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Published: September 15th 2009
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Top Line Yoss
The first turns in the top bowl were ones to be remembered. Here you can see pow hanging in the air from Yoss's previous turns even while he scores another face shot Note to readers - this entry is pretty much only about snowboarding and if such things don't interest then probably best not to waste your time... if however you like to have fun standing sideways going down a mountain - there should be some interesting reading.
After a frustrating 3 days of waiting out the snow storm (Carsty had to leave to go to work with the snow still falling, knowing that he was going to have to miss possibly the best days of the season - Mijic I hope they realise what you do for that company!) finally the sky dawned clear, the winds were almost non existent and we were able to get up to the top of the mountain and indulge in some of the most amazing in-bounds snowboarding you could imagine. Of course being Argentina things don't just open up.. there's a whole bunch of faff to put up with. Firstly you've got to wait for the artillery to stop throwing bombs up onto the avalance start zones, then you've got to wait for the Gendarmes to let you on the first little lift, then you get to repeat it all at the bottom of the
Top Line Ali
perfect, perfect snow Marte lift, and if you've had over a meter of snow, then you have to help the lifties and actually dig the chairlift out. Luckily many hands make light work, so in a new first for me the paying customers pushed the lazy, unmotivated lifties out of the way and broke out the avy shovels and got clearing the snow.
Once we had cleared enough snow to allow the chairs to start turning we had to wait some more while the chairs that had been damaged by avalanches were removed and or repaired. And when I say repaired I mean bashed with a hammer until they were in roughly the right shape and the bar could go up and down... all this executed under the watchful eye of the public who were waiting to sit themselves in said “repaired” chairs and dangle a good 50-100feet above exposed rocks for 15 minutes or so.
Finally we got up and enjoyed some absolutely first class riding, steep and deep. With the panic of the first powder day out of the way we could relax and start setting up big mountain lines in the backcountry.
First on our list of
Ali2
Ali dragging the hand to make sure it was real “must do lines” was the Entre Rios couloirs. 3 chutes of increasing narrowness with a pitch of around 40-50degrees with breathtaking rock spires towering on each side.
Next day we were first out of the blocks and led a pack of people across the 2km approach across the valley floor and started powering up the first incline, kicking out the boot pack in firm wind blown snow on a solid 50-60degree face. Keeping an eye over my shoulder I could see we had a solid 10-15minute lead on the next crew coming up the face but having to kick out each step meant that we had to push it to make sure we got the first lines in. We crested the first pitch just in front of a couple of other guys. The next pitch could be taken a couple of ways and we elected for the conservative scramble up the scree whilst the guy behind us kept his snowshoes and crampons on and headed straight up the wind pack towards the headwall that towered over us and marked the final approach to the peak.
Everything was going pretty well until we hit the final head wall. Usually
Yoss2
Yoss cruising into the top of the chute the snow in this section of the climb is firm but definitely possible to kick a foot hold into. This time however we found that the snow had accumulated in such a way that the wall was now longer and steeper than usual - furthermore the wind had compressed and polished the new snow fall into a solid crust of ice. The only place we could even get a toe hold in was right along the knide-like ridge that seperated the lee, scree covered slopes we had just climbed, and the 600m drop down a 60degree face of ice and snow.
We progressed slowly, cutting out steps with our axes, kicking in our feet and double testing every foot hold. Even then there was more than one occasion where I found one or both footholds giving way - then I would be forced to hang by my ice axe by both hands, dangling my legs either side of the ridge and try and kick a foot hold in - or in the worst few cases Yossi would have to climb up underneath me and cut in some new steps with his axe... it was without a doubt the sketchiest
Avalanche
Taken just as it fracture, with Yoss already swept below the ridge climb I have ever been involved in and I think we were all pretty relieved to make it to the top. As we finally reached the peak we looked back to see how far behind the nearest pursuers were and saw that the ice wall was causing all sorts of problems. There was one guy following up the ladder we had cut into the ice, but the guy who took the alternate route was in a world of trouble, on his hands and knees desperately struggling without an axe - everyone else had baulked at the approach and were heading off towards the less exposed Torre Sillas.
Elated at summiting first we went about digging a snow pit and checking stability. Everything came up good and we were itching to get into the couloirs. Our original plan had been to take the more conservative right shute which typically has better snow and a larger margin for error through the choke points, however the snow quality was so good, and the stability appeared solid so we opted for the central couloir and started down.
From the very first turns it was obvious we were onto something special. The snow
Yoss OK
We were very, very relieved to see this mug again - note the ice on the face - apparently he couldn't breathe while in the slide due to so much snow in the air was bottomless and we floated through the turns effortlessly, the rooster tails out the back of our boards hanging in the air for 2 or more turns. We powered down the open bowl at the top and regrouped at the top of the chute. Coverage through the narrow points looked real good - the snow was still fantastically soft and it was really a matter of who would drop in first. I rode off to one side to take some photos, Yossi got ready to drop the first line and Ali stood watch above in case anything went south.
Yossi ripped straight into it, smooth, wide arcing turns, narrowing as the chute constricted and lining up well to shoot through the choke. I was getting some great shots when all of a sudden I saw the snow fracture out either side of Yoss. Next thing we knew the whole side of the chute was fracturing and the mountain was moving under Yoss. Ali was safe above the crown but Yossi was carried down, through the choke and out of sight.
I can honestly say that that point was way more frightening than the climb up. We had no
Entre Rios
The final approach, our route down and the location of the slide and where we finally saw Yoss come out idea of where Yossi was and luckily the training kicked in. We had the beacons out within seconds and started traversing our way into the debris, trying to get Yossi's signal and praying we could narrow it down quickly.
Suddenly Ali pointed and shouted and I looked up to see the fantastic site of Yossi riding out the bottom of the apron - alive and in one piece. He had managed to stay on top of the avalanche and keep his board under him - which was lucky as he had bounced off a few rocks, destroying the tail of his board in the process - but saving his body from the brunt of any impact.
All up he would have been carried at least 300m down the slope and when we checked the debris run out we realised just how lucky he had been!
Relieved, exhilarated and still shaking we regrouped at the bottom and basically got stoked all over again by how good the ride was, and with one final look at the face we turned our backs on it and headed over to the next valley.. the day was still young and there were plenty of lines for the taking!!
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Jeremy Jones
non-member comment
mother of god!
XTREME!! Well Yoss, you should buy yourself some sort of Argentinean state lottery ticket. Keep taring it up.