Ive come to really love living in Bourg. It has everything you need in a mountain town and the location is perfect to access so many areas...its like a smaller, less extreme, Chamonix and with a lot less people.
One place that really needs a mention is a local cafe we all go to called 'Charly's Factory'. Its located in an ideal place, just next door to the funicular that takes you to Les Arcs 1600. Its the perfect place to sample their amazing coffee in the morning, or to try some of the amazing Belgian beers on offer after a days shred. The owners are Christophe and Agathe, possibly the friendliest and most accommodating people i have met. There is a great atmosphere, and everyone gets involved due to the layout of the place. Amazing coffee and food and just as good service with great chat. Not to be missed!
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Here is my run from the comp
We had to wait a day for the results and i wasn't expecting much due to the fall i had but as it turns out i managed to come in 6TH place which I'm absolutely stoked about!
Maybe if i hadn't fallen then i could have been top 5, but still more then happy with 6th. Feel like i might be getting the bug for the comps, its definitely good to challenge yourself and push past your comfort zone...... Im also now ranked 134th on the tour, which means I'm the highest ranked UK Snowboarder on the qualifiers! St Foy Freeride 720p from Leon Butler on Vimeo. I enjoyed myself so much at the Les Arcs qualifier i decided to put myself though the stress, panic and fun again and enter the qualifier in St Foy. I loved the feeling of being nervous and not know what was going to happen, especially mixed with the atmosphere at these comps plus the euphoria after you've finished your run.......its a strange mix of emotion but always has the same result of being stoked. The St Foy qualifier was set up a little differently, it was more like a normal freeride event. I got there at 8am and had 2 hours to look at the face from the bottom, and to get a few piste laps in to warm up the legs. The start gate was a 40 minute hike from the chairlift, so we had to take that into account and make sure we were at the start for 11.30. There was only one start gate this time which meant everyone was standing around and chatting and just relaxing (or trying to) I had picked my first drop but after that i had no idea wha t do next so was just going to wing it. No one had chosen my line either so it meant i had freshies. I was number 62 to drop so i had plenty of time to freak out, question my line a good 10 times and then relax. When you get the shout that your next to drop you get a weird feeling of calmness and focus........and then you drop. It was one of the best lines i have picked, i chose to go for a slightly smaller drops but keep the run fast and smooth with some techy parts in between the rocks. I nailed my drops, found fresh snow and kept my speed up. I got towards the end where i had planed to do a 360 off a windlip.........which didn't go to plan. I lost a lot of speed and just couldn't get the height i needed and ended up on the floor about 3 metres from the finish line..........gutted! The face was so much fun and overall i was really happy with the line i chose. Red bull was thrown at me again and i sat to watch the rest of the riders thrown down. The skiers were going huge again, such a high level out here and it seems that your not french unless you can stick a backflip. I couldn't stay for long as i had to get back for work, but the day was amazing. It was so well run and felt like a proper freeride event on a really fun face. The weather was looking good to get out touring, so me and Oli decided to head to La Plagne to tour off the back of Mont Jovet. We weren't expecting much in terms of good snow for ripping around on, but thought it would be good just to get out into the mountains and away from the crowded resorts. We took the main chair lift out of Plagne Centre and then a short drag lift. From here we dropped out of the back of the resort and headed towards Mont Jovet. We had planned to just tour to a hut on the back of it due to the hard snow, and to start with the snow was defnitly that. But after the first pitch we found some of the most perfect corn snow. There were skin tracks through a valley that would end up on Mont Jovet but along this track we looked up to the left and saw two perfect couloirs that had no tracks in, safe to say it was a pretty easy choice to ditch the plans and hit these couloirs. We detoured off the skin track and made our own, halfway up the furthest slope we had to boot pack to the top due to the soft snow being tricky to get a grip with skins.
A short ridgeline hike brought us onto the top of the first couloir, it looked perfect....and to top it of there was a guided group below looking very jealous at the choice we had made. I got first line down and it felt amazing! The kind of snow that was perfectly soft but still held an edge.....we could haul ass down it with no problems! Both of us were so surprised that it took no time at all to decide to follow our boot pack up again, and hit the next couloir.......and again, it was the most perfect snow with Oli getting an unexpected full face shot.... Its days like these, when you go out with no expectation, that can end up as the day of days. We finished the day so pumped, it felt great knowing we had gone that bit further to get the goods. We definitely earned our turns, and the rewards made it worth the effort. Two couloirs, two days... We have been looking at two couloirs in Les Arcs all season, they are stupidly steep and very narrow. Conditions right now are perfect for hitting them so we decided to go for it. The first is really tricky to get to and involved a long ridge hike over loose rock followed by a short snowboard down and another boot pack up. You know how sometimes things look steep when you look from afar, but then when you get to it you realise its not that bad......well this was the opposite. It looked steep, and was steep. The way down was pretty ungraceful, alot of side slipping and short jump turns....but such an epic run, it seemed to go on forever! The second couloir started from the same ridge line that we had scrambled across the day before. The first part look fine, but then it dog legged to the felt so we could see what was around the corner. We knew there was a band of rock right about the narrowest part....but we could see from the top. Im not going to lie, it didn't take a lot for us to decide to go for it, we had been staring at this this all winter. The top was fine with some soft snow and a lot of sluff, it was definitely a no fall zone though. Sam went first to check out the rock band, he shouted up to say it was fine and there was a way around it. Once past the rock outcrop is suddenly got insanely steep and narrow for about 3 metres, i struggled to get a turn in and was feeling pretty exposed. After this initial part though it opened up again and you could rip down the rest of it. Again, a gnarly run, but so worth it. Another one ticked off the list. Les Arcs hosts one stop on the Freeride World Tour Qualifier series. There are qualifier events hosted all over the world though out winter, if competitors want to make it on the the main tour then they have to compete in the qualifiers and accumulate points. At the end of the season the very best will make it on the the following years tour. The events have different ratings depending on difficulty ranging from 1 star events thorough to 4 star. The les arc event is a 2 star, and this year Sam, Sarah and i decided to take part as a bit of fun and to challenge ourselves. We have been riding pretty hard all season and all felt good. This was my first event where as the other two had competed when they were younger back in NZ so i was a bit nervous going into it. The days leading up to it were spent looking at the face we thought it was going to be on, until they decided to move it to another venue two days before.......which threw a spanner in the works as we thought we had an advantage. The new face looked fun though, lots of features even though it wasn't particularly long. The morning of the comp i was pretty nervous, everyone looked focused on what they were going to do. I had picked my line, but as i made my way to the start gate i suddenly decided to ditch my plan and go for something bigger. I had seen a drop right at the top which looked big, i figured if there was a time to just go for it then now was it. The anticipation of dropping is a very surreal feeling, its a mix of nerves and excitement. The suspense builds pretty quickly, i was 35th to drop in so i didn't have to long to wait where as sam was 64th. My time came to drop and i could hear the MC at the bottom announce my name, the event marshall next to me counted down.....5...4...3..2..1 and i dropped. I felt really calm and focused all of a sudden and sent it off my first drop. It was by far the biggest i have ever done and i stomped it, i had so much speed coming out of it that i missed my second drop and pretty much screw the rest of my run. But it was smooth and i didn't fall. I crossed the finish line with so much adrenaline i didn't know what to do, so i smashed down a Red Bull.....probably not the best idea! I was pretty stoked to say the least, the event had a wicked vibe and everyone was pumped to be involved. Sarah put down an amazing run and qualified for the finals, she ended up 4th... Sam dropped the biggest cliff of his life, it was sick. he dropped his pole though which meant he didn't qualify for the finals. I came 10th and just missed out too, but to be honest i was stoked to finish 10th in my first freeride comp. I scored really high considering i only got one drop in. Overall it was probably one of the best things i have ever done. I've missed the feeling that competition gives you. It makes you push yourself and take yourself out of your confront zone. People say that competiton isn't the best thing for winter sports as it takes something away from the free spirit of the sport. I think its the opposite, your not competing against rivals, your competing against yourself.........thats the beauty, thats what makes humans push the limits, that inner battle with yourself. Its not like other competitive sports, all the other riders are stoked if you put down a good run.....they are happy for you. Its like a community.....which is what this lifestyle is about. I have signed up for another qualifier in St Foy at the end of the month....... My Run...
Here is a really interesting article from Mcnab Snowboarding A lot has been said about the very unstable snow conditions this year. Much like last winter there is an unstable layer of snow buried under the top layer. This year there is two unstable layers, a thin one which was from the very start of winter, then a layer of packed snow followed by another thicker layer of loose sugary unstable snow that hasn't bonded. There have been a lot of avalanches and a lot of deaths again, which is terrible. A lot of article have been released, and a video from St Foy showing a group caught in a large avalanche went viral. Going off the beaten track is an amazing thing, people need to make sure they are knowledgable, are well prepared and cautious. You need to take notice of your surroundings, wear the proper avalanche rescue gear, make sure the group knows how to use it and are aware of any potential dangers on the chosen route. If in doubt, then don't go. http://www.mcnabsnowboarding.com/snowboarding/the-times-they-are-a-changing/ Heres a Q&A session with the same guide http://www.mcnabsnowboarding.com/snowboarding/this-seasons-avalanches-qa/ February brings with it the dreaded school holidays. A time of year when the resorts become a minefield of punters. ESF instructors with 30 kids behind them snaking their way down the mountain using every available piece of the white stuff.
Waiting in a lift line now becomes an event where only the strongest will survive, casual elbows being though to gain an extra half a metre of space. What was once was a nice quiet coffee (beer) at our favourite cafe after a day snowboarding is now a pointless effort to get served. As you can see, its not my favourite time of year but it is a perfect time to work, especially in ski rental and servicing its especially busy........and this year worked out pretty good as it snowed just as all the holiday makers were leaving, perfect for us. We had a good amount of snow over new years (70cm fell in one day, which caused chaos on the roads as it was every ones dreaded day.......transfer day) This meant that i had 4 weeks of amazing snowboarding, we were out everyday all day constantly finding fresh snow and drops. I had also treated myself to a new big mountain board, a 164 Rossignol Krypto. This is probably the best board I've ridden, its so stable at speed and landing drops, it seems to just want to push you the whole time. You can see most of the photos in the 'Media' section...but even they don't do it justice. The snow was deep, soft and perfect for landings which gave us the confidence to go bigger. We also managed to get a run down the 'North Face of the Bellcotte' in La Plagne. The north face is well know for being a steep gnarly face that has high consequences especially after new snow. There are a lot of different routes down the face, we opted for the easier one as it was safer. It was a good run down with new snow...until the bottom which is a traverse out through a forest. This section definitely needed more snow, at one point having to take of ski's and snowboard to walk part of the route........but its all part of the adventure right? The best bit was probably the route we took getting to the north face...shown in the photo below. Good snow and real technical run down. We have a few 'go to' places in les arcs which were all on in these 4 weeks. Namely the bowl where the Red Bull Linecatcher is held and the Grand Col chair lift are both super fun after a dump of snow.
After a slow start to the season things have defiantly stepped up a gear. The Tarantaise Valley has tons of touring routes that start from designated car parks, making it easy to go on day tours. I was desperate to try out my new split board, a Voile Artisan, and i knew of a fairly good route to test it out on. The route was to the top of Mont Rosset which is in the Boufontain part of the alps, its directly opposite La Plagne. The tour to Mont Rosset is great as its fairly mellow, the terrain is a mix of trees, open plateaus and steep ridge lines all accompanied by the most spectacular mountain views. You really feel like you in the heart of the mountains away from all the crowds (apart from the old french guys who although they look fat and old....they will definitely blow past you) To make it better, once you reach the top you are treated to views of the Pierra Menta, A mountain that looks a lot like a tooth and never has snow on it. It can be seen from Les Arcs and then also from the other side towards Megeve. Dan and i set out at around 5.30am, the plan was to get to an opening in the trees so that we can watch the sunrise over Mont Pourri, before making our way to the top. After parking up the car, picking our way through the trees and fixing dans BCA Tracker bindings we made it to the opening. There something so rewarding about using your own energy and effort to achieve a goal, the same definitely applies on skis or split board.....maybe even more so. The sun rose perfectly over the summit of Mont Pourri, it was one of those moments that was good for the soul.....as would be the whole tour. We had some food, packed up and set off, there was a long way to go, around 1200 vertical feet. Along the way we were treated to amazing views of some gnarly mountains with even gnarlier lines down them. It always amazes me that the people that come out and hit these lines are just locals, who probably head home or off to work after doing something you would normally see in a ski film. It took us around 3 hours to skin up to the top, we took a few breaks as muscles we didn't even know we had started to ache.....all the while being passed by locals who didn't even look out of breath! Once at the top we were treated to the view of Pierra Menta, it really does look impressive. We were both tired but felt great after putting in so much effort and had the way down to look forward too. The route basically followed the valley around which meant we had effectively done a big loop to get back to the car. The first part of the decent looked good, it was in the shade enough for the snow to still be fresh. So after a drink, photos and a good faff we set off. Straight away we pass a guy skinning up with his dog, and then we shared fresh snow with a Chamois (a type of mountain goat) which was one of the most surreal moments I've had. We reached the refuge which serves as a base to further explore the area but that would be for another time, we had to follow the east side of the valley all the way to the car. This second part wasn't so nice, the heat from the sun was almost unbearable and there was a lot of avalanche debris in the area so we didn't want to stick around too long. After about 20 minutes we made it back to the forrest track and back to the car where we ditched the ski gear as quickly as possible and sat down...legs burning. We bumped into the same french guys who were at the top when we were, so we all shared some smiles and nods of approval at a stunning day. The downside......i had to get back to work which was not fun, but after a day like that nothing can dampen the mood. Heres an edit that Dan made from the tour Mount Rosset Tour from Dan Harris on Vimeo. This is my 6th winter in the Tarantaise valley, but my first living and working in the alpine town of Bourg St Maurice.
The Tarantaise Valley is made up of some big french ski areas, Val d'sere, Tignes, La Rossiere, Les Arcs, La Plagne and the hidden (or not so hidden anymore) gem that is St Foy. My winters have been spent living in the bubbles that are Les Arcs and La Plagne, so its nice being in a proper town where you can actually afford to buy food. The drawback is that it takes a bit more effort to get up the hill........but a 7 minute ride on the funicular is not such a big deal. The town itself is a typical french town with cobble streets, a bakery on every corner and old french guys propping up the bars at 10 am. Its also home to some great Savoie food. The Paradiski area has some of the best side country and backcountry off piste in the alps. The North Face of the Bellcotte is known throughout europe as a gnarly face, there are lots of routes down rating from easy to pretty extreme and the face itself is a thing of beauty. Its easily accessed from the La Plagne glacier chairlift. This year I've brought some friends from New Zealand with me, a kiwi couple( Sam and Sarah) and a german couple(Oli and Anne) I worked with these guy in Wanaka and now we'll be working together here in Bourg. Im looking to really push my riding this winter and get out touring a lot more. Luckily for whoever is reading this, I'm not going to tell you my life story or about every adventure I've had over the past 7 years. Instead, I'm starting it from my most recent trip to New Zealand last June. This was my second visit to NZ, i had spent a year living there in 2011 and had been trying to find a way back ever since. After persistent emails and bugging as many shops as i could in Wanaka, i was lucky to be offered a job in a very well known ski shop. They were willing to sponsor me as a workshop tech. NZ is a very special place, its hard to put into words how unique it really is.....but i'll try. First and foremost the locals are incredibly friendly, they will go out of their way to help a stranger(something i feel is lost in the UK now) Secondly, the surroundings are so stunning that it takes you breath away. The mountains rise up of of the flats in the Canterbury region. Otago has huge jagged peaks as far as you can see. Abel Tasman has beautiful clear waters and tropical climates. The North Island has its own beauty,maybe not as dramatic as the south island.......but if you visit the Coromandel or the Northlands then you find a completely different type of beauty. I will never forget campaign on the beach, waking up at sunrise to dolphins playing in the water just off the shore. Thirdly, and probably the best reason to go there is the lifestyle. You aren't constantly asked what you do for a job, instead you are asked what do you do in you spare time. The work/play balance definitely tips in favour of play. Its all about being outdoors, enjoying what nature has given us and making the most of it with you friends. In Wanaka everyone goes to a bar called 'Kai whaka Pai' on the lake front, it has a great vibe and is full of people stoked on the day they have just had. So as you can see, i have a soft spot for NZ But back to the winter. Although this winter i didn't really go on any adventures as such due to snow conditions not being great, i still had a great season riding. We had a really good crew at the shop who went up to Treble Cone as much as possible to get their turns. Treble Cone is one of Wanaka's nearest mountains along with Cardrona. TC is a very steep mountain that will definitely test you. The snow is usually hard packed, the terrain is full of couloirs, cliff drops and natural hits. There are two lifts which access two areas, the best of which is the Saddle Basin. You can spend the whole day lapping the same lift but each time can be bitting a new line or finding perfect natural drops. The level of locals here is insane, especially when the likes of Sam Smoothy and Will Jackways are cruising about. The workshop was pretty full on, we are know for the quality of servicing so we usually had a lot to do especially with the condition not being great. A lot of people hit a lot of rocks.... The end of the season was crazy hot. 27 days straight of sunshine made for great spring snow and our staff party involved taking a speed boat to a secluded cove where we had a big BBQ and party.....it was a perfect way to end the season. All that followed was the long flight back home... |
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