Jan 29

Posted by: Matt Spenceley
29 January 2010 

Over the last 12 days, I've been on a road trip around the Alps with 2 good friends.  I met Rob and Ron on the Pirhuk East Greenland ski expedition a couple of years back, and have been planning this trip since then.  Bar one rest, we've been on the skis every day, exploring some great areas and finding good snow every place we've been.  Starting from home (Meiringen, Berner Oberland), and travelling through Verbier, Chamonix and Lötchental, we got back to celebrate Nina's 30th on Thursday.  In time for that, fronts bringing more snow than I've seen for over a month have been burying the area.  There's gonna be some serious powder skiing up for grabs whenever the visibility improves enough to allow us onto the higher peaks. 

I'll post some shots from the last 2 weeks...

After a day in the resort, conditions were right for one of my favourite ski tours, the little-known Grauistöckli that rises above Gadmen - 1700m of ascent to gain a north-facing glacier that can powder for weeks after the last dump.  Not exactly a normal warm-up tour but then there wasn't any better snow elsewhere - we earned our turns that day for sure!

Above the first steep section with views to the Tällistock.

Meiringen lies in the valley to the back-left.

The final avalanche-prone slopes that offer access to the summit.

Rob on the summit.  Looking like a monkey...

Ron tele-skiing on the top glacier.

Ron and Rob looking relieved after surviving the combat skiing that leads back to the valley floor.

A final lap on the cross-country circuit brought us back to the car.