I haven't skied the Virgule couloir this year. An error but conditions have not been good with the long anti-cyclone and I've also been very busy.

I've been testing myself on this climb and thought I might be able to go under 29 minutes but it was not to be, 4 seconds of my fastest time : 29m14s.

The forecast was cloudy for Saturday but getting up at 6.50 I saw it was clear at altitude so some hope for a refreeze, the first for some days.

Same climb time to Charmant Som as Saturday morning: 30m05s, so just missed going under half an hour. Very fast descent. Hit 49kp/h under the chairlift and 6m09 for the whole descent.

I decided to have another crack at the Charmant Som climb before the club training this morning. I set out at 7:45am and was the first person on the climb.

I'd been intending to get back to the Entremonts as the black was open. Only today they closed it, maybe due to lack of snow in one spot? The rest seemed okay me.

We didn't think St Hilaire, our nearest ski area, would reopen after a flood swept away one of the ski runs but they repaired things and it snowed a bit so things were go but really just for this week

Tot tested out his new touring skis with Fritschi touring bindings. All ok and much easier than last season's snowshoe touring. Very pleasant little ski tour. All quiet in the resort.

After the disaster earlier in the week I decided to revisit the Col de Marcieu pistes from the St Hilaire end.

Like this time last year the aim was to go under 30 minutes. Not quite there. About 40 seconds quicker for the top of the climb and 2m30 quicker to the Bergeries.Segments:Montee Charmant Som (3.