Monday 29 November 2010

Training in Courchevel - Sunday 28 November - Jules

We set off mid-afternoon heading for a small stone hut positioned directly opposite the apartment but on the other side of the valley.  The hut was to be our abode for the night.  It was our first run-out with the majority of the equipment.  As we were only heading out for one night we managed to limit ourselves to a day-sack each and a small pulk between us but still we had skis, poles, snow-shoes, sleeping systems, stoves, cameras, mugs and bowls; most of which we were yet to use.  We skied, rather precariously, down a track to the bottom of the valley before removing the skis and starting the climb up the other side to the hut.  Fortunately I think our recent dragging of tyres paid-off as, although breathing hard from altitude, we were making steady progress, taking it in turns to haul the pulk.  The temperature was already around -6 but the drag up was enough to get us sweating.

Once at the hut, various layers of warm kit went on, and welcome beer was cracked open (who said we had to be dry!).  The hut was cold, outside was marginally colder.  Matt very kindly assigned me the task of sweeping out the hut while he quickly set up the tripod and camera to start capturing our first experience of the training trip and the relative cold.  We stood and took in the view before sparking up the stove to tryout some of the meals.  The menu was 2 meals to share, Chicken Chaussuer and Chicken Tikka with Custard and apple and berrys and custard for desert – a few spoonfuls each before swopping and then when finished they assigned a score out of 10.  It was 8 (possibly a 9) for the Chaussuer and 7 for the Tikka, both surprisingly good and filling.  After another beer and a quick spin on the snowshoes it was time to test the sleeping bags.  It was now -10, still some 20 to 30 degrees warmer than the temperatures we will endure on the way to the pole.

The sleeping bags proved to be very hot, which was reassuring.  Mid-way through the night I awoke, far to warm and had to undo the zips, as well as remove my hat.  In the morning on speaking to Matt he confessed he had done the same, but had completely stripped off.

The trip back to the apartment was interestingly as we had to negotiate fairly steep slopes with the pulk.  Matt was hauling and I was steadying it from behind using a tail trace to stop it from running Matt down.  Once the long haul back up the other side of the valley was complete we were soon back to the apartment sorting the equipment out and getting ready for a short run, followed by a snowshoeing session up a down-hill slope.

A good easy run out with the kit.  The temperatures still do not compare to what we will have to endure when the expeditions starts, but simple drills training on our equipment, for example the stoves, will pay dividends later.