competitive sailing industry is that of shorthanded racing, whether double-handed or single-handed. The challenge is immense, and the perfect way for experienced racers to push their boundaries in a new way. I'm already working on a number of projects with private owners, and hope to persuade a great deal more to take on the challenge. Stay tuned to see the videos from our training sessions. In the meantime, below is a training session from 2013 with myself and Robbie Southwell. The corporate market remains buoyant, and I have the usual suspects lined up aiming for victory. I am particularly looking forward to defending a number of titles, namely victory in the Bank of England Regatta with Sir David Clementi, as well as the Lloyd's Yacht Club Lutine Lineslip Regatta with Brit Insurance. After a number of years with Eckersley O'Callaghan at The Little Britain Challenge Cup, we will be looking to upgrade from second place to first overall! Victory at the Lutine Lineslip Regatta 2015 Smiles after second place at the Little Britain Challenge Cup 2015 Keep tuned to find out how we get on out on the water in 2016. In the meantime, there's time for just one last ski tour!
For those of you who have kept up to date with my ski touring blogs this winter, this a very special one, as I look back over a sensational trip from Argentière in the Chamonix Valley, France, to Zermatt, Switzerland. This famous Grand Tour across the Alps is usually completed in as many as 8 days, but myself and Tom were aiming to do it in as few as 5 days. Read on, as I take you through each day accompanied by a map of the stage, as well as of course, some photo highlights. Day 1 - Argentière to Cabane du Trient
Our trip started from Crans Montana, where we hit the road at 0500, direction Chamonix. We had time for a quick last coffee in civilisation before taking the first lift up to Les Grands Montets above the Argentière glacier. We performed a check of our avalanche transceivers, put on our harnesses and crevasse rescue gear, before ducking under the rope out onto the Glacier d'Argentière. After many days of preparation, it was a relief to be finally underway! It was a nice relaxed ski down to get the legs going before our first ascent up the Col du Passon. Mont Blanc 4,807m Glacier d'Argentière Tom reaches the top of Col du Passon (3028m) Glacier du Trient by day Day turns to night at Cabane du Trient (3,170m) Day 2 - Cabane du Trient to Cabane Mont Fort
Leaving the Cabane du Trient at 0800, we descended the Glacier du Trient before climbing the Col des Ecandies, a steep couloir of mixed snow and rock, to reach the descent down the Val d'Arpete to Champex. From here we used a combination of bus/train/ski lift to reach Cabane Mont Fort. Olly climbing to the top of the Col des Ecandies Day 3 - Cabane Mont Fort to Cabane des Dix
Fortunately day 2 was an easy one, because day 3 was somewhat of an epic. Departing Cabane Mont Fort at 0445, we made our way up to Col de La Chaux, a route I have followed many times on the way to La Rosablanche, but today once we had reached Col de Momin, we instead headed for Col de Cleuson, which opened up into a steep and exposed 40 degree descent, before ascending the Col du Sovereu. We then enjoyed a glorious descent to Lac des Dix, and then contoured around to Pas du Chat before the final climb to Cabane des Dix. The final ascent to Cabane des Dix with Mont Blanc du Cheilon in full view Day 4 - Cabane des Dix to Cabane des Vignettes
One of the hardest aspects of the Haute Route is that over such a long period, your chances of perfect weather are indeed very slim. We knew this was a risk, and as we arrived at Cabane des Dix the night before, the wind had picked up, and we could see high alto-stratus cloud formations indicating that bad weather was inbound! Our plan had been to summit the Pigne d'Arolla en route to Cabane des Vignettes, but when we woke up, the mountain was shrouded in thick clouds and high winds. We thus took the conservative decision, to take a lower route via Pas de Chèvres towards Arolla, before climbing the Haut Glacier d'Arolla to the Cabane des Vignettes. The weather continued to worsen throughout the day, and we arrived at the cabane in limited visibilty. The storm was here in full strength, but we knew that if it cleared in the morning, we were in with a chance of completing the last, and most technical phase to Zermatt. Preparing to climb Pas de Chèvres, visible in the background Day 5 - Cabane des Vignettes to Zermatt
After another sleepless night, partly a cause of the excitement of the final stage, but mostly as a result of the multitude of snorers in our dormitory, I opened the window praying for good weather. Unfortunately I could barely see past the end of my nose. Over breakfast we looked at the options. We knew if we started too late, we couldn't make it in time, so we decided to leave in the bad visibility, hoping that conditions would improve before the final extremely technical descent into Zermatt which requires weaving through crevasses, which we absolutely had to have good visibility for. As we completed the final checks, we were somewhat comforted to see a guided group leave at the same time. We followed them initally out of the hut, but after the first descent we found ourseleves on the front once again, cutting the first track up towards the first of three cols, Col de l'Evêque. The first descent was in the fog still, but by the second col, Col du Mont Brulé, the weather cleared up, and the rest of the stage was completed with ease, descending the stunning glacier into Zermatt. Olly laying the first track on an untouched glacier At the top of the last col, with the Matterhorn and the Dent d'Hérens in the background Avoiding one of the many crevasses in the shadow of the iconic Matterhorn It's impossible to know how to sum up this trip. The Haute Route is world renowned for a reason. It is an epic adventure through beautiful scenery regardless of snow conditions. It is not the trip to undertake in the search of perfect skiing, but one for a guaranteed adventure. Nonetheless we were fortunate enough to ski powder along the way. We took on this mission as a group of two, but were far from alone. The ski touring community is a huge family, and you cross paths with people regularly who have the same interests and passions. We are so grateful for the experiences we shared with others, from conversations over dinner in the huts, to debates over route planning and weather. This trip would not have been the same without the fellow ski tourers, hut guardians, and guides that we met along the way. For more information on the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route, other skiing touring trips, or multi day adventures, please do not hesitate to get in touch... |