Wednesday, 18 March 2009

Heli session video

Here it is a short edit of some of the video footage from the heli session just over a week ago.

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Bottomless powder

What can I say, the heli freeride session from a week ago was absolutely amazing snow conditions. The week started with a clear sunny day and we took advantage and did a little short hike to find some good snow at the back of Brevent.

Middle of the week saw a big storm bring a lot of snow to the valley and it looked like the heli might not be possible as the storm was still dumping snow through Friday (our proposed heli day) but with a few changes to flights and sorting out a guide for the Saturday we were on to fly Saturday morning.

The flight up to the drop zone was great with clear skies all around and when we reached the spot to start riding we couldn't believe our eyes.

In front of us was an untracked decent of the whole glacier with around 50-60cm's of fresh snow. Within minutes we were hollering like kids as the rooster's were flying 15 feet into the air, all being captured on camera by our accompanying photographer Jez Wilson. This is one of the shots Jez captured and I'm also in the middle of editing the video footage I shot on the day and that should be online tomorrow.

Only a few weeks to the next heli freeride session which now only has 2 places left on it so if any of you out there want to sample some of the best riding of your life get in touch quick.

Later Keith

Monday, 2 February 2009

Some Off Piste Action

Here in the Chamonix valley the snow has been staying cold and in very good condition. Late last week I managed to get in some off piste descents, scoring some great powder snow.

The snow on north facing slopes has stayed in very good condition since the last snowfall and it was here that some of last weeks best turns were made.

I managed to capture a few lines on the video camera so check them out below. Things are shaping up really well for the upcoming heli freeride weeks so if you are thinking of taking your riding to the next level and want to ride some great powder and also try a heli drop then get in touch.


Wednesday, 21 January 2009

The Origins of Snowboarding

Snowboarding is supposed to be still a relatively young sport and the debate has raged for a while as to who started the ball rolling, Jake Burton or Tom Sims.

World renowned freerider Jeremey Jones has uncovered some interesting facts on the history of where snowboarding might have began.

Check out what Mr Jones found out here.

Monday, 19 January 2009

More massive snow falls

Here in Chamonix we are in the middle of another massive snow fall. Yesterday the storm rolled into the valley and its been snowing consistently since then. Today was great on the Grands Montets with some very nice snow to be found, but over the next few days its going to get pretty deep on the mountain as the forecast is predicting another 40-55cm in just the next 24 hours.

I'm working with an off piste group this week who are loving the conditions, we just need a little lull in the storm so we can get out of bounds to some of the great off piste spots Chamonix is famous for.

At the moment we are running through some technique for riding powder and also concentrating on avalanche awareness and transceiver training.

We have been getting some good reviews from the people who have been out on lessons over the last few weeks, you can check them out here.

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

Happy New Year

Happy new year to everyone out there in blog land. Here in Chamonix the last couple of weeks have seen a lot of people out enjoying the sunny weather and great snow conditions.

The week leading up to new year was a very busy one here in the valley with people hearing how good the conditions have been and wanting some riding. Here at Alpinelines we have been very busy teaching all levels from absolute beginners right through to trainee snowboard instructors.

The progression's made were very good and hopefully everyone enjoyed their lessons and learnt a little bit about the fundamentals of good snowboarding technique.

The next few days are quiet so time to go and hit up the snowpark before the next round of would be shredders arrive for next weeks sessions. The next few weeks I'm teaching technique for McNab snowboarding so anyone wanting some of the best snowboard tuition going get in touch with those guys to book onto a course.

Well that's it for now maybe the next few days I'll get some photos or video online of the park sessions.

Later Keith