|
Date: |
|
January, 1997 |
|
Snowboarders: |
|
Mathias |
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Terrain: |
|
Hard icy off piste |
|
Area: |
|
Le Vanoise, Southern Alps, France |
| Note: If you want to do the
Vers Champagny on Snowboard - wait for good soft conditions, bring an ice
axe, and money for the bus to Moutiers. |
I was geared up for some serious off-piste boarding and unfortunately like the
previous year I had to do it on my own due to a total lack of attitude in the
rest of the group. But I did manage to drag my good old friend the super skier
Lars Klammer on to some pretty good and steep slopes. The last day in Val d'Isere
was pretty interesting: I was to pick up a car in "Moutiers" which is
situated on the other side of the Tignes Massif. I could either take a bus/train
from Val d'Isere to Moutiers, which would waste a precious day of snowboarding
or I could go to the top of the Tignes Massif (accessible on the lift system)
and then head out in totally unknown territory (I bought a map) and thereby cross
the mountain and avoid the long bus trip through the valleys. I tried to persuade
Klammer and other potential interested to come along, but they where all discouraged
by their respective girlfriends. So I was alone...
I prepared
the trip - it seemed as there was two possibilities - either "Vers Champagny"
or "Vers Peisey". I decided to go up to Col de Palet where the trip
would start and take a look at the conditions. I was in the Col at around 12.30
and spend almost half an hour discussing with myself whether I should do it
or not. It is always extremely difficult to decide in these situations - it
a battle against your rational self and your adventures self. I think my rational
side won and I started heading back to the safe slopes on the other side of
the fence and danger signs. Suddenly I shouted - "What the Hell - let's
do it!" and I turned around, quickly attached my board and went of into
the unknown void....
The
trip turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. Snowboards are not good
for randonee (back country) skiing and I soon realized that it was going to be
more a pain in the legs to get to Moutiers rather than an enjoyable ride through
the wilderness of Vanoise (the name of the national park). It took me around two
hours of continues snowboarding to reach Champagny from where I hitch hiked the
rest of the way to Moutiers. I made the Hertz office just 10 minuttes before the
office closed and I picked up a nice Fiat Punto and made it back to Valdisere
in time for the beers and after skiing and had the final rave on Dicks Tea Bar.
Comments to: feedback@willerup.com
I prepared
the trip - it seemed as there was two possibilities - either "Vers Champagny"
or "Vers Peisey". I decided to go up to Col de Palet where the trip
would start and take a look at the conditions. I was in the Col at around 12.30
and spend almost half an hour discussing with myself whether I should do it
or not. It is always extremely difficult to decide in these situations - it
a battle against your rational self and your adventures self. I think my rational
side won and I started heading back to the safe slopes on the other side of
the fence and danger signs. Suddenly I shouted - "What the Hell - let's
do it!" and I turned around, quickly attached my board and went of into
the unknown void....