What a week! It’s hard to pick just one run to call the best, but I think skiing powder off the glacier into Girose center on Thursday afternoon was probably my favorite. Big turns up top, and soft snow through the whole couloir, it doesn’t get much better! Thanks for great week Pelle, and hopefully I’ll ski you sooner rather than later. -Chris

Hi Ayse and Pelle

I hope everything is well, things in lugano are very nice the weather is fantastic. I had a great week skiing, all time. but if i had to choose one run, my favorite run of the trip was the 2nd to last day when we went from the very top of the glacier, all the way down through the Giroze Center, the snow was perfect. -Kevin

Winter is back and more snow predicted for the coming week.

Girose Centre Vertical drop: 2 400 m
Lenght:  9km

Facing: North

Technical difficulty: Very serious. High risk of slipping on hardpacked snow. 30-40°. Complex route finding. Need to be stable snow-pack. Crevasses. This line start as the Classic Girose. Start at the top of the second Trifides drag-lift alt:3550m. Ski down directly north in the middle of the glacier, keeping an eye to the Ruillans station (3200m) and the Muretouse peak equidistant either side of you. Just before a short flatter section, go slightly skiers right hand angle to get to a steeper dome face slope. alt: 2800m. Keep skiers left just under a higher rock-face with seracs. Ski down this “pleasant slope” 35° to the end of glacier tongue and stop skiers right, just below a rock face that will protect you from avalanche or seracs fall. Carry on through a series of bowls and to a large couloir. Just after the couloir there is a very steep and deep gorge (Deep Throat) that has NOT been possible to ski until March 2009 when local ski bums decided to give it a try. The reason why it is duable is this year great snow pack and wind transportation snow that filled in the gorge and stable snowpack. The gorge with it’s steep walls has kept the snow cold and dry and is a skiers treat! A rope is a must since many guided groups have been skiing the gorge and there are some icy and tricky passage.  “Better safe then sorry” Ski down carefully to the exit couloir. Finnaly the route ends through a gentle slope, skiers right above the romanche river. Cross the small damm by the main road.

MOUNTIAN GUIDE Tom Merkel Guiding Week 14th to 20th of March

Sunday: La Grave - Patou / La Vaute with Eva, Anders, Hans and Maria le Vaute.
Monday: La Grave -  Girose left / Mureteouse (Chateau Borel) with Anders, Hans, Gerd and Thomas.
Tuesday: Alp d’ Huez - Piedfroid / Couloir Fleur / Perrins sud / Couloir 263 with Anders, Gerd, Thomas, Kenneth and Erik.
Wednesday: La Grave – Le Rama / Girose right with Erik, Hans, Gerd, Thomas and Kenneth.
Thursday: La Grave – Banan / Freux / Maison Neuve / with Erik, Anders, Hans, Thomas and Kenneth.
Friday: La Grave – La Vaute / Girose Centre (New run for this year) with Erik, Kenneth and Anders.
Saturday: La Vaute / Girose Centre / Patou / Freux with Wolfgang.