N
ountain
man
(
noun) moawn-tin
mahn
Recognised by his
expensive, but well-worn ski kit and
pronounced goggle-tan. Beards are
favoured, but not compulsory. Age? Who
can say? They all have the same grizzled
features. The ability to ski any piste in
any conditions is compulsory. Like Nigel
Shepherd, a British guide who has an
unparalleled knowledge of the French
and Italian Alps, and has been introducing
climbers and skiers to them for over 30
years.
nigelshepherdphotography.co.uk
Night skiing
(
verb) nite skee-ing
Most skiers do one of two things
when the sun goes down: they
either head back to the lodge to
snuggle by the fireplace or hit
the town. There is a third option.
While many resorts offer limited
night skiing on floodlit beginner
pistes, ski touring in Les Deux
Alpes, France, provides a proper
adventure. Compagnie des
Guides offers torch-lit tours for
all abilities. Beginners can ascend
the Pied Moutet to enjoy
a traditional Savoyarde dinner at
La Troïka restaurant before a
gentle descent down, while
advanced skiers can tackle the
formidable Le Diable – and both
will be rewarded with glowing
views of the town below and an
eerie sense of serene isolation.
With fewer skiers on the slopes
and a party atmosphere, it’s a
totally different experience.
guides2alpes.com
Off-piste
(
adv) ah-fh peest
The crack cocaine of the skiing world:
dangerous, addictive and often found by
word of mouth, these are runs that don’t
exist on piste maps. Off-pisters slide away
to the backcountry in places like Engelberg
and Andermatt in Switzerland, and La
Grave in France. In St Anton, Austria, Piste
to Powder (
pistetopowder.com
)
guide
Graham Austick suggests the Valluga
north face. In Chamonix, they head to La
Vallée Blanche, a five-hour, 17km glacier
course, covering 2,800m of vertical. “It’s
a blast,” says Chamonix Experience’s
Sébastien Rougegre (
chamex.com
).
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