Mostly Warm....

Skiing in April is always fun. It's often powdery, usually warm and quite social. It's about long lunches after powder filled mornings, peeling off the layers and sitting on restaurant terraces. Not every day is sunny, which is good, because that empties the slopes and covers the hills with powder!

Getting a table at the Buvette was not a problem that day

The cook at the Buvette having to work hard on his cigarette break!

The Salomons demonstrating just how soft they are!

Spooky sky

The L'Omen Rosso Avalanche from our lounge. This slide skilled 3 ski tourers.

Wishing he'd ridden his Thunders that day, and not some soft skinny Salomons

The Powder Virus

Plenty of fresh snow to play in off piste

Action in the 6Park Snowpark in Grimentz during April

Off piste with some friends. Lots of fresh snow and more low clouds!

Crossing a stream is a larger problem if you have short legs!

Getting onto the spring powder at just the right time of day

Late season small slab Avalanche high up the system

Enjoying a coffee break in the sunshine

Bring It On

Santa came to Grimentz a little early and brought some snow with him. I made full use of this early and very welcome gift. One of the village hotels looked really pretty in the snowfall.

A nice fresh fall of snow meant that the Snowpark kickers could be built.

New snow of course, meant new risks, so some places were unsafe to ski. As not every day was sunny, the flat light also caused problems.

As it's so dull, it's not possible to see the how this slope falls fairly steeply towards the skidoo. It's a red graded run and the bottom is often icy at the junction. I don't know if the helicopter was called out to a fall or a collision. This was someone's ruined Christmas.

My New Years' Resolution should be : I must set my alarm clock earlier and make the best of the new snow more often. On the day I did make the lift opening, it broke down, and did not start up for 35 minutes!

There were a few really stormy nights while I was there. I heard none of it, but could see the snow had drifted at the top of the Orzival lift.

All that wind was bad news for the new snow, which turned to breakable crust!

In between skiing days, I managed to order a new mattress for our bed, which arrived just as I was leaving for the UK. I became aware of the delivery with the sound of a revving engine and skidding tyre noises as the van tried to get up the footpath behind the apartment. The car park and entrance path would have been so much easier.

When I left for the airport, my flight was listed as on time. On my arrival it was listed as at least 2 hours late, so I headed for the information desk to try for an earlier departure. To my surprise I was successful, and my rearranged flight (now late also) left at the time my later flight was originally supposed to leave. I have my suspicions!

The check in hall was overflowing with passengers trying to check in and looking at all those unhappy faces really saps my willpower. I had needed to ask where the information desk was, I could not see it, there were so many people in the check in hall plus a long queue for "something" snaking back into the main part of the airport. Flying with budget airlines seems to bring with it a whole new level of travel misery.

A Little On The Chilly Side

Because the lifts were currently closed weekdays in Grimentz and Zinal, I hopped on the bus, caught the train and headed round to Zermatt for a few days. I would have been on the slopes by about 10am, but was delayed slightly trying to find a working locker for my bags in the basement of the station in Zermatt.

I made it up to Trockener Steg and met up with friends Steve and Nina for a quick ski down the Black run from Furgg to Furi. The run was in great condition, but it's a little dark in the afternoons so early in the season.

Zermatt had it's best party frock on for Christmas, but there was no escaping the really cold weather!

 

Yes, I'm wearing a Balaclava and a Buff. What you can't see, is the 2 pairs of thermal underwear as well!
I've not skied in consistently cold weather like this before, this was day after day in temperatures past -20c plus wind chill. I got chatting to some guys from Zurich in a gondola, one of them had Frostbite on his face, skiing in shades with no scarf, not nice!

I caught the Gornergrat Railway one day, to ski a little lower down, it was just as cold! Lovely views though.

I was very pleased with my Hotel choice. If I tell you where it is, then it will be full next time I want to visit! Lets just say, economical, traditional, friendly, superb buffet, warm and central. My room had a balcony with this view. The hotel was pretty full, and each morning I said Guten Morgen to a woman on an adjoining table. Turned out she was French and from Paris!

A txt one night saw me meeting up with another friend Tino, in the Brown Cow bar, for a quick beer. Several beers, much talking and 3 hours later......
It was great to chat and catch up on news, though I did feel a bit guilty as he had to get up at 5am next day!
The slope conditions during my stay were firm. The pisteurs had done an excellent job in keeping the snow cover, and were topping up with snow cannons during the day. This was the first visit on which I'd been able to ski to Zermatt village, because of good snow cover, and the first time I'd never skied from the top lift, which was closed to skiers because of stormy weather. The off piste was all windblown and crusty, horrible!.

On the way back down to Visp, I passed this.

In the village of St Nicklas of course!

The Slow Way Up At Least On Weekdays

Before Christmas when the lift was shut in Grimentz, it was the only way to get some skiing in locally. In earlier years nearby Zinal has opened during the week, and I've caught the bus over there, but for some reason this year they decided to shut. With Grimentz only open at the weekends, ascent on skins was where it was at.

I'd wanted to try out my new Fritschi Crampons, and my Salomon boots for ascent anyway, and both worked really well, though I did initially have a small problem getting the crampon off my binding rail due to ice, but I hammered it with a ski pole handle until it gave up!

I quite enjoy skinning up occasionally, as it's nice to hear the sounds of nature all around. I think I see so much more at a slower pace too.
The weekend arrived, the lifts started and there was powder to be had. I was a little late on the scene, but there seemed to be plenty to go around. I did end up falling into a Bisse at one point, but managed to dig myself out without too much trouble.

With the prospect of the lifts closed for 5 whole days, I packed a bag and headed for Zermatt!

More Stumbing Around The Anniviers

After my slightly snowy and muddy trip to Zinal, the next day normal summer resumed, and I was up and ready for the 1st bus to the Moiry Barrage, with a plan to walk back to Bendolla on the Sotier footpath. It was very warm, and I was soon across the Barrage and heading along the side of the ridge above the road.

This path runs parallel to the off piste route, but at a higher level. In winter it's an area that is avalanche prone,  in summer it should be stable. It felt a little uncomfortable on a very narrow path on the side of a steeply sided ridge looking at the rocks above and the road way down below. Pretty impressive scenery though.
This path was blocked by rockfall later in August, and enough rocks fell closing the road for several days as well, and a helicopter was used to clear the route in preparation for the Grand Raid Verbier to Grimentz Race.

As I started to climb towards Bendolla I got a really good view of the road, and Grimentz in the distance. My route got narrower and steeper, and I had to cross several areas strewn with boulders which were loose, plus areas where the path had eroded or tress had fallen across it.

Yes, this is the path, look there is a marker! I appreciated the chain to hold onto as I crossed the rocks. I'm not sure who did the timings for this route, but I took a lot longer than was suggested by the signpost, and by the time I reached Bendolla, I was pretty tired!

This should have been a fairly straightforward hike, but it turned out to be quite tiring and pretty physical. The hike up to Becs des Bossons was easier.  I earned my Tarte au Mytilles today!

Stumbling Around The Anniviers

The weather had turned a little cold and I decided it would be a good day to hike from the Moiry Barrage over the Col du Sorebois and down towards Zinal. There was snow on the top of the Col, but I put some of my ski thermals on, and caught the early Postbus up to the Barrage. The bus was pretty full, but as usual, most of the crowd melted away in other directions, and I was soon alone in making my way up through the cow meadow. I've skied down this slope in winter, it seems so much easier in the other direction.

On crossing the Col, it was snowing on me, and the cloud was pretty low, I paused to reflect on this being high summer. The views were quite limited.

With a view of the Sorebois Cable Car station within sight, I set off in search of a good cup of coffee. In winter the restaurant at the top of the Cable Car is self service. In summer there are a few tables set out, it's waiter service and not much use for anyone who needs a pit stop. Sitting outside was not practical as the weather was quite wet, so I decided to head down the Cable Car, and snack at the bottom. These scooters are for rent at the Cable Car Station, I stood on one, it felt pretty unstable!

It's a pretty steep ride down to Zinal village, but at least I was out of the rain. I caught the Postbus back to Grimentz, but along the road, the bus was flagged down by a farmer, who wanted to load a piece of metal fencing and have it taken to the village. The driver was happy to help, and as it didn't quite fit, the last part of the journey was completed with the side door of the Postbus open!

Zinal and the sound of running water

As it was another wonderful sunny day, we decided to head up the Cabane du Petit Mountet for lunch. We had only a few hours before Andy was due to depart, so a local hike amidst wonderful scenery would fit the bill nicely. We set off along the Navisense, which gets a lot more lively as we begin the ascent.

It's a fairly easy hike and we were soon within sight of our destination, just hiding in the trees on top of the next rise. Once we reach the terrace, it's time to soak up the view, slap on yet more sunscreen, and decipher the Menu! The Zinal Glacier is below us, as the Cabane is on the side of the hill.

I wonder what it all means!

We've agreed to return to this area, as we want to hike over on the side of the mountain where we saw the waterfall. I expect that will be next year, as summer is drawing to a close.