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Stage 10 CdP Classic Skiing

Session with the SNC classic skiing with Guillaume. Excellent conditions with a return to winter an flurries of snow. The black has reopened (it was covered in spring flowers last week).
2021-03-20 10:34:00

Col du Beau Molard

I last came this way in 1998 and made exactly the same mistake, climbing via the Bottier chalets rather than taking the normal path.
2021-03-18 13:37:24

Col de Marcieu Closing day

I decided to head up after work for a final ski at the Col de Marcieu. I was on classic skis and the tracks were made, more or less.
2021-03-17 16:43:18

Bingo

I wanted to cover all the pistes today which I did.
2021-03-16 11:13:00

Col de Porte Stage Day #9

Today we were practising hockey stops, slalom and transitions. Loic had a good tip on V1 transitions from one side to the other which is to do a quick double tap to resynchronize skis and arms.
2021-03-13 09:41:10

la Marie et cie

A return to the Marie. I managed to screw up the entrance and do a loop and land on my head which left me a bit dazed for a minute or two.
2021-03-11 15:54:10

Charmant Som Classic ski

I was that motivated on my day off but decided to head out anyway. As the conditions are not great a short classic ski before lunch up the Charmant Som road.
2021-03-11 11:11:24

La Course du Grand Rocher

Grand Rocher ski race at Barioz. It is a relay. First part is a 1150 meter skimo race. 120 racers set off in a mass start and there are 5 transitions to do en-route.
2021-03-07 12:34:18

Grand Naves, Savoie, French Alps

The Grand Naves nordic ski area boasts 42km of trails prepared for both skating and classic skiing.
2021-03-04 11:19:24

Marathon Man

I didn't set off with any clear ideas but the aim was to ski around for a couple of hours and do a bit of distance My idea was to warm up on the shorter, inner "loipe" and work outwards.
2021-03-03 11:17:44

Figure of eight

Short lunch ride with JG to see if we could nail the steps of the Berger but still two short runs that are a bit limit on a technical level.
2021-03-01 11:56:20

Allevard Les Plagnes

A return to the excellent Allevard. Hotter this weekend but tot was motivated for the summit. We skied down via the red, a bit overcooked on the steep pitch but frozen ruts in the shade.
2021-02-28 14:35:52

Super Collet Nordic ski

There isn't really a nordic ski area at the Collet d'Allevard but this year, as the lifts are shut, they'd prepared a small "loipe" at the Super Collet.
2021-02-28 11:48:40

Classic skiing

It was a day to be on classic skis and with a climb time of 34m53 despite some icy sections. I passed a number of skaters bogged down on the slush.
2021-02-26 12:44:35

La Marie Singletrack. St Ismier, Gresivaudan, French Alps

From St Ismier, climbed to the Tour d'Arces than past the Pierre Grosse (large rock), continue 500 meters.
2021-02-25 14:54:00

Sandstorm

About a minute quicker going up today but still not under the 30 minutes for the climb which was the aim.
2021-02-24 08:05:44

La pointe de la grande journée, Beaufortain, French Alps

Route DescriptionAfter Albertville take the la Bathie exit. Turn left then right onto the Route de Biorges.
2021-02-21 12:30:20

Allevard, top to bottom ski tour with tot

Final tour of the half term holidays with Tot. We started from Pre Rond and climbed to la Plagne, Quite warm. Descent via the face (rouge) which was tracked out then the pistes.
2021-02-20 14:53:32

St Hilaire Street Blues

Back on classic skis today. Hard work with soft snow and lots of jumping in and out of the rails due to the thaw. Footprints everywhere. A lot melted since yesterday.
2021-02-17 12:36:43

Le Grand Rocher

Tot was on snowshoes and me on skins. Amazing how many cars there were parked up, right back past the ski area so over 1km to reach the start of the trails.
2021-02-16 15:36:58

Le Grand Collet

Climbed up from Prerond to the Grand Collet and skied down to the bottom of the ski area where we recovered the car. Club groups were training at the Pre Rond.
2021-02-15 14:16:28

Praz de Lys - Sommand

Resort DescriptionPraz de Lys–Sommand is one of the most pleasingly balanced cross-country ski areas in the French Alps: not a national giant, nor a high-altitude snow fortress, but a beautifully vari
2021-02-14 15:29:32

Les Plagnes Ski Tour

First time ski touring at the Collet de Allevard for tot. We followed the ski touring trail laid out by the resort. It is really very pleasant.
2021-02-13 15:25:11

La Marelleski

Too much snow to go further afield this morning so I did some cross country American style. That is, making tracks around the local football pitch.
2021-02-13 11:39:37

Back to roots, Croix de Chamrousse with Tot

Chamrousse is the birthplace of French skiing.
2021-02-11 15:21:33

Checking out the conditions at St Hilaire

I wanted to see how much snow was left on the Ch. de l'Herse. I figured I'd start at St Hilaire as it is much higher.
2021-02-10 16:50:05

Aulp du Seuil, first of the season

First aulp du Seuil of the ski season, better late than never. I'd hoped for more snow, the avalanche bulletin had mentioned 20cm of fresh, it was probably a quarter of that.
2021-02-08 08:37:39

The Road

When I arrived at the car-park it was already full at 10am although some people were starting to leave saying the snow had become unskiably soft.
2021-02-06 11:04:01

Skate Desert d'Entremonts with Mike

The pistes over at the Cross Country lodge were too soft to ski as they are south facing.
2021-02-05 13:44:13

Pointe de la Cochette, Chartreuse, French Alps

The main reason to climb to the Cochette is the view. That said on a day of fresh snow the forest either side of the summit trail is skiable and the avalanche risk is not huge.
2021-02-05 11:53:15

Emeindras on classic skis

I couldn't believe le Sappey would still be open. It had rained to 2500 meters and we'd had warm storm force winds for days. I still had my doubts at the car park.
2021-02-03 13:13:00

Top of St Hilaire du Touvet

A return to St Hilaire du Touvet, this is becoming a habit but it had been raining for days with a lot of avalanche activity. We would also avoid the scrum of cars at le Sappey or Barrioz.
2021-01-31 11:24:06

Col de Porte Stage Day 6

Day 6 of my observation with the Ecole de Porte. I was with Nathan. First off a group of 2 good skiers so it was a change to do a tour of techniques in particular cornering and descending.
2021-01-30 11:35:54

Year of the Cat (Mont du Chat, Couloir des Chênaies)

First off I beached my car on deep snow, trying to turn for the parking. I should have immediately parked when I saw the road was white.
2021-01-26 13:14:23

Canaple from the Pont de Cottaves, Chartreuse, French Alps

From the Pont des Cottaves (1111m) follow a trail on the right bank of the river to a clearing at 1150m (bottom of an old chair lift) then turn slightly SW to follow a ski piste that crosses the Charm
2021-01-24 11:41:49

Col de Marcieu, Warm down

After my classic ski on the Herse I wanted to go back on ski it skating but a blizzard arrived out of nowhere so I settled for 5 loops of the Green piste at the Col de Marcieu.
2021-01-23 12:01:26

Petites Roches Classic Ski

Nice snow for an early morning classic ski working a bit on technique.
2021-01-23 11:02:42

Classic exercises on les Sagnes trails, le Sappey

I went up to do a bit of practice in classic style on the flat les Sagnes trails. Conditions were not great but ok for practice. Still looking to reduce tail slap with good kick.
2021-01-22 12:37:19

Foehntastic

We probably should have ridden against the wind to start with as it was very hard getting home across the Steppes of the Gresivaudan.
2021-01-21 14:28:33

Col de Marcieu

I headed up to the Col de Marcieu for a bit of afternoon classic practice on the blue and green pistes. Basically going around with and without poles.
2021-01-20 16:22:59

Petit Som, West Couloir, Chartreuse, French alps

I realized I'd never descended the West Couloir of the Petit Som. I'd climbed it once and recalled it was a pretty steep afair. More than the 35 degrees mentioned in the guidebooks.
2021-01-19 15:31:32

La Ruchère, Chartreuse, French Alps

La Ruchère, located in the western Chartreuse mountains, boasts 35km of pistes. However there is a lot of double counting going on as I skied almost all of them in 17km.
2021-01-19 13:09:58

Mud ride

This is becoming our regular winter ride but the singles are too wet at the moment until I service my front fork.
2021-01-16 15:03:29

Stage 5

3 shadowing hours with Jean-Luc.First was a group less of adult beginners. As usual Jean-Luc (Papi rock n roll) is very good at animating the group with lots of stories from his sporting career.
2021-01-16 11:14:59

Sticky classic ski

I shouldn't have bothered really. When I arrived at the trail head it was raining quite hard and the piste was completely waterlogged but as I was on classic skis I thought it might not be too bad.
2021-01-14 16:49:06

Tour of the Chamechaude - a myth

The link between le Sappey and St Hugues hasn't been prepared for 4 years. I'd lost faith they'd ever do it again but then a message from Chamechaude nordic, it would open this weekend.
2021-01-10 13:37:47

Dents de Pipay East and West faces, Les 7 Laux, France

From Pipay climb to the chalet de Pipay dessus then turn NE to climb to the ridge between the Soleil and Loup drags.
2021-01-07 15:53:37

Liason Chamrousse 1650 Arselle

As junior was ice driving at 1650 I decided to test the link between the two parts of the resort. It is a bit rough as it is a shared path with walkers etc but okay on skating.
2021-01-07 10:01:34

Stony Skate

An afterwork, this time on skate skis so a bit quicker. The conditions were good up on the higher part of the trail with cold snow.
2021-01-06 16:42:55

Classic ski afterwork

I took off work an hour early to head to the Col de Marcieu nordic trails. They had been pisted and reopened following fresh snow but there were a few reports of lack of depth.
2021-01-04 16:57:39

Frosty morning at le Sappey

Despite my fractured rib (from a car park fall onto a ski) I decided to do a long one with a climb to Emeindras. Around 400 meters over 6km for an average of 6%.
2021-01-03 11:29:38

L'Alpette, Chartreuse, France

Short tour with junior (who was testing lighter TSL snow shoes) to l'Alpette which is a small field (hence the name) on the Aulp du Seuil climb.
2021-01-02 12:18:30

Banks of the Isere south

This is a good option if it is damp as the tow paths along the side of the Isere are well drained. You can ride as far as the Grenoble and beyond but pick up a surfaced path at Gieres going south.
2020-12-30 15:57:16

Mud mud glorious mud

Longish tour of the Gresivaudan valley with tot. The idea had been to take gravel trails to avoid the mud.
2020-12-23 15:27:48

Red sky at night

Climb to the Charmant Som this time on classic skis. There were no tracks. The climb to the Oratoire took 43m10, last time in March on classic skis was 36:36.
2020-12-22 16:49:16

The Invisible Skier

I arrived early at the Col de Porte as it has been rammed in previous weeks. Even before 9am there were quite a lot of cars.
2020-12-19 10:43:51

Col des Ayes

A little tour with tot to get some air. The road was completely pisted by the passage of the hundreds of skiers, snow shoers, sledgers and every other kind of engine.
2020-12-13 16:10:29

First chemin de l'Herse of the season.

I'd heard the Chemin de l'Herse had been pisted at the weekend for cross country skiing.
2020-12-10 16:21:53

St Hilaire top of the pistes

Tot was moaning about the ski resorts being closed so I suggested we climb to the top of the ski runs at St Hilaire.
2020-12-10 10:42:23

Emeindras

I'd seen the Sappey trails had been pisted. They only opened a couple of days last season so I decided to seize the day.
2020-12-08 13:45:43

Afterwork: Pravouta by night

A little afterwork. I started around 16h30 from the car park at 1190 meters but it was no doubt possible to tour from much lower down, from the main road to St Pancrasse at 1000 meters even.
2020-12-07 16:58:41