We planned to head to Conge in Italy for a Christmas of ice climbing. We started the drive from Scotland, picking up mates along the way until we had full van of 8 people. When we arrived the melting conditions meant we had to look higher- in Chamonix, it just so happened I had my new rig with me, (which I picked up en-route) and my skis. I had been researching a few skiBASE exit points in the area and with a weather window of one day and went for it.
Walking up past skiers on the piste felt so wrong, but I felt better knowing that I was going to have a better ride down than them. Finding the exit point wasn’t that hard as it was above a few popular ice climbs that come out of the glacier. We tied a safety rope to a tree to get to work on the jump, clearing and compacting the loose powder to make a nice run-in. The snow wasn’t that thick and I deliberately uncovered rocks, thinking it was better to see where they were rather then covering them in a thin layer of snow, I had seen a skiBASE go wrong when a rock clipped a ski, and would to see it happen again in Tignes the next week.
Its pretty much the definition of “life affirming” when your canopy opens.
I tested the run in with a rope tied around me, sliding down it slowly just to make sure it was smooth and my speed would be enough. Looking at the side profile I could see how much I had to clear and what angle I had to take. The jump wasn’t right on the edge so I would have to clear maybe 6 metres in front of me and make sure I wouldn’t hit a bit of rock jutting out on the left.
I had never been this nervous on a jump before, it took me 3 countdowns before I made it to 1. A friend of mine told me as soon as he starts counting he is committed, but that’s when you’ve got only one step to make. The 10 metre run in meant I would be committed for longer, there was no stopping on this steep run-in. I completely calmed myself, made the final countdown, and hopped into the slope. The take-off was smooth, my skis pointing out like a ski jumper, my body slightly arched forwards, the talus below me came rushing into view and after about 2 seconds I threw out my stowed 42″ pilot chute. Its pretty much the definition of “life affirming” when your canopy opens.
I was still high above the glacier, but I wanted this as the glacier was heavily crevassed below the exit point. The lack of snowfall making the crevasses look more menacing. I wanted to be able to fly quite far down to find a better spot. I landed cross wind on a nice spot and managed to miss a few boulders littering the area. Looking around I guessed my ground crew couldn’t find a way down, and the next part was to find a way back before sunset. It took me another 4 hours to climb out, using my skis as walking poles while wading through waist deep snow. Clambering over boulders I finally made it to the top. There just so happened to be a bar! I had a congratulatory shot, then skied back down to the car park. This is what I love about para-alpinism, its not just about the jump, its everything else that goes along with it, the planning, the access, and then getting back home after it all!