Here is a little excerpt from "Snow Tales and Powder Trails", to warm up a cold winter day, with a photo from the inside... Happy reading!
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Here is a video essay from last week in the Chamonix mountains - a snowstorm coming in at 3800m, and intensifying during the afternoon... The rain/snow line was around 2600/2700m, and it ended up raining all night in Chamonix town: And here is a photo of the aftermath when the sky cleared after the storm:
Today saw the first tree-snow of the season above Chamonix Meanwhile, up in the high mountains, the snow was super nice wintry, deep, fluffy powder, with some awesome crystals. If I was a mouse, there would have been some awesome ski descents to do in the Aiguille Du Midi complex, but right now for us humans there isn't a deep enough snowpack to get the skis out yet, and the glaciers are really open after a hot summer.
Depending on the weather and the season, we live either in an oven or a fridge here in Chamonix.
Today is a fridge day - it is a pretty cold day for mid August. There was even a taste of winter high up in the mountains, after the rain from the last days, and the mountains had a stunning fresh coat of white paint! More about this in my second book in the not too distant future... These are a couple of my favourite images from my Chamonix snow reports last winter - so crispy - just like tasty frosted flakes - mmmmm! Read more about the magic of these flakes in "Snow Tales & Powder Trails"
It is amazing how certain pockets of the Chamonix Valley look and feel just like parts of Canada, especially BC!
These shots were from a recent hike around the Chamonix forest. I just created a new preview video for "Snow Tales and Powder Trails" - Watch in HD Fullscreen... filmed in the Chamonix valley in 2014-15
A little summer refreshment from yesterday - new snow at 3800m...
Winter is never far away in Chamonix, even in mid June! Meanwhile, I have been hard at work in the editing studio working on a new book video trailer for "Snow Tales and Powder Trails"... coming soon for your viewing pleasure ... Here are some more awesome summery images, this time of the sunset reflecting the cover colour of "Snow Tales & Powder Trails"
The summer storm has come in big this afternoon, but before it did, I was able to get some shots of my stunning snowy neighbourhood... Aside from that, I have been working on a new video powder edit to promote "Snow Tales & Powder Trails" ... coming soon for your viewing pleasure...
A big storm cycle at the end of March finished with an ocean of cloud above Chamonix on April 4th, so I went up to the 'office' above the clouds with some friends, and found this snow, which I was able to get really deep into. The first image is me sipping a fine glass of Cham-pagne, and the second image is me skiing deep in a cloud of super fluff crystal dust. These should have made it to the book, but they were taken over a year after I published it. This is exactly the kind of snow that I was writing about in "Snow Tales and Powder Trails". Photos by Alec Sandberg.
Meanwhile, here is a short passage from "Snow Tales and Powder Trails" to complement these wonderful images: "...Wow - it's like someone has put wings on my feet! The crystal flakes float me somewhere in the middle of the thick layer of new snow, and man, is it ever deep! Elated, I bounce my knees with the rhythm of the turns, and the snow responds, cushioning every blow. It feels completely effortless, and the resistance of the snow beneath my skis is barely noticeable, a slight fluid friction. Powder fluffs up around me, hitting my knees and waist as I sink into every turn..." Back in November 2012, I took a pair of skis to Norway in search of some early season skiable snow. Eventually this trip inspired me to write the "Early Season Adventures" chapter in "Snow Tales and Powder Trails". The Blog is here, featuring the "Chamois" model of eco-friendly Idris skis. The last blog post comes first, so browse through, and find the first one from October 2012.
"Snow Tales and Powder Trails" in action yesterday, January 18th 2015, snorting fine lines of super light Cham-pagne :-) Video by Tomoko Here is one of my recent snow reports from the end of 2014 ... "Snow Tales and Powder Trails" has been out researching book number 2 ... www.chamonix.net/english/snow-reports/chamonixnet-snow-report-december-28th-2014 |
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