New Helicopter Procedures

This came via my SNAM membership. I guess one of the most interesting points made in it is that the helicopter crew will eventually require your GPS coordinates, this piece accepts that transcribing these from an IGN map when under stress on the mountain is fairly difficult. It suggests that in the first instance you should describe your position via the “place names” and allow the operator to discover the correct coordinates. I wonder why it didn’t say “carry a GPS and relay the coordinates directly to the operator”?

A new take on the Col de Cou

A little circuit that took in the Col de Coux above Morzine The temperature inversion was stuck at about 1800m which made for some atmospheric pictures.

This was a route researched by Steve Norris linking the Col de Coux to the Chalets d’Aiguille below the Pointe de Fornet.

A GPS download and stats for the trip available at mtbguru.com and  pictures on Flickr.

There was about 20cm of windblown snow above 2000m that had formed isolated slabs of up to 30cm and drifts up to 1m. Signs of recent spontaneous slab avalanches off the ridges.

Garmin GPS for sale

Click to enlarge

Garmin Etrex Venture,

Full info here.

http://reviews.gpsfaq.com/about.aspx?detail=etrexventure

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=167&pID=154

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/winter/christmas/tried/garmin.shtml

Garmin Etrex Summit

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/garminetrexsummit.php

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=143

Scarpa Matrix Ski Touring Boot for Sale

Click on the image to enlarge

It’s a ski touring (ski mountaineering / ski randonée) boot. Size 27.5 (43.5 or 9.5), so that means a size 28 shell. A great middle of the range boot (so not too heavy and not too soft). One of the most common boots seen out on the hill.

http://www.alpine-guides.com/ski%20mountaineering%20kit%20advice.htm

These ones were bought in 2006. I have been using them with a custom thermo-moulded inner which I will probably keep, I’ll sell them with the original non custom inner which has only been used about a dozen times.

They retail down the valley at Au Vieux Campeur for 359 euros. For the next 4 days you can get 20% off that price with their pre-season sale.

I’ll sell them for 145 euros!

Click the image . . . .