Near perfect day on Glacier du Mort

Fri 23rd: Glacier du Mort - 30+cm soft powder

Col de Berard was amazing the other day so Ryan and I headed back up to the Aiguilles Rogues. A late start left us at the back of a giant skin queue. Our quick pace and changeovers jumped most of them, and the ones in front were heading elsewhere anyway. On the first skin we bumped into Arvid and Lukas who didn't have the gear to join us and continued on to Berard. At the top of the Col Ryan dropped his Norrona down jacket on the changeover and it blew down the mountain in the strong wind. He just about managed to get his skis on and race down and dive on it before it blew over the lip 400m below. Pretty hilarious.

Just a few in front

At least the view was amazing

No one had put the track up to Mort since the wind had hit the south faces (there was an old one). Ryan opted to let me lead so I cut a fresh track (fine - its all fitness). 3/4 of the way up I was slipping like crazy so switched to a boot-pack. This was little better - most of the time I was wading on all fours expending a disgusting amount of energy. We got to the plateau and I was knackered but happy having cut track the entire way. Crampons and axe out and carried on to the top. A guy had gone past on the plateau but waited for his friends at the top so we dropped in first.

"Always let the kids put in the bootpack" - Ryan

There were around four tracks in the whole descent from Mort from the previous two days. The first 50m was wind-scoured but as soon we entered the bowl below the snow was perfect. Long pitches of skiing in untouched powder. Glorious. Bumped into Arvid and Lukas again where the routes intersect, they'd had a long lunch. We skied down more epic powder which was only slightly marred by me clipping yet another rock and front-flipping in an otherwise deep bowl.

Enjoying the amazing snow

The exit was much easier than before, knowing where the bad bits were. A quick beer and we all got the train / bus back. Awesome day - so good that Ryan went back the next day to repeat it solo as I was working.

Weather started moving in as we exited to Buet