Tuc dera Pincela, 2546m...a very classical one...December, 15th 2013

For this second day of the weekend I wanted something longer than the previous day. Among all the options Tuc dera Pincela set as the best one given the snow conditions and the timing. Despite its very popular, it is also quite dangerous with medium or high risk of avalanches. This weekend was level 1.Its timing also met my idea of 5h trip.

The first part is along the river and is completely flat. That kinf of "coll" at the background is where I had to head. That is at 1900m. I didnt wake up early because I knew the later the better to skin up over that icy part in the morning (at least with the splitboard).

From that coll I turned left following a path that raised steadily. To be honest, there are much more beautiful ascents in Aran than this one: no trees, no open view...The good thing is that this north face has surprinsingly kept the snow in almost fresh conditions..

From this coll at 2350, there is just 200m left to the summit.

Along the ridge...

And summit together with a French skier.

I dont have many pictures, but very rewarding descent down to the river.

Good turns in many slopes...

Back in flat terrain I splitted my board up and had an entertaining time trying to cross the river not using the bridge as I saw some skiprints. The stream wasnt strong and it ended successfully. Maybe the best of the day! Good feeling at the shade just trying to overcome a nature´s barrier!

To sum up, the day met the expectations. Around 1150 of vertical drop just darken by the last flat part but thanks to the splitboard it became a pleasent walk. Now, its snowing again!! .  

Tuc de Vaciver, 2647m...let´s start the party!! December, 14th 2013

It´s been many sunny days since first of December. The anticyclone spreads all over this area of Europe bringing clear skies and warm temperatures. What would be a nervous wait without snow, becomes an endless period of days one after the other to fulfill these goals -understandable for the majority of people- that we ourselves set to do.

Although I wasnt unlucky this weekend when it comes to the weather issue I have to say that the only front in the last 12-15 days had to pass on Fryday night that´s why it was still cloudy in the morning.

The ascent is easy and  probably one of the most crowded, but not lacking of beauty and worth visiting.

Last year I came here but I ended up going to a secondary summit. To avoid going up the same way I made it longer up to a lakes now frozen. I was full of energy...the scenary was especially beautiful with the clouds rapidly moving up to disappear and the snowpack was in line with my mude to skin up with a thin layer of recent snow.

Tuc de Vaciver is the furthest white summit. In order to get there I first have to overcome that rocky slope.

Once that part is over, it´s not nearly 200m to reach the top.

Good I didnt sleep over that morning thinking it would be foggy...Tuc de Vaciver with the beatiful Pyrenees behind me.

The well known Mount Valier is the white pyramidal peak at the background. It poses one of the most selected -but still acceptable- descents of the Pyrenees.

Its close to 3:30pm so there is no much time to be up here. Pics will tell....but very good descent!

Aneto massiff from one of the great slopes of the descent...

Pines, steep and big slopes..

I came across with the last skier I coincided in the summit. We managed to find a way to go down to that flat ground down there, because the tracks we followed were not very clear at that point..

We chose correctly and found that...

Last slope to enjoy for that time...

For a few hours I saw myself in the Rockies...rocky walls, frozen lakes, open pine tree forests and one of the most snowy zone of the Pyrenees. This is definetely a good place to ride!!

Tuc de Hornos, q. 2350m...attempting twice, doesnt mean achieving it...November, 28th 2013

Friday posed the first perfect weather conditions of the five potential days of this week that I had to get started this season. To be honest, this enormous amount of time was promising but didnt bring what I was expecting it to be. And that´s a giant shame given the exceptional snow conditions. 

Three days out of five weather was too foggy, Friday was nice and Sunday would have been good but I didnt have the motivation to drive 3h each way after this week full of setbacks...something bad would have probably happen if I had gone....What´s more, Wednesday and Thursday were stunning days but those were the only ones I couldnt go to the mountains...jajaja.

Well, let´s go to Friday trip. I went to same zone than Monday, hoping this time to both reaching the top and enjoying the descent. I couldnt accomplish the first one, but I did the second one!

Whatever the output is, its always a pleasure skinning up through that forest.

I took myself a picture with Tuc de Sarrahera behind me. Even there were clouds....they were chasing me...Easy and beatiful ascent.

I came across with a couple of skiers. None of us considered safe to reach the last 50m to the summit. Once more time, the mountainering side of the trip ended in failure. From the highest point we reached, Aneto massiff sticked out!!

The descent was great. This time with visibility I could hop in the most snowboard friendly slopes. To enjoy this pow the terrain shouldnt be flat, if it happens to have flat parts you will get stucked....

Enjoyable tube....

After this stunning tube, which met what I call "double S": steep enough to ride pow and safe to go over it, I ate a snack surroundd by the gorgeous scenary.

Lastly, the way back to the forest wich took me to the piste again. From the piste 20mins remains to get back to the car. I normally split the board but without skins so is faster and more comfortable this part.

To sum up, the only day out of five which was worth waiting for it. It tasted a little after the expectations created...I wish I could say it the way around, but 4 out of 5 days were missed out!!

Ill take some days apart from this and Ill hope when I am back this curse has slipped away!!

Tuc de Hornos, q.2300m ... the most disappointing first descent...November, 25th 2013

Once again, the winter season got started !! I don´t know any better place around here than Val d´Aran  to draw the first lines. It has been snowing for the previous 8 days after several  and unusual, for the time, snow storms have hit the Pyrenees in a row. It was surprising how the situation changed in a sudden. After a warmer and drier Fall, now we got main villages of the valley with up to 80cm and roughly 200cm at an altitude of 2000m.

I took Monday and Tuesday off as weather forecast forecasted nice weather for those two days the last week. As Monday was approaching the weather forecast was getting worse...Cloudy weather means fog in the mountains...

Right after the tunnel I saw how clouds were stopped beyond and how sunny was in a good area for backcountry. So, delightly I thought, that´s for me! This is my time! I left the park and started to skin up after my last descent in the Maladeta.

Some trees are still turning... 

Clear sky, the forest coated with fresh snow, easy track...Lovely way back to what I like...

So, so pleasent to be skinning up through this fully snowed  fir tree forest in a cold morning....

And when I came out of the forest after thinking how privileged I was, I saw how clouds moved right onto the mountain I was heading....

I was convinced that karma couldnt play so unfairly against my interest so I decided to go on...

Come on, clear it up!! Its one of my numbered fucking day off....

I dont know if it was karma, weather God or what the hell but whereas in other mountains Sun was shining...

....the one I was heading posed the most foggy face of any mountains around here...The only charming thing was that I met Marc. This local knew the place and was able to go thrugh the fog.

Despite his attempt we gave up for it at 2300m. We were actually very close to the summit. At some point the clouds peeled away for 2 seconds  we even saw it.

An here it comes...my torment. Low visibility, very deep snow and flat ground made a significant part of my descent a very unpleasent one...and this hurts if you have been wating for it all summer...Needless to say, the effort to reach up there and being this a day-off...

In very few accasions the descent became nicer...

On the whole, It wasn´t rewarding when it comes to assesing the descent...Maybe its me that I was asking too  much after having kept this pair of day-off for a D-day...I guess there must be foggy days in a backcountry career ja-ja. Let´s see the good point...Last June I was hoping to be the next season in the Pyrenees, and by now, here I am!! But please, a little bit luckier in weather conditions than last year...

Maladeta peak, 3.308m...the culmination of a great season in the Pyrenees! June, 30th 2013

I´m back again! It´s true that it has been almost a couple of months since last time I went skiing....I was meant to do some more activities in the mean time but unfortunately I couldn´t make it because of stormy weather (a historic flood included). But still, I was decided to end this season as it deserved!

On Saturday we spent the day in cala Romana, a small beatiful beach close to the old Tarraco. At 17:45, I laid myself down at the Sun after a last dip in the Mediterranean. Then, around 22:15 I was looking for a place to sleep under a pine tree in la Besurta 1920m, in the heart of the big Pyrinees.

I am not lying, but I barely slept 3h...The dawn made me to start before I had thought. That was before 6am. I took a picture of myself. Ahead I had around 1400m to climb one of the highest peak here. Obviously, the goal was to ski its glacier and big slope where the snowpack usually remains until the beginning of June. This year much longer and in greater amounts...

Someone else shared my idea and we all went up together.

Surprinsingly, it was possible to put the skies on at 2250m...not even 20min from the refuge....Definetely, It has bean an epic year...

Such a pleasure skinning up...Who would say that the following day will be July?!?!

It was 10am when we arrived at Rimaya coll. That was the third time I got that point and I had ever gone on because of the dangerous conditions that the last corridor posed...

But this time I was bound to try it!

Steep and exposed....but I made it! Those black points are our backpacks and skies, so the corridor is not definetely short either!

And summit, la Maladeta peak 3.308m, in the heart of the Pyrinees!

Let´s go to the point...If I came here was not to climb this peak, but to snowboard it down!!

I swear.....I did not expect it to be in such a great conditions. Its not just the amount of snow which would allow us to get back to 2250m...but the awesome corn snow we enjoyed for about the half of the descent....

The pictures will tell...

From 2700m the snow was not even as bad as anyone could expect for being in summer...

Until the lake...

Slightly more than an hour to get back to the car on foot....Last picture from the path...

To sum up, I could not have finished in better way this season. Riding down 1000m of a straight and good descent the last day of June is priceless...I could keep skiing a couple of weekend more (at least for sure the next one)...but I think It has been already enough...Its high time that the Mediterrenean took my time!!

I look forward to the next season and I wish I was here....but we will see where I am!! Happy summer!