Went out for a little cicuit above Morzine. The Big Lad featured again. There was about 20cm of windblown snow above 2000m that had formed isolated slabs of up to 30cm and drifts up to 1m. Signs of recent spontaneous slab avalanches off the ridges. Pictures and route map here.

The “big lad” is keeping up well. Is that the Pointe Percee in one of the photos.

It is Pointe Percee. The Matterhorn of the Aravis?

I mean to get over there this year. I’m also keen to go ski tour over at Croix-Fry and to the couloir de Profondis, I don’t know whether you’ve seen this?

I wanted to ski the opening weekend (official) at Avoriaz but the only hotel, the famous Dromonts, is closed until the Christmas week, plus it is pretty expensive.

I haven’t ski toured in the Aravis at all. It’s “on the list” for next year, or the year after.... As far as accommodation near Avoriaz is concerned. I would consider staying in Morzine. You’d have to commute via Prodains or less likely (maybe not open) Ardent, both ways work fine. I recommend the bus to Prodains and the car to Ardent. Give the Tourist Office a call in Morzine, they’ll know who is open then.

Every man and his dog was out today. Early season fresh powder, good weather AND on the weekend! I went up Mt Chery (near Les Gets, Haute Savoie) (pictures), I never hit the bottom from the car park to the summit and back. Great light powder too. I saw parties on Pointe du Remplan, Pointe d’Uble, Col Rati and according to this site there were loads around Avoriaz too. The snow came down on a strong wind, although I didn’t detect any instabilities on my route I guess below the wind blown ridges it may well have been quite dangerous.

Further investigation reveals that the “parties” on the Uble and the Remplan were in fact the prolific Eric Tremblais. One summit was not enough in November!

Personally I’m waiting for a bit more snow . I figure tonight’s dump should do it although it is falling with a lot of wind. Instead I spent the weekend sledging with the boy and missus.

10cm of cement fell last night at 830m (20cm at 1100m), it started of with a gale but the wind has stopped now. Goodness knows what it is like on the mountain, I can’t see much!