02-28-3009 Glacier3000 touring with Tom...

Start of the slog up to the Dom



Had to downclimb a bit



Tom bringing up the rear (gear issues)



Crusty mank!



Destination achieved - 3209m.





Scenery





A short ski back down







Some hours later we met up with the girls

02-21-2009 Glacier3000

Two days later, I return bringing the full crew with me this time. It's been 4 days since the dump, but hopefully that nasty traverse has kept out the gapers. Again, first lift and hardly enough cars to fill the full tram up. And most of them pisten carvers. 6 laps on the frontside, 1425m each descent...pretty decent.

EDIT: Video!


G3000 from Ripzalot on Vimeo.



Mclovin lovin' it





Geo039 chargin' it





Me probably praying just before the traverse



Off the traverse, into the deep



Great snow even 4 days later



Since we go by the car with each lap, we pause for a short lunch break



Sassa in the trees







Geo039 in the trees



McLovin in the trees





Ripz rippin' (trying ;))







McLovin follow cam



The fronstide playground



Girls, beers, and a hottub to finish the day!

02-19-2009 Glacier3000

Time for one of those midweek vacation days. PeterK and I rally on Thursday for first lift at the local big mountain spot. It had snowed some 60cms two days earlier but due to avy conditions the mountain was partially shut on Wednesday until about 2pm, so we're hoping not many people got on it. And being in the middle of the school holidays here in Switz, we're doubly hoping against a crowd scene.


The day starts with 3 people on the first lift, two being me and PeterK. :)



And a bluebird day, not a track on the mountain.



First tracks in the Combe were pretty sweet.







Second lap, and second tracks were pretty sweet too.





Third lap and first tracks in the far rightside.



After 3 Combe runs, we try a Reusch run...first tracks again far rightside.







About noon, someone broke trail across the (sketchy) frontside traverse over the cliff. Good enough for us to follow.













Frontside, second lap.















A well deserved beer30!

02-14-2009 Glacier3000

Geo

















TeleAl







McLovin















Sassa









KarenKrizzknuckles





Ripz



















Beer30

02-07-2009 Saas Fee

With avy levels off the chart we decided to play it conservatively and check out the red zone instead of the purple zone. No sense in driving 4-5 hours and finding out the lifts are closed because the conditions are too dangerous. So off to Saas Fee, with about 60cms of fresh over the last three days or so. Plus add to that about another 25cms while we were there, 15cm on Friday and another 10cm on Saturday. :)

EDIT: Video!


Saas Fee from Ripzalot on Vimeo.






We arrive to find the visibility marginal - in and out of clouds that seemed to randomly drift up and down the mountain all day.




So we head to the midstation and scope out some nice tree runs to the village.




The first couple hundred meters of vert were a pick down in almost pea soup.






Then you reach the treeline.




And all of a sudden you can see clearly.




And let it open up.




And it starts to rock - hard.




Shazam!




Shazam-again!




Shazam-a-trois!




Geo loves da pow trees.




KarenKrizzknucles too.




Well, this just about a lift line at Saas Fee on a powder day. Seriously.




And this is how you feel at Saas Fee on a powder day. Seriously.




Later in the day, the light got better.




And Geo lit it up.




Ripz gave it a rip.




Tom gets the cold smoke on him.






Ripz gets distracted in mid-turn by the sheer beauty of the bluebird moment.






And then just jumps down in it.








KarenKrizzknucles takes a dip.




Back into the trees to slut around some more.








It was a little deep at times.




Even deeper if you're KarenKrizz.






McLovin stays on top.




Ripz gets in it a little.






Geo sequence














Ripz sluttin' around.












Then it got really really nice again.










And the the apres ski began.






And on into the night.






Sunday evening. McLovin and KarenKrizzknuckels had to return to reality.




Geo and I rage the party scene in Saas Fee.




Monday, it was just me and Geo. Plus a couple hundred pisten carvers.
We had been eyeing the pillows and trees but the lift there had been closed.

Then it opened.






So we ran some pillow lines










Swiss energy food.




Sharing is caring.




Free taxi rides back to the parking lot rock. Hard!