Only a few hundred kilometers away, the Verdon Gorge is different world. Getting there involves hours of windy roads through the picturesque French countryside. I actually had that 'in the middle of nowhere' feeling that I only get in the while driving around the Utah desert.
The rock (limestone) is amazing and the longest routes are around 12 pitches, while we stuck mostly to stuff in the 3-5 pitch range. (almost) Everything is accessed from rappelling in. If you ever go there, I highly recommend renting a paddle boat and going deep water soloing, something we should have spent the whole trip doing. I didn't really take any pictures of the routes but let me summarize: well-bolted, amazing limestone, sandbag.
There's a big one-way ring road around the Verdon. If you drive it in the wrong way, you get a more intimate experience. It's like Zion.
Going on a 3-hour tour. Goddamn my shirt is sick.
This bridge is in need of serious boosting.
A nice hand-traverse.
Tuffaz.
Other Dave.
Goddamn what is this place?
Flash forward (back) to yesterday: received a powder alert upon checking the webcams in Cham. Nonstop pissing rain in the lowlands resulted in a nice blanket of fresh blower in the mountains. Not sure what conditions would be like, we just went up with the idea of heading towards the petit Gervasutti on the Tour Ronde. Upon approaching the couloir, another team had dropped in from the summit, so I opted to ski a super-steep but short freeride line to the lookers' right and maybe head up later. Olov had never skied the gerva before so he went up the couloir. I think he climbed it in like 15 minutes or something. Primo conditions for june. We were able to freeride all the way to the montenvers train, approximately 8000 vertical feet below.
With the arête this skiable, we knew were in for a treat.
Yes madame.
Nicolas is pleased, oh yes he is.
Olov's line.
Our line.
Effortless first turns on perfect, steep-skiing powder.
The Tour Ronde N Face looked amazing (couloir and line are on the back to the right).
Pleasure skipping.
It is the optimal time of year in the alps.
