Aiguille Du Midi, Face Nord, Eugster Couloir 1st May

So, did they work, and how were they? Show everyone proof that your ride was a success (or even a complete failure)!

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Idris
Posts: 382
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Chamonix, France
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Aiguille Du Midi, Face Nord, Eugster Couloir 1st May

Post by Idris »

A line I've been staring up at since first visiting Chamonix many moons ago. It's a little 1500m 55 degree line ;) (small red dots)

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Where everyone else puts their skis on to do the 'Vallee Blanche' we drop into the face

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Looking back at the beginning

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First few turns on the upper face

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Rhiannon enjoying some steep turns

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Jonno self portrait with Rhiannon behind and me in the background sidestepping an icy bit.

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Guy and Jonno with the Telepherique close enough to see the tourists

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Approaching the 'demi lune' where you decide 'Eugster or Mallory'

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Jonno enjoying some of the softer snow

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From the same vantage point as Jonno skis below me to enter the upper Couloir you get a sense of the exposure

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Rhiannon standing on the 'demi lune' with the Aiguille du Plan behind

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In the upper Couloir, a little ways above our first rappel

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In the mid section of the couloir below the first rappel

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Same place, looking down, it cliffs out about 40m below me.

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The second rappel, we did this one skis on, not so good for the health of your skis

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Looking down the final section, we had 2 short rappels in here to avoid the sections others choose to huck

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At last standing on the cone of avie debris at the foot of the couloir, feeling exhausted

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A great day out. Very scary, not such good snow conditions - probably 100+m of side stepping with an ice axe

But now when I look up at the Midi it looks different somehow

My Bouquetin prototypes worked well. I do have to round off my tails a bit. The completely flat completely square tails do tend to catch at the wrong moment. But they do stick in the snow well when you take them off.
Last edited by Idris on Fri May 01, 2009 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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chuck
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:39 am
Location: Van Isle

Post by chuck »

WOW!

Amazing shots, and amazing terrain. Great to see "homebuilt" skis on very intense lines.

The skis look great too. Are they still vacuum press without topsheet?
plywood
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Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 2:13 am
Location: wilen, switzerland
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Post by plywood »

this...THING?! looks freaking steep!
the terrain in chamonix seems to be pretty crazy, regarding all your pictures. is there any skiing to be had without the need of rappeling cliffs or the chance to fall to death?

anyway, a full picture of the beauties on your feets would be nice! ;)
plywood freeride industries - go ply, ride wood!
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bigKam
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Location: Park City, Utah
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Post by bigKam »

Idris -- impressive! I saw that line while riding the tram to top to ski the Vallee Blanche route several years ago. I wondered about who would ski it. So, congrats on a job well done, and doing it on home-builts!!! That is RAD.
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