Friday: Just finished up my last ski day in Svaneti (day before I did some tree and meadow laps one creek down from what I skied on Tuesday; excellent as usual). I hadn't had the chance to ski way up the Becho Valley (but hadn't been recommended to either), so I went for a bit flat approach past an awesome abandoned Soviet summer Alpinist camp and into the Kvish Valley. I got outstanding views of the Svaneti range and Becho villages as well as some of the waterfalls near Ushba Glacier. Sketched myself out a bit skiing a safe approach to Kvish, but very glad I turned where I did as a high cornice released while I was eating lunch and deposited debris just a bit above the bench I had been on. My real skiing rather than just touring for views came on some beautiful corn snow on the steep Sumer trail to Ushba glacier up a couloir, where I was joined by a timber cutters small dog who followed me through the forest then departed for the border guard cabin when I went to Kvish (yes, Svaneti is very close to Russia and Sochi, and Ushba is split between two countries). Excellent skiing until one of my boot buckles that happens to lock the boot into stiff ski mode decided to self destruct. Dynafit Poland may be able to get a replacement to me but looking less likely so will have to keep skiing a kinda soft boot with the ski mode locked in by miraculous Voile strap. I brought a spare binding and now will bring a spare buckle too, as two of us in Svaneti broke the same piece on the same day and it is no fun...
No comments:
Post a Comment