Virgin Power Appreciation Society

Friday the 13th - March 1998, Tignes, French Alps

It had to be an omen. Friday the 13th's are generally good days for me, and today's the day that we booked the French equivalent of heliboarding.

Now don't ask me why, but their twisted government has made it illegal to do heliboarding in France. Strictly speaking, you cannot land a helicopter on top of a mountain ledge - or something like that. It's something to do with the environment. Setting off nuclear bombs in the South Pacific is OK, but you can't land a helicopter on one of their mountain peaks. No sireee. You can however pick someone up from a valley. This leads to various ways of getting around it all by either landing on a mountain, whose peak is actually in Italy, or you can catch lifts and do a bit of hiking.

Lac de Chevril

It was the latter option that we had in store. Booked through a place in Tignes Le Lac called "Sweet Surf" or "Sweet Snow" - a sister company of Evolution-2, we were to do a 20 minute hike, before a descent to the reservoir at Tignes Le Boises, and then get a helicopter ride back to Tignes central. It's criminal that I can't remember the shops name, as they were excellent, and even did me a free waxing, presumably for my patronage.

Friday was sunny and clear. The snow was now in a good state, having had fresh dumps pretty much all week (it had been epic offpiste riding, and pretty damn good on-piste as well). We got to the shop before time and strapped on the avalanche transmitters that were handed out. There was a short set of rules about always staying above the leading guide, and within a lateral distance that he would specify on route. Everyone was set, so off we went. We caught the cable car out of Tignes Le Lac, called the Aeroski, and were off for a warm up / tester.

The very top of the Lavachet Wall

This tester was down a short face known locally as the Lavachet Wall. It's not that steep, probably 35-40 degrees, and the powder was about knee deep. The worst part was the killer traverse that we had to do to get there. All on my toe edge, my calf muscles were hurting big time. Our group consisted of 2 guides on boards, one leader, one bringing up the rear; 2 boarders, me and my buddy; and 3 skiers. Quick prep talk and the guide drops in testing the way. Determined to get my monies worth and as everyone else was just stood watching, I dropped in next. The line took us into a shallow gulley, where surf like cutbacks were had, after that it opened out and following the guides lead, we went for big swooping carves that were creating arcs of spray, almost like they have on the TB series of videos. I'd done powder fields before, but this was different. The only track I crossed was the guide's, and the sun was smiling upon us.

My mate had dropped in next, with the skiers following. I only thought skiers bobbed up and down, and indeed 2 of them were, but one of them was putting in one footed carves, that almost looked as much fun as doing it on a board - but not quite.

The other group, of 5 boarders, had taken a different section down, and we all met at the bottom to catch the Aeroski back to the top. Everyone was stoked, and the best was yet to come.

Back at the top of the Aeroski, it was a short ride to the edge of a piste, and off with the boards for a hike. I was one of 2 people that had a backpack where the board straps onto it. Brilliant investment. Buy one now. 30 minutes later, we were hot, tired, and just over spitting distance from Mickey's Ears - a radar station or somthing that sits proud on top of the rock. The guides started looking for a safe place to drop in. Just in front of us wouldn't do, it was a cornice, they said - as we went round the side of it, we could see it. Fat and bulging, it was like a well fed Santa Claus. 20ft deep, and about 10ft proud, it was a shit load of snow to have land on your head. Thanks to the guides, we avoided it with respect.

This is the only part of the morning that I regret. The all boarder group gets to drop into a couloir that's about 15ft wide and at an angle of 45+ degrees. After 7 of them had dropped down there, there wasn't much fresh to track, and our guide leader decides we'll take another route down. I was gutted.

Our route was a more sedate 35-40 degrees, with a short wide open couloir at the top. On this north facing slope the snow was deeper, with a high choke factor if you braked. So we didn't. With a descent that required equalisation of the ears, it was without a doubt, the fastest I have ever been on a board. I didn't even want to estimate the speed I was doing. I genuinely feel that my 58 Floater wasn't long enough for what I was doing at that moment in time. Big fat swooping carves, just gobbling up the powder like it was the last on the planet. Again I was first, after the guide, everyone else motioned me to go - so I had. I was giggling like a fool as the adrenalin rushed around faster than I was going, by the time I'd got to the bottom, the giggling had turned into maniacal laughter. What a stoke. Looking back up at my tracks was one of those moments.

The realisation that the flat bit we had stopped on was only half way down was accompanied with the realisation that there was more hiking to do. Back to the roots I thought, with a small hint of satisfaction.

The next section was possibly even steeper, with the added bonus that it was in the trees. They weren't that closely packed - but that depends on how much tree riding you've done. At this stage, both groups were together, and were told to go one at a time, especially on the top section. Parts must have been over 45 degrees, and there were cliffs and couloirs to be negotiated. I thought I was doing well, until one of the boarders came screaming past me picking a line that I hadn't even seen, let alone thought about. Down a couple of tree clad couloirs, it quickly flattened out for a high speed flat line with the occasional twist through the trees, and a small share of dips that had to be ollied properly at that speed. Being the kind chap that I am, I ditched my indy grab for an off-line sketch landing to avoid crushing another chaps skull, who hadn't quite made his landing. At least the snow was soft. Following the line at the base of a cliff suddenly we were stood on the ice topped edge of the reservoir.

Alighting from the 'copter

One short helicopter ride back to Val Claret, and the rest of the day was spent riding pistes, and bursting out with that maniacal laughter. The other sloper users just looked and stared, some understood, most didn't.

OK, so it's not really heliboarding, but it was an amazing mornings riding, especially if your powder riding has been limited to stealing off piste runs with everyone else. And for me, it was well worth the 400FF. Awesome untracked powder with 2 excellent guides, bleepers and a ride home in a whirly gig.

Sorted.

Stoked.