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It may be summer but you can still hit the slopes

If you’re planning an escape to the Alps this winter you might be wise to get some practice in and tone those thigh muscles before your week away.  The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead will help you.

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The Importance Of Avalanche Training For The Skier

Going where the lifts don't go / Photo by Simon Hutton

There’s been a lot of talk here of this being one of the best seasons the Alps has seen in recent memory. Without wanting to gloat too much, we have had multiple powder days since the start of the season and it’s even snowing as I type.

This week I skied with a seven times seasonaire from Verbier – a guy that seriously knows his skiing. He couldn’t believe the amount of powder that remains untouched at Val Cenis, even late into the day. Often in the big resorts of the Alps any trace of fresh snow is thrashed by hoards of skiers long before the lifts close – another reason I love Val Cenis.  Working a ski season is a bit like university – everyone involved seems to have a good time and a huge amount of pride in the place they’ve chosen to attend.

Avalanche training

This week we went out avalanche training. We split into pairs and buried transceivers for each other to locate and recover. Experts tell us that if an avalanche victim survives the initial slide, their chances of survival plummet after ten minutes. So we set ourselves a ten minute target and all managed to locate and recover the buried transceivers within this window. Having said this, we all learnt a huge amount from mistakes that we made on first attempts and were able to save invaluable minutes on our second efforts.

Ski safely

It’s all too easy to buy the appropriate safety equipment, be kitted out with all the latest gadgets and think that you’re safe, but there is no substitute for familiarisation and practice using your gear. Skiing powder is the zenith of many peoples’ skiing experience, including mine, and I would never discourage anyone from doing it, but it can be highly dangerous.  There’s been a massive increase in inbound avalanches over the last few years.

• Be sensible
• Inform yourself of the risks
• Carry the essential triumvirate: Transceiver, Shovel, Probe and know how to use it.

Further reading:

• A Small, Alternative, Very French Ski Resort

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A Small, Alternative, Very French Ski Resort

The perfect snowfield / Photo by Simon Hutton

Before I start, let me set my stall out; I’m working for what is essentially a package holiday operator that offer ski holidays in the French Alps. Probably not the typical choice for the make travel fair reader. Having said that, there are a few fundamental differences between your typical ski company, and the organisation that I’m working for. We operate solely from one resort and have been established here for around 20 years. Over time, the company has established incredible links with the local community and a truly symbiotic relationship has been forged. The local economy benefits from the constant stream of tourists, who in turn get to experience a unique tranche of French culture, rather than moving their own traditional pub culture into the Alps. Unusually for a ski resort, the vast majority of the local community in Val Cenis are here for the entire year. It is a year round working village, not a purpose built resort.

Leaving Home For A Season In The Alps

We were due to be collected in Lyon and driven to the resort, but the biggest dump of snow in Val Cenis since the seventies meant that leaving the village to collect us was not going to be possible for a good few hours. It was the first opportunity of the season for the locals to help us out as they emerged en masse to assist with digging the hidden cars out from under nearly 2 metres of snow.  After a bus, a train across France (unrecognisable as a train compared to what I was used to after my gladly left behind commuting days), and a short drive, we arrived in the picture postcard scenery of a ski resort setting up for the season.

“Val Cenis is located in the Haute-Maurienne region of the French Alps, close to the Italian border.  It is composed of two villages; Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard. The villages sit at 1400m and 1500m, respectively, and lifts climb to a maximum altitude of 2800m. The resort is fairly unheard of in the UK, and attracts a mainly French contingent each winter. It is a lot quieter than larger ski resorts in the French Alps and does not normally suffer from long lift queues.”

Val Cenis – Wikipedia

Christmas In A Ski Resort

The festive season in ski resorts is strange, especially as a ‘seasonaire’. I’d forgotten that Christmas was approaching as skiing itself was far more on my mind. The staff all had the day off and we spent a lazy morning skiing between mountain bars, wishing Christmas greetings to friends.  New Year, or ‘St. Silvestre’ is a much bigger holiday for the locals than Christmas.

Getting to Val Cenis from the UK

By road

• Snowcoach is one option that services Val Cenis. The Dover-Calais ferry crossing with P&O takes just 75 minutes and then it’s an overnight ride to your resort. They offer Royal Class and Club Class coaches with ‘seat only‘ prices starting at £94 return.

Journey times from airports

• Chambéry Airport: 1hr 30mins
• Grenoble Airport : 2 hrs
• Lyon St-Exupéry Airport : 2½ hrs
• Turin Airport : 2 hrs – via Fréjus Tunnel
• Geneva Airport : 3 hrs

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Snow safety: frostbite

Photo by World Nomads

Has it been cold enough for you?  For those of us who decided to brave the conditions on days off, and more importantly for those of you who work outside during these cold conditions, do you know how to take care of you skin to ensure that you don’t get frostbite?

What is Frostbite?

Frostbite is damage to the skin and underlying tissues caused by extreme cold. It is distinguishable by the hard, pale, and cold quality of the skin that has been exposed to the cold for a length of time. The area is likely to lack sensitivity to touch, although there may be an aching pain. As the area thaws, the flesh becomes red and very painful.

Any part of the body may be affected by frostbite; but hands, feet, nose and ears are the most vulnerable. If only the skin and underlying tissues are damaged, recovery may be complete. However, if blood vessels are affected, the damage is permanent and gangrene can follow which may require amputation of the affected part.  Upon warming, it is common to experience intense pain and tingling or burning in the affected area.

Symptoms

The first symptoms are a “pins and needles” sensation followed by numbness. There may be an early throbbing or aching, but later on the affected part becomes insensate (feels like a “block of wood”). Frostbitten skin is hard, pale, cold, and has no feeling. When skin has thawed out, it becomes red and painful (early frostbite). With more severe frostbite, the skin may appear white and numb (tissue has started to freeze). Very severe frostbite may cause blisters, gangrene (blackened, dead tissue), and damage to deep structures such as tendons, muscles, nerves, and bone.

First Aid

Get out of the cold and move to a warmer place. Remove any constricting jewelry and wet clothing. Look for signs of hypothermia (lowered body temperature) and treat accordingly.

Try re-warming the affected parts by immersing the affected areas in warm (never HOT) water — or repeatedly apply warm cloths to affected ears, nose, or cheeks — for 20 to 30 minutes. The recommended water temperature is 104 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (40-42 C). Keep circulating the water to aid the warming process.  Severe burning pain, swelling, and color changes may occur during warming. Warming is complete when the skin is soft and sensation returns.  Afterwards, apply dry, sterile dressing to the frostbitten areas. Put dressings between frostbitten fingers or toes to keep them separated.

Re-freezing of thawed extremities can cause more severe damage. Prevent re-freezing by wrapping the thawed areas and keeping warm. If re-freezing cannot be guaranteed, it may be better to delay the initial re-warming process until a warm, safe location is reached.
If the frostbite is extensive, try drinking warm drinks in order to replace lost fluids.

Do Not…

• DO NOT thaw out a frostbitten area if it cannot be kept thawed. Refreezing may make tissue damage even worse.
• DO NOT use direct dry heat (such as a radiator, campfire, heating pad, or hair dryer) to thaw the frostbitten areas. Direct heat can burn the tissues that are already damaged.
• DO NOT rub or massage the affected area.
• DO NOT disturb blisters on frostbitten skin.
• DO NOT smoke or drink alcoholic beverages during recovery as both can interfere with blood circulation.

Prevention

• Be aware of factors that can contribute to frostbite, such as extreme cold, wet clothes, high winds, and poor circulation. This can be caused by tight clothing or boots, cramped positions, fatigue, certain medications, smoking, alcohol use, or diseases that affect the blood vessels, such as diabetes.
• Wear suitable clothing in cold temperatures and protect susceptible areas. In cold weather, wear mittens (not gloves); wind-proof, water-resistant, many-layered clothing; two pairs of socks (cotton next to skin, then wool); and a scarf and a hat that cover the ears (to avoid substantial heat loss through the scalp).
• Before anticipated prolonged exposure to cold, don’t drink alcohol or smoke, and get adequate food and rest.
• You can also try using toe and hand warmers will also help to keep your extremities warm.

On the day we’re posting this story, there’s 86 cm of snow base and a 3 cm overnight fall at Whistler/Blackcomb.  Wish I was up to my knees in lovely powder snow!  Check out the webcams for yourself whilst you plan the trip.

Georgia, Russia & Europe’s Highest Mountain

When war broke out between Russia and Georgia in August earlier this year Abdelhamid Abouyoussef, Mohamed Kamel, Omar Samra were just beginning their climb of Mount Elbrus near the Russia/Georgia border, amidst the worst weather conditions the mountain had seen in the last 10 years. Their ascent was documented for a short film titled “From Sand To Snow” directed by Elia Saikaly.

Mount Elbrus is a strato-volcano and part of the Western Caucasus mountain range that stretches 750 miles through Russia from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea.  It’s often disputed whether the Caucasus mountains belong to Europe or Asia, and as a result whether the 5,642 m Mount Elbrus can claim rights over 4,810 m Mont Blanc in the French Alps as Europe’s Highest peak.  Geographically the border between Asia and Europe is formed by the central ridges of the Urals and the Caucasus mountains, positioning Mount Elbrus eight miles inside Europe.

Climbing Elbrus is unpopular amongst Russian climbers who view it more as a training mountain due to its low technical difficulty.  Cable cars and a chairlift run from its base to above the snow line at 3,800 m where the heated Barrel Huts are several minutes walk away.  Another 350 m higher is the unheated 50-bed Diesel Hut, and another 500 m from there is the tented camp at Pastukhov Rocks – both accessible by Snowcat from the Barrel Huts.  Whilst the ascent is not technically demanding, the combination of variable weather conditions and altitude ensures the climb is challenging. An ice axe, crampons and rope are all required equipment for reaching the summit.

Extreme skiers can rely on the upper slopes of Mount Elbrus for quality snow year round, even in the height of summer.  The region has already been selected as a reserve location for the 2014 Winter Olympics taking place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

World Snowboard Guide says:

“Freerider’s dream: lots of perfect and unexplored off-piste terrain. The only letdown is the long lift queues and badly maintained runs, but you won’t notice if there’s lots of snow.”

The proximity of this region to Chechnya means that any travels aren’t without risk.  You can reach Elbrus via Mineralnye Vody, which has a train station and an airport. It’s a 28 hour train ride from Moscow.

Reading

Caucasus: A Journey to the Land Between Christianity and Islam
By Nicholas Griffin
Published by University of Chicago Press, 2004

A traveller’s blog about the rail journey from Moscow and the climb itself