Just a quick one to say, we’ve just been skiing powder at La Tour!!!

Powder Skiing Dec 2nd 2009. It wasn't deep, but it was a lot of fun!!

Pretty good going for 2nd December, and especially only 36 hours after leaving the beach in Thailand.

Needless to say the temperature difference was a bit of a shock to the system. Heading up to la Tour for an (almost) pre-dawn raid, it was the usual first day of the winter faff session with the touring kit – everything that will come so naturally in a few short weeks always feels horribly alien the first time you use it all again.

Early season powder turns - it's always weird the first day back on skis.

Skis, skins, gloves, clips, poles, so much kit! What boot setting? How do touring bindings work again? I’m sure my skins shouldn’t be this sticky! Skis are looking pretty rusty – maybe should have serviced them at the end of last winter. Oh my god, my hand’s are freezing … dropped a pole, this feels pretty weird etc etc.

Gnarly 20 degree ankle deep powder! So much fun ...

There were no land speed records, but our hands finally thawed out, and we got a good rhythm going for an hour and a half of steady uphill work … followed by POWDER TURNS back home in snow that was so much better than we expected!

It might have been an early start to the day, but we were back in the office by mid morning, ready to get back to work.

What a great way to start the season … )