Ski mountaineering training course.

By Jagged Globe.

3rd to 8th March 2002

Chamonix and Grand St Bernard pass

Guides Jim Blyth, Ric & Steve Hartland

Day One

Le Tour ski area.

Sorted into two group dependent on ability to ski off piste. We were in group 2 (not very good!)!

Learnt off piste techniques and how to use avalanche transceivers to find a buried person.

Bright to start but hill fog for most of day.

Day Two

Les Grand Montets ski area

More off piste techniques, skinning and kick turns.

Nice sunny day.

Day Three

One day tour from Flegere ski area to Le Buet.

Overcast high cloud with bright periods high wind chill.

From 2500m (top lift), high point 2704m, linear distance 10Km,

total accent 350m, time 6 hours

Day Four

Super Grand St Bernard and skin to Hospice at Grand St Bernard pass.

Wet snow hill fog.

Day Five

Tour to Mont Fourchon and Pain de Sucre. The skinned accent & top outs were great! But soon decided on the decent that we could not Ski!

Bright and sunny till about three, clagged in around 1600 very poor vis.

Total distance 9.2Km, Total accent 650m, Time to first peak 3 hours 1.3km/h. Total time 7.5hr av speed 1.2km/h

Day Six

Morning snow belays, crevasse rescue and snow profiles to determine avalanche risk. After lunch decent back to Super Grand St. Bernard and return to Chamonix.

Bright and sunny

Distance 5.5Km, Accent 542m time 3hr? Decent 1 hour.