Epic Touring

It has been so good over the last few days.  Specifically the last four days have been unreal.  Chasing storms and skiing some of the best conditions possible wherever we went.  In fact it has been so busy that I am only now getting the video footage put together in any viewable manner from a tour that was on the 31st of January.  

This tour was up to the Twois Eveches just up the valley behind our house in Les Hieres.  Kurt, Alan and I headed up to the Col du Lautaret to start the day.  We skinned up the backside of the Twois Eveche from the Col.  The day was amazing, sun was shining, just a slight breeze to keep us cool.  Really could not have asked for better conditions.  It was a little under four hours for us to get up to the top.  It is amazing watching all the tracks and other randonee skiers around the Col who are just skiing up and down.  Specifically on the south side runs that just aren't skiing as well snow wise or adventure wise.  

We convened at the top of the ridge and switched to downhill mode.  We are all using the Marker Duke bindings, and I have been really happy with how they ski.  The fact that I left my Dynafits back in the States might help the Duke's cause on the weight issue uphill.  One problem we all found was that they can be hard to switch from ski to tour and vice-versa when they are frozen.  Either way, it didn't slow us down much.  

The entrance into the couloir was steep and firm, but once we got into it the skiing was great.  Not quite pow skiing, but good gripping hard-pack skiing.  The run was around 1600 meters or so, plus the ski out the valley through the little summer villages and right back to our doorstep.  All in all, and incredibly aesthetic line.