Life in white and blue...: 2010

Monte Briccas, 2427m 13-Dic-2010 (Alpes)

Our last adventure of December drove us to Cuneo´s province. We were looking for going some mountain with great views of Monviso, easy and south face due to the really firm of the snow. The Monte Briccas complied with al those requirements.

Our goal seen from the road. As you can see it looks easy but it also offers a good slopes.

We started from a small village close to Crissolo at 1500m. The first part of the ascent consists on going up through the forest at 1800m. Later, the forest is clearing up with just some trees scattered till 1900m. From there we just had to overcome the large slope untill the summit.

Us on the summit of Monte Briccas, with Monviso (3840m).

We doubted about our descent due to the hard snow. We relied on the Sun to melt a little bit the snow in the south face. Our decision was sucessful.

The descent was a peaceful chain of turns towards Monviso.

We had 1000m of vertical drop and 700 of good descent. Good numbers for everybody and specially for Carlos and his third day on skis!

Now it´s time for some parties before leaving Italy...but towards the end of December I´ll be here again to celebrate the Ney Year in Courmayeur!! Good times are coming!!

Ci vedremo! Buona Natale a tutti! Dovrei anche scrivere italiano...Prossimamente forse...

Punta Cia, 2193m 8-Dic-2010 (Alpes)

Carlos and me decided to take advantage of a doubtful day. It was doubtful in two sides: the weather forecast and the few hours slept. Anyway the Alps rules and not early in the morning we were driving to Orco valley.

The day begun luckfully for us (just begun...) because the Sun was shining on our goal where as in the surroundings the day was mostly cloudy. The trail consists of overcoming the wide and easy slopes that run from 1400 in Carello to almost 2200m os Punta Cia or Cialma.

In two ours we reached the summit. We also chose this peak because it offers a wonderful views of Gran Paradiso. The day over there was not so good so we had to imagine it.

On the other side, the day looked absolutly nice.

Carlos going down in the middle part of the descend with Orco valley at the backgrounds.

Another extra day of backcountry before bringing my equipment from Spain. That´s all folks!

Colle di Bousson, 2200m 4-Dic-2010 (Alpes)

New day of finding out the Alps area near to Torino with Carlos. The idea was to drive to a small village close to Cesana. The time travel was a pleasent way along the Susa valley and staring at the summits of each side of the valley.

The day looked cold with -10ºC at 1300m in the morning. This sector is like a circle with some lakes in the center surrounded by summits of 2400m more and less. The idea was to walk to the lake and later reach one of these summits.

Everything went on the good way...when suddenly one of my rented snowshoes was broken. We were on the point of giving up the day due to the deep snow. Anyway, we decided to try going on. We reached much farther that we expected in that moment.

I do not know how, but I got the coll of Bousson with 2200m and 800m on our legs...The descend was slow because of the light slopness but pleasent among the tress, the views of the high mountains and the special light of december´s Sun.

Going back home with different views with monte Chaberton (3110m).

Good day special for Carlos and his first day of backpacking, he is getting on fastly! I have an exam on Tuesday, but later I´ll be ready for more whatever snow issue.

Cima delle Blave, q.2150m 2-Dic-2010 (Alpes)

My opening day in alpine backcountry!

On last thursday I was keen to start mounteneering. I could not wait more for bringing my equipment, so I decided to rent a snowshoes. Anyway I was going to spend money in the skipass so...

I had not my car yet, so I went to bardonecchia (1300m). It is an alpine village in high Valle di Susa. I meet with Valerio in the train station. We had not seen before, but we was talking in the train. He was hesitating wheter coming with me. Finally, he fell into temptation and we went together.

We explored a wide and large ridge that ends in Punta Nera (3042m) in Rho valley. The other side of the valley is closed with Rocca Bernauda as highest peak (3228m).

We stopped at 2150m due to the deep snow. It made difficult our progress. The descend was among the forest with deep and difficult snow like in ski films.

It was a good day with 800m of vertical drop. On Saturday more!

Prali, abriendo temporada en los Alpes 20-Nov-2010

I´ve always though that my first ski-resort in the Alps would be a big a typical or well-known resort. I was wrong. Last Sunday, I went with other erasmus to Prali.

Prali is one of a large number of ski-resort out of the aims of the tourists. The road to get there is what they call "dirty road", like Tarna in Asturias for example. No highways, no trains...just a single road. The resort consists of two chairlifts. The number of pistes is lower than Pajares. Anyway, it has an astonishing 1100m of vertical descent. It runs from 1400 to 2500.

For an alpine local this is a poor ski-resort...for me, it is unforgettable...1100m of going on of "discesa"!!!!

Snow is here, and in a big amounts! This weekend I go to Svizzera again, but the next week Bardonecchia will be opened. I will be there and ready for skiing as much as I can.

In few days some pics of Bardonecchia in high vall di Susa will be available here!

Ci vediamo!

Bell´Italia! A Torino aspettando per i Alpi!

Ancora stiamo in tempo di sognare...e si é scoprendo delle terme calde sotto il Mont Bianco megliore da en nessuno oltro posto...

Autunno alpino é veramente bello, e rimanere dentro d´ una sorgente calda a 30º con 5ºC fuori e guardare queso...e indiminticabile (anche le spese...ja-ja)!

Le prossime imagine seranno dall´alcuna veta alpina o d´un buono disceso con arrampicata! Ci vediamo!

Pico Lomas, 2430m 25-Abril-2010 (C.Cantabrica)

Thanks to the 4x4 of Alberto, we could make this clasical activity. The large track...that it´s an irksome restriction, becomes a pleasent walk by 4x4.

We left the car at 1900m. From there, we could see the three main peaks. Just in the middle, it´s Lomas peak.

In the firts part, we had to carry all on our rocksack.

Once in a coll at 2200m, we only had to rise 200m more.

The hard Sun of the last weeks has rather damaged the snow covered, even in high height as you can see. At the banckground appears Curavacas...

and Picos de Europa.

The clouds decorate the sky...The last 50m run over the ridge as far as the summit.

Views from the Lomas peak at 2430m southwards.

Us on the summit.

We descended directly from the top. The line was very entertaining with a pipe between some rocks and a wide slope in the bot part, although the snow was quite soft.

In the pic below, you can see the slope which starts just from the top

With zoom, our print can be seen easier.

Finally, we returned to the car...

Un paseito lo de hoy...

Keep on enjoying the mountains! Ci vediamooooooooooo

II - Horcada de Santa Maria, 2350m 10,11-Abril-2010 (Picos de Europa)

For that second and last day, the day before we had planed to go to Horcada Santa Maria through Les Merines coll.

Like Saturday, we woke up early. The dinner and the breakfast didn´t seem to me enough for hungry mountaniers. In spite of it, we managed to reach our goal.

The first part of the day consisted on overcoming the LLampa cimera to Les Merines coll.

In two hours, we had got it. The views from the coll (2000m) of the Cantabrican Mountains are particurarly beatiful and different from other points of Picos.

Me below the giant shadow of Torre Santa Maria with a small part of Cantabrican mountains at the background.

The goal for that day: Horcada Santa Maria. It is the small coll of the middle more and less.

Alberto and me rising the last 200m.

Me almost on the top.

All the team resting and getting ready for the descend.

Pablo and Alberto started...

I thought that the snow was too hard in its first part for my level, but finally I was able to descend succesfully. Probably that first part reachs 40º.