The glorious Gebroulaz glacier

Last week, myself, Ian and his son (pictured jumping above) embarked on our annual end of winter celebration together, ski touring on the amazing Gebroulaz glacier. This glacier is located at the head of the Méribel valley bordering with Val Thorens, Europe's highest ski resort. That's the thing, it's high altitude.... very high.

So when we attached our skins onto the bottom of our skis to enable us to start walking uphill, we all knew that our lungs would soon start heaving, along with our hearts pumping away like crazy up at 11,500 feet above sea level. I don't remember my organs working this hard on the Altiport beginners' green piste during the winter !?!


However, what a reward. The views of the peaks skimming across the top of the Alps, and more importantly the local crevasses, just blow me away. No photo could ever do justice and replicate the experience.

The last pitch up is the steepest, which means that the first section skiing down the glacier the other side is also very steep. Unfortunately again photos often 'flatten' gradients, trust me it's really steep.


We had timed our ski tour to perfection, there had been precipitation the previous day which gifted us with fresh cold powder at the top. But also the sun was beating down on us all day long.


The glacier is vast, but constantly moving. It changes character every year, in other words, we couldn't rely on memory of where the dangerous deep crevasses were. Ian and I noticed several interesting changes since our previous tour last spring. However, we were still able to select pitch after pitch of clean virgin snow.


Canon came along for the tour as well, and was kept busy capturing these images. Ian kindly took Canon off my hands and recorded me skiing down leaving some 'old school' squiggles behind.


Eventually we all made it safely off the glacier and aimed for our picnic spot at the Refuge du Saut. We took our time with our picnic, enjoying the weather, watching a distant group of chamois, discussing how to teach skiing technique when off-piste. When suddenly, BOOOOOOM, all hell let loose noisely above us. At first I thought it was a rock fall, when in fact it was an avalanche high above us coming our way.


I felt a 'little' uneasy, but Ian soon snapped me out of it by shouting 'Take a photo, quick'. Sure I thought, where's Canon, but it's getting a bit close. In fact it settled about thirty metres away from us. What caused it? A bumbling Marmot on the cliff above us disturbing the snow, or the high temperatures causing a natural slide, or even the 'Good Lord Above' kindly reminding us where we were? Who knows? But what an awesome day yet again in the mountains.

In about a week's time I shall be leaving Méribel to return back to England, this time Leamington Spa. I've already spoken to my boss at the driving school BSM, about re-joining as an instructor. She seemed delighted, and can't wait to hear all about my winter. Blimey where do I start? But in two weeks' time I shall be back on the dual controls again, patiently guiding learner drivers around the Midlands. Please make extra allowances on the road when you see an 'L' plate sign on a driving school car. You never know, I maybe inside !?!?!

Martin

P.S. Meanwhile, just below the snow line down in the valley.... Following up on my previous post titled Deer stalk. I've still occasionally been trying to get that elusive 'stunning' photograph of mountain deer. But time to own up and give the latest scores on the doors; Martin/Canon 'nil', Deer '53,553'. Ooops, those mountain deer are good. In fact I swear I hear them laugh louder each time at me as I'm spotted and then dart away. Oh well. Where's that Highway Code?

UPDATE: Wednesday April 28th

P.P.S. Have totally given up on deer stalking now, they are stunning creatures, but such a tease. However, would you like to hear about the latest photographic score with our furry friends called 'Marmot' ? It's Martin/Canon '5', Marmot 'nil'. Here goes with the photos from todays short walk up at Lac de Tueda;

And finally, my favourite of these little fluffy creatures from this morning, enjoy......