Its been amazing watching what our friends in Washington have been up to. Eric and Dan and Ryan putting lines on the map that were dreams. Until they committed to the vision, got in the car, put on the boots and did the work.
I've been in Europe for nearly a month now, starting in Austria and Verbier for the last events of the Freeride World Tour. Winning the tour was a definitely a great personal accomplishment. But as with a ski line, once its over its over. The line is on the map. The ideas and possibilities yet undone stand tall on the horizon.
In Verbier I took an uncommon line made possible by the incredible snow year in the Valais region of Switzerland. After some navigational difficulty up top, I didn't feel on my rhythm, but still linked together some features that had never been skied in a competition before down this portion of the Bec des Rosses.
After the competition, Verbier's powerful black hole of alcoholism threatened to pull us in. Who knew the devil was Swiss?
So my friends Oakley, Jeremy and I hit the road south to La Grave. Two great days of skiing on this incredible mountain greeted us. The first day we skied a couple looooong runs through couloirs with mandatory rappels to the road, guided by our friend Cedric Pugin.
The next day we got to ski the Pan de Rideau, the classic hike-to line from the top station of the telepherique. Conditions were perfect. Exposed traverse into the line.
Looking back up at the line which enters from the small col, descends the left-trending face, and exits on the glacier.
Le Meije.
And then another run from the high glaciers dropping endlessly to the road.
Drove back to Chamonix just in time for the first solid, sunny day the valley has seen for nearly a month. Dave (not Diamond), Ross and I had a memorable day on the Aiguille du Midi, skiing the Heart of the Rond to the midstation, the Cosmiques to the midstation, and then the Glacier Rond to the Para Face, down to the Mont Blanc tunnel.
Rapping into the Heart of the Rond, also known as the Salopar (The Bitch).
Ideal conditions on the second snowfield for Dave to make freeride.
Exciting exit with extra speed!
Lap two in the Cosmic Couloir, Dave is the speck above the 'shrund. Big terrain, squish you like an ant it might.
Third lap, Rond-esvous.
This adventure made possible by a shining box in the sky.
Two more weeks here to pursue and expand upon delusions of grandeur before happily returning to the land of milk and honey ie my apartment on Beacon Hill. If anyone's seen my girlfriend tell her to answer my phone calls.
