Guide Steve Bank’s account of the 2010 Haute Route European Ski Tour: April 10-18. 

Another successful Haute Route ski mountaineering week from Chamonix to Zermatt with two Aussies, father and daughter, and two good buddies from Vermont. The week provided the best weather in a long time. The route has a 50% success rate, mostly due to weather, but this week had no excuses.

Day 1:  We warmed up on the classic Valle Blanche with sunshine and great spring conditions. The next day we headed off of the Grands Montets tram and down the Glacier du Rognons to the Argentier hut. We were greeted in the morning by 10” of fresh and blue skies. This would set the scene for the week.

Day 3-4: We would have usually headed over the Col du Chardonet, but I got word that the back side had melted out quite a bit and the usual jam up of skiers at the top of the pass was getting out of hand. I decided to swing off the beaten path and to the Col du Passon instead. This led us into a more secluded area with just a short climb up a couloir to put us up on the massive Glacier du Tour. Crossing this huge plateau in the warm sunshine, we were treated to an air show by local stunt pilots buzzing the granite spires and doing touch-and-go landings on the glacier. Another climb over the Col du Tour and we traverse the Trient Glacier into Switzerland and on to the Trient hut, one of the nicest on the traverse.

That evening it clouded up and began to snow. This could be an issue as the Trient hut is not situated in an area conducive to skiing in a whiteout or with elevated avalanche danger. Luckily we awoke in the morning to another 8” of fresh snow and bluebird conditions. Unfortunately, Ian blew out a binding descending down to Champex, forcing some creative one ski action through the new snow. A quick taxi shuttle to the ski lifts of Verbier found us at a good ski shop which was able to make the necessary repairs and get us on our way up to the Mt. Fort hut for the evening. 

Day 5:  We again woke to fresh snow and blue skies, could this be possible? Up and over the Col du la Chaux and on to the coveted Rosablach Summit. Here we were able to ditch our packs and make a few laps in the fresh snow. 

Continuing on we cruised down to the Prafleuri hut for another afternoon of beers in the sun. This afternoon we were treated to another air show with helicopters using explosives for avalanche control work to get ready for the upcoming Patroullie du Glaciers ski mountaineering race coming through the following weekend. 

Day 6:  Took us along the traverse of the Lac du Dix and up to the Dix hut. Incredibly warm temperatures and sunny skies left us melting on the glacier in the mid day heat. Cold beers at the hut were a welcomed treat, and we spent the afternoon drying and tanning in the sun. 

The next morning again gave us a few inches of fresh snow with the morning sun shining off of the amazing peak of the Mont Blanc du Cheilon. A long day with perfect conditions took us over the Col du Serpentine, the Cold du Brenay and up to the summit of the Pigne d’Arrola. Here the skiing was amazing, and untouched as most people, including the heli-assisted skiers, ski the other side of the peak. We ditched our packs at the bottom and made three great laps in perfect boot top powder before heading down the other side to the Vignettes hut. This final stop on the tour is certainly the most dramatic. Weaving through crevasses and seracs high above the valley floor, the hut is perched on the side of a cliff. It is truly a wonder of Swiss engineering. Our last evening in the mountains we were treated to a fantastic meal and the drinking songs of the German ski tourers at the next table. 

In the morning we found cloudy skies and snow obscuring the skies. A long day over the Col de E’veque, down the Arrola Glacier, up the Col du Mont Brule and into Italy on the Haut Tsa de Tsan Glacier in whiteout conditions proved a bit challenging, but the snow conditions made it entirely bearable. The skies began to clear as we skinned up the Col du Vapelline and we got a magnificent view of the Matterhorn and our final destination of Zermatt. Entering the Stockji Glacier, and our final climb of the trip we found great snow for the long descent down onto the Zmut Glacier and then cruised along the base of the North Face of the Matterhorn and onto the ski slopes of Zermatt. Stopping for celebratory beers and snacks at the first restaurant we were ecstatic with the success of the trip, the perfect weather and fantastic skiing along the way.

Join us next year for the 2011 Haute Route Traverse - Dates just announced!

Starting last Friday, the Crested Butte Backcountry has been getting pounded with intermittent storms, leaving almost 2 feet of fresh powder in some places ! To start off President’s Weekend, CBMG Owner/Guide, Jayson Simons-Jones arrived fresh off a trip to the winter wonderland of the East Coast to find himself in waist deep champagne powder in the Kebler Pass Area outside Crested Butte. Here are some pics from the week….

Then the beginning of this week brought classic Colorado sunny blue skies and beautiful backcountry powder skiing. With CBMG having a few different trips taking guests out into the Crested Butte backcountry to enjoy all the fresh turns to be had.

John Dugenske, a CB second home-owner, and fresh off the plane with his family from Chicago, joined CBMG Guide JSJ for 3 laps out at Coney’s, and got “some of the best powder skiing of my life”  in.

The Page’s, from the Colorado Front Range joined CBMG Guide, Steve Banks, for an overnight backcountry hut tour to the posh and relaxing Maroon Cabin in Gothic, CO, for 2 days of powder skiing, getting away from the bustle of the ski slopes and everyday worries of the ‘plugged-in’ life.

Tuesday, Shane Murphy, joined us from Boulder, CO, for another beautiful bluebird powder day out at Coney’s again, with CBMG Guides JSJ & Chris Benson, for 2,000+’ of classic Colorado backcountry skiing !

The end of this week and again this weekend, Crested Butte is poised to get pounded by another significant looking winter storm, which will hit the ‘reset button’ on the backcountry and we will be getting out there to do it all over again. Now is the time to join us for a great Colorado backcountry ski tour, and with the US Freeskiing Championships taking place on Crested Butte Mountain Resort with a large contingent of local athletes competing and spectating, the Crested Butte backcountry will be in prime condition with no crowds! Call to book your trip today….

 —-CBMG Staff

We tend to forget when we are snuggled into our little ski town with a 9 month winter that there are people out there who don’t ski.  Heck, we had a woman from Georgia join us for two days of snowshoeing and nordic skiing last week who had never set foot on snow before.  Most of the locals here have diversified their winter recreation so much that  they have a garage full of winter gear (see Employee Gear Closet Vol 1, Vol 2, and Vol 3), but there are many who come to visit us who aren’t quite clear as to what the difference is between all those skis.  Let’s concentrate on what exactly backcountry skiing is in the first place.  A lot of people have a misconception that telemarking is the only way to ski in the backcountry.  While this may have been true in the early days with bandana donning skiers in jeans and 3 pin bindings, at this point there are many ways to travel in the backcountry including telemarking, alpine touring, and snowboarding.  And again, let’s ‘narrow our search results’ to alpine touring.  Alpine touring (AT) is the closest you’ll get to downhill skiing (as in skiing the groomers at Vail).   Let’s take a moment and see what makes an AT boot different from an alpine boot:

So a couple things here.  First off, ‘walk-mode’ or ‘tour mode’.  This is what is going to keep the skin of your feet attached to your feet.  Anyone who has toured in their alpine boots without a walk mode can attest to shedding some epidermal layers in the process.  Feet/boot problems can be a brutal penance suffered every step–comfortable boots really are the key to backcountry touring happiness.  So essentially the walk mode allows the boot to pivot with your leg when you are skinning.  Another difference in AT boots is the sole.  Typically AT boots have a rubber sole that allow for more graceful walking in rocky terrain, better grip when boot packing, and even on the steps coming out of the bar for that matter.  You shouldn’t use your AT boots in a Alpine binding as the release capabilities are different.  Next difference is the Dynafit tech inserts.  These are the little holes that the pegs from Dynafit (or the new G3 Onyx) clamp into.  Not all AT boots have these–It’s probably 50/50 Dynafit bindings/Fritschi bindings in the backcountry ski world.  If you have a Fritschi touring binding (or a Marker Duke), no real need to have the inserts, but you’ll still have the other inherent AT boot qualities (walk-mode/rubber sole).  Some BD Boots have interchangeable toe pieces to make your boots both Dynafit compatible as well as Alpine ISO DIN compatible, but that’s another blog. . . .Next difference in the Alpine Touring world is bindings–these are Dynafit bindings and they are a far cry from a step in alpine binding.  AT bindings allow the skier’s boot to release from the ski when skinning with  the pivot point at the toe of the boot, and then locks the heel down when you are ready to make downhill turns.  Like I said in the previous paragraph, there are two obvious choices in backcountry bindings–Dynafit or Fritschi.  Dynafit bindings are significantly lighter, but are also significantly lighter–something that a lot of aggressive skiers don’t necessarily want.  A Fritschi step-in binding (or the also prevalent Marker Duke) is heavier to tour with, but skis more like a traditional alpine binding.  It’s a little easier to get into a step-in binding, but ultimately it’s up to the skier to decide if they would rather have an incredibly light, efficient set up, or if they want something that’s heavier to tour with, but will be more powerful for the downhill turns.  Personally, I love the lightness of a Dynafit bindings, and they give me plenty of return on the downhill for my type of skiing.   
Next integral piece of equipment you’ll need when venturing into the backcountry is skins.  These are what you put on the bottom of your skis to give you traction on the skin track.  They are either made of nylon or of mohair, and adhere to the base of your ski with a layer of sticky glue as well as tension.  You won’t have residual glue on the base of your ski after you rip your skins off (at least, you shouldn’t!), and it’s best to keep that side of your skin free of debris or dog hair or anything else that will keep it from sticking properly to your ski.  Wall to wall coverage is another important factor–if you don’t have wall to wall coverage on the base of your ski, your day just got a whole lot harder–depending on how nice the person is that set the skin track, sections of steep climbs or kick-turns can be brutal with skins that don’t cover the full base of your ski.  Get a skin with a width 10cm under the tip width of your ski–this gives you the best coverage without trimming an excessive amount of skin. 

Lastly is the backcountry pack that should have 3 items at all times–Beacon, shovel, probe.  These are REQUIRED tools for backcountry travel and they should be required for your ski partner as well.  If your ski partner forgot their shovel, let them borrow yours!  Seriously, every member of your backcountry party should have these items and more importantly-know how to use them.  It’s also incredibly useful to take a Level 1 Avalanche Course to clue you in to basic backcountry travel as well as teaching you the basics of using your beacon, shovel and probe.

Starting last week winter has again returned to Crested Butte, dropping over 3 feet of fresh in the backcountry, and still snowing once again as of today! Timing of these storms could not have been better as they arrived in time to kick off our second sold-out AIARE Level 2 Avalanche Course of the season.

Along with all this snow, was also had a natural avalanche cycle and a brief window of high avalanche danger, allowing for some optimal learning conditions of which to study snow stability analysis…the core of the Level 2 curriculum.

All the snow has also been bringing some excellent backcountry ski conditions, with the warm and wet nature of the storms allowing instabilities to settle out relatively quickly for a Colorado snowpack and of which to enjoy some fantastic backcountry ski touring conditions with decreasing avalanche danger.

This week, we are also promoting our newest package with Cresed Butte Mountain Resort, in offering a guided backcountry skiing adventure through CBMR & CBMG. Get a full Dynafit AT set-up (skis, boots, bindings, skins) a lift ticket, Mammut Avalanche Package, and AMGA Ski Guide for a lift accessed excursion onto Snodgrass Mountain for some backcountry turns. Returning to the base area via chairlift and a quick stop at Camp 4 on mounatin for a coffee before a final ski back to the base area. All for $416 / person.

And…..finally…..Crested Butte Mountain Guides is finally taking bookings for the brand new ‘CS Irwin’ Snowcat Skiing operation at Irwin. Call us to reserve your cat seats today.

–CBMG Staff

Crested Butte Mountain Guides is proud to announce our latest trip offering for the Winter 2010 season…..Our NEW ‘Intro to Backcountry Touring Course’

This is a 3-hour mini-tour offered in conjunction with The Alpineer. It is designed to introduce beginning backcountry enthusiasts to the use of alpine touring skis and skins, how to use an avalanche beacon, skinning techniques, and of course, some backcountry powder skiing.

Cost is $150 for 1 person; $100 each for 2 or more people. The Alpineer is offering $20 backcountry rentals for this program (skis, bindings, skins, boots). Tours will be offered daily from 9-12 & 1-4 and need to be booked at least 24 hours prior through the CBMG offices.

Over the Xmas week, longtime backcountry ski guest of Crested Butte Mountain Guides, Jason Leonard & I went out and got in a few days of great fresh powder turns despite the lack of any new snow in a while now. Once again, coming straight from Oklahoma didn’t hinder him at all, as we went to some shorter ‘lap’ type places where we were able to get in between 3 and 5 laps for totals of about 3,000′ of vert each day.

Great powder skiing, clear but cold weather, and a lack of any other backcountry skiers on our terrain all 3 days made for a wonderful experience, and one that Scott Palk (another Okie) juumped in on to experience with us on the 3rd and final day.

The big news, was Jason’s new switch to a Dynafit set-up for his backcountry skis. A longtime user of the K2 Mount Baker ski, with Fritschi Freeride’s and Garmont Endoprhin’s for the ability to use this set-up both on and off-mountain, after many miles of ski touring with me on my Dynafit’s, he is now a convert.

Freshly outfitted with some Dynafit Manaslu’s, Dynafit F12 binders, and Garmont Radium AT boots, he is now even more stoked then ever to be out in the backcountry ski touring with me, and is now also skiing better then ever and now (unfortunately for me) hiking like a CB local jacked up on too much Camp 4 Coffee.

As always, thanks for spending some of the holidays out in the Crested Butte backcountry with me making some turns. Looking forward to doing it again this year, and to making some turns in Alaska as well this spring !   And over 2 feet of fresh snow in the Crested Butte backcountry this week, means there is plenty more powder skiing to be had out there for the rest of you also….

–Your Guide, JSJ

Well, it’s here ! Crested Butte is getting pounded by our first big winter storm of the season, with 24″+ in the last 24 hours, with more in the high alpine, and more on the way!

Itching to get some backcountry powder turns in, a few of us guides decided to brave the winter burliness this morning and try and get some turns in, as well as get a handle on what is happening with avalanche conditions during our first natural avalanche cycle of the season.

What we found was a lot of new snow, with cold temps and gusty winds near treeline, creating very poor visibility and an incredibly touchy snowpack, as anything over 25 degrees seemed to be cracking and collapsing.

The sheer amount of the new snow, coupled with our previous thin and weak snowcover, meant ski penetration was full depth, resulting in lots of leap frogging a downtrack between us, the occasional load of powder being too much for forward momentum, and a few great face shot worthy backcountry ski turns on the steeper slopes.

Looking forward to letting the snowpack settle out a bit over the next few days, and then really being able to get after it.

—Jayson Simons-Jones (CBMG Owner / Guide)

Somewhat old news around Crested Butte these days, but we thought with the lull of off-season almost over and a new ski season starting in less then a week, it was worth mentioning. In a somewhat surprise desicion, the USFS denied CBMR’s Proposal for Lift Served skiing to be expanded onto Snodgrass Mountain, from even entering the NEPA process. No chance for public comment, case closed.

Needless to say a bit of a firestorm has started here in CB. Regardless of which way you lean, this is some big news around our small parts.

This is a delayed posting from the winter storm that hit the Crested Butte area the week prior to Halloween. Great skiing and quite a bit of snow for late Oct !!

This past weekend Crested Butte was again hit with another winter storm, dropping 18″ of snow in the high country and settling in with current nighttime temps in the single digits. Folks…..winter is here !

Besides our usual offering of guided winter backcountry adventures, look for some new and exciting offerings from Crested Butte Mountain Guides this winter as well, such as: An AIARE Level 1 Cat Skiing / Avalanche Course; CB – Aspen Ski Tour; expanded terrain offerings for our CB Adventure Guides program with the ski resort; another spring trip to the world-famous Haute Route;  a spring multi-sport desert combo mountain-biking & climbing or skiing trip in the Utah / Western CO desert; and stay tuned to our website for up coming info on the re-opening of the Irwin Lodge Cat Skiing operation…book your cat ski trip through the CBMG office today.

Pray for more snow—

The CBMG Team

]]> http://www.cbguidesblog.com/first-turns-of-the-season/feed/ 1 http://www.cbguidesblog.com/amga-ski-mountaineering-exam-in-valdez-ak/ http://www.cbguidesblog.com/amga-ski-mountaineering-exam-in-valdez-ak/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 16:21:56 +0000 cbguides http://www.cbguidesblog.com/?p=780

It has been a fast and furious Spring ski mountaineering season for me, with the combination of a few far flung ski trips and the day-to-day of running Crested Butte Mountain Guides via a BlackBerry.

Quickly following the Haute Route Ski Tour across the pond in Europe, I came back through Crested Butte for a brief 4-day stint to catch up on office work, do laundry, and get in a day of work backcountry ski guiding on Whetstone Mountain. Then it was back on the plane heading farther West, and off to Valdez, Alaska…the undisputed home of helicopter skiing, birthplace of the World Extreme Ski Championships, and the site of this year’s American Mountain Guides Association Ski Mountaineering Guides Exam.

Arriving in Valdez 9-days early to train with other exam candiates, we were immediately greeted with the biggest avalanche cycle of the season, resulting in 2 deaths, 2 serious skier injuries, and many other skier triggered avalanches, all over the course of 2 days. Needless to say this upped the ante for our focus, training regime, and safety awarness.

The AMGA Exam process is an incredibly stressful and intensive process, with exam candidates taking turns guiding one another under the watchful eye of an IFMGA/UIAGM Guide/Examiner. The daily objectives are considerably longer and harder then a normal day of guiding, so as to see the guides ability to work in technical terrain with multiple clients under excessive stress and if they can handle it.

Obviously this instills confidence in a guide’s ability and a client’s feeling of safety in an AMGA Certified Guide.

The Ski Mountaineeirng program is arguably the most difficult with the largest amount of subjective decision-making and interpretation of terrain, conditions, and guiding tactics being required of a guide. Typical exam days were roughly 12-14 hours in length with 5000′-7000′ vertical on glaciated and steep technical Alaskan ski terrain.

Day 1 was the mandatory 40-minute crevasse rescue drill. A 1:1 scenario where the guide must catch a crevasse fall with skis on, build an anchor to transfer the fallen skier’s weight onto, rappell into the crevasse to attend to the fallen skier, then ascend back out, build a hauling system, and haul the fallen skier out safely…whew…..

Days 2-7 were all daily guided ski mountaineeirng tours through the vast and glaciated terrain of the Thompson Pass area of Valdez, AK. An area made famous by Doug Coombs and the last decade of extreme ski movie footage. Thankfully the weather during this stretch was complete Colorado bluebird, albeit unseasonably warm…and although whiteout navigation skills were somewhat of a non-issue, wet unconsolidated isothermic snow and bulletproof slide for life conditions more then made up for the guiding challenges and created quite alot of rope work and ski guiding trickery to keep everyone safe throughout the week.

Possibly one of my favorite days, of course….was the heli-drop day, as we got in a day of heli-skiing and I scored the lucky card of getting to on-sight down guide the first run of the day, down 2000′+ of steep and exposed pure Alaskan skiing!!!

Day 8 brought a final guiding challenge and examination sequence of dealing with a serious injury in the backcountry with a small guided ski party and no availablity for outside assistance…my client’s injury….a broken femure…ouch…glad I’m a WFR instructor.

Despite the intensity, inherent stresses, and long days (some ~20 hrs), the exam was a successful venture as I left not only with my official Ski Mountaineeirng Guide Certification, but also having made some new friends, and gotten to ski and work alongside some incredibly talented and best professional guides in the industry. And of course, all this in the original big mountain skiing mecca of Valdez, Alaska, and under an unprecedented stretch of clear and sunny weather!!!

Congrats everyone to giving it your absolute all and to earning your certification. Now I am looking forward to beginning the trip planning process of sharing this incredible venue with CBMG ski guests in the near future…..

—Jayson Simons-Jones (Owner / Lead Guide)

See more photos at: Valdez 2009