Jally pallez Franceh?
Although I fear writing about spring is very clichéd (note French thing on top of the ‘e’) I feel like I need too…. It seems to be every outdoor-orientated persons favourite season, the lights are getting nighter, the trails are drying up and the sun is coming out. Read on for a few words and a big ass picture dump….
It seems to be especially special (do those 2 previous words work together?) when coming out of a long cold ski season. Just the pleasure of skiing off the hill and pulling wet feet out of ski boots, donning flippen floppens and drinking beer on sunny terraces is surely one of life’s great pleasures. Add to this girls wearing less clothes, and being less grumpy due to the loss of their seasonal affective order (SAD) excuses and even the most hardcore of ski bums are happy about the ever diminishing snow.
So this year Europe has had a shite season. Cham has had a bad season but luckily we have the highest lifts around at our disposal for damage limitation. I hear people in town talking shit like ‘nah bro, I have only been up a handful of times this year, the snow is shit’ and ‘I just tend to walk around town these days pretending to be core’ and generally moaning about conditions. Bad outlook surely? I mean, I have had some awesome days this year, one of the deepest days I have ever experienced (nearly tit-deep on the official body part snow depth measuring scale) and plenty of nice boot-top days on the midi. We have toured, we have climbed, we have ridden lifts, we have skied ice and bumps, slush and crust, pow and rocks and drank cider and grappa…many of the above in the same day too.
So that’s the bulk of the season but what now? I went up to Le tour to crack some race ski laps out last week….we were turned away with a casual French ‘no ski, no snow, only walk’. Grand Montets is the only resort left standing and its getting thin to be honest…I think it will see us out nicely to the end of the month though, especially as the clouds are gathering now, hopefully dropping another wet spring snow storm above 1600m or so.
Anyway, the last few weeks have been awesome, hot, hot weather with the odd high snow storm has kept us entertained and the mountain topped up. We have been climbing in the valley, bonfireing, BBQing, alpine climbing, drinking, ski touring and even boshed a few laps of the park out. Unfortunately Gee man is still looking after my xc bike in NZ, so there has been no riding for me, but I have seen a lot of people getting out on the trails now. Jealous.
Time to turn this rambling into my intended point, pictures. Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks, clicky to make biggy.
Pow/sex face.
This is my soloing/I am scared face.
Mas solo on the midi....
That will be one of them crevasses they talk about...
Josh and Grey on the Glacier Rond
No snow left....ice still slides though, just dont fall in the crevasses!
xx
This Is Sheffield