SkiSickness

Skied the Couloir Marbrées in Courmayeur with Morgan. Snow conditions turned out nicely powdery on the shaded aspects, and degenerated into crust and spring snow as we approached the bottom. The upper couloir had seen two tracks earlier in the morning but was loaded with new snow. Although we got there first, we choose to check out some other option to allow the 11 tourists and guides who followed us up to ski on top of each other and test the terrain for instabilities. Testing accomplished, we made a leisurely 2200m descent taking vids and pictures along the way.



The headwall of the glacier toule with Mont Blanc behind.


Straight lining over to the skinning section to reach the Col.


Looking across the Vallée Blanche to the Aiguille de Midi and the Grand Envers.


The skinning leads up and right to a col below the Dent du Géant.


Looking into the Couloir Marbrées under sporty avy conditions. Stability testers working in parallel....


Mont Blanc de Tacul with the Couloir de Diable prominent.


The upper couloir is a big slide zone..


Traversing into the Marbrées.


Stopping in safe zone on the upper couloir.


Looking down the drainage.


Looking at the upper Marbrées.


The lower glacier.


The pow keeps on coming on the shaded aspects.


Not bad.....



Enjoying the lower limit on the pow.


Traversing off left.


Gotta focus on the turns to stay up on the crusty mank.


Heading for the shaded woods down and left.


Looking over the lower cliffs down to Courmayeur.


The Peuterey Ridge and Mont Blanc.


The Marbrées Couloir is the line on the left.


Vertical profile of the descent.


GPS track on Google Earth.


Davide and Morgan at the bar. Davide did the first snowboard descent of Mont Blanc's West face, which Morgan is skiing for charity in May.

Nice, I hadn't looked at that.

Davide is the boarder in www.snowhow.it check it out!

I've seen that site. They drop the hot shit, no doubt.