CHAMONIX UPDATE

6 January 2002


the routeBluebird Powder day in Cham, no tracks on the Pas du Chevre (because the exit is full of shitty rocks), so me and a buddy decide to ski the Poubelle (the one they ab. into in Blizzard).





Rog rappelsAfter a rather windy short rappel with lots of onlooking gapers Rog makes a turn...a bit of sluff....ok 5 more turns and waits...

I ski down to him and carry on down...two turns further and I break through to ice....problem, my rock skis don't have good/any edges...



Tom climbing back upI slide downhill at 45 degrees, tips hooked up and start to fall (Nobis in TGR further style)...I must have gone 100m (300ft) I lost skis, ice axe, glasses, hat...stopped by landing one of my cartwheels feet together in the bowl...

Roger eventually appears above with one of my skis....I start to walk up...10 feet put on crampons....50 feet retrieve ice axe...head downhill slowly...

Roger above ChamAt an icy patch Roger was forced to stop skiing and downclimb but as he puts his skis on to descend again he knocks off a bit of slough...about 200kg of which hit me, taking me 20 ft before I manage to stop...but dropping one pole and my axe again...Wait for Roger to pass...downclimb 200m (600ft)...



Tom in the powRoger now has my other ski, pole and hat....ski untracked pow for 2 miles followed by an nasty rocky scramble to Montenvers...







Words and Pictures from Tom Greenall - Natives Resort Reporter in Chamonix



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