Sleep is for the weak

Fri 9th: Up at 3am for work after a solid three hour sleep, got back at 7:15. Instead of getting a cheeky nap I serviced and waxed my skis. Ouch.

Picked Oscar up en route to Flegere for a tour. The original plan was Col de Beaugent but two of the others backed out. With only a 30m rope we had to change routes deciding on the Col above Index. As we got up the weather looked ominous with heavy wind and low visibility. We didn't fancy navigating the crevasses so we skinned up to Floria and towards Glacier du Mort.

Mer de Glace looking dirty and bare

When we reached the first col above Floria it was clear that the back side of the Aiguilles Rouges had been blasted by wind so we just decided to get out of there quickly. Keeping a safe distance apart we skied down and skinned up Col de Berard, the fastest exit. We dropped lower to dodge the heavily loaded windslab, instead skinning on the boilerplate.

Everyone sheltering from the wind to transition

Upon reaching the Col we were greeted by wind. A LOT of wind. Warm hands were frozen in seconds as we removed skins and changed to ski mode. As soon as we dropped off the Col it instantly dropped down. Keeping a safe distance apart we skied down quickly. I took one pretty big fall when I either clipped a rock or some crust. My ski just about released though thank god.

A brief lul in the wind at the Col

The exit was better than I expected but we still had to spend a large portion of it walking. The day was nothing special and the snow was abject but it was just great to be up in the mountains. The bonus is at no point was I remotely tired. I'm noticeably fitter and skiing much better than at the start of last season so hopefully some big tours/lines are on the cards...

Long trek out

Oscar combat skiing

Fjording dem rivers

Oscars skin clip / eating utensil. Genius