![]() I raised and lowered each leg slowly, making sure the snowshoe crampons had a firm grip on the snow underneath. Instantly, there were some 300 lumens shining over my feet and could clearly see where I was stepping not much further but all I needed was to focus on the next step, just like in the Alps of the Val d’Aosta. ![]() I set it on the lowest level, switched on my flashlight which I had secured head down in the hydration tube trap on the sternum strap. The snowfall became so intense and the wind strong enough, that the beam of headlamp was actually being reflected back into eyes blinding me. The howling wind was intimidating so I switched on my MP3 player and scrolled down to my Tor Des Geants playlist, then I used my poles to lower my heel lifts and began slowly trudging ahead along the crest. By the time I reached the ridge the snowstorm had just begun hitting the area with its full force. I kept going at a brisk pace, contouring the small mountain above till I found myself below the northeastern end of the ridge I used my poles to raise the snowshoes’ heel lifts and began to slowly climb up the slope. The storm would be the perfect opportunity not only to hone my navigation skills but also the mental and physical training for winter alpine conditions I rarely have where I live – I just couldn’t miss it! Once the snowshoes’ bindings were secured, I began following the trail leading southeast for half an hour then crossed a deep snowfield. I had already scouted the area both by day and by night and in poor weather conditions I had a pretty good idea of the terrain as well as risks involved. I never took a dig at alpine skiing and though I like ski touring, I didn’t have all the appropriate gear nor the experience to go off-piste in the Alps on my own. The weather forecast had announced a snowstorm and temperatures dropping to minus 20 overnight so I had slept late and waited for nightfall in the chalet while everybody else was on the slopes enjoying the last few hours of decent weather. I was hoping they would stop and ask but instead, they kept slowly rolling down the street. ![]() I took off my Deuter Rise 32+ to remove a pair TSL Symbioz snowshoes strapped to the front of the pack when a small French Gendarmerie van slowly drove by – I could see the gendarmes scrutinizing me from inside, probably wondering who would be heading out after sunset and in bad weather. The streetlamp, yellow-lit streets were deserted when I reached the trail at the end of the alpine village it was freezing cold and it had already started snowing heavily. PROLOGUE – December 2017 French and Italian Alps
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |