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Warm up some water in the morning and put it in your nalgene bottle

Put the hot nalgene in your boots to warm them up. Makes it easier to put on frozen boots in the morning.

 

You going be able to get your dog into your bag??

I don't think so

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Only joking about the dog. He will stay at home. It is too cold for hime to be outside the bag and if I put him in the bag and I recon he would get CO2-ed to death.

 

Toque - thanks for the warm boot tip.

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I was horrified. It was raining in the valley all Friday night and Saturday and Saturday evening, only the highest end of the valley had snow falling, but I couldn't find a place to camp there due to road closures. I have never seen such heavy rain on snow. All the quiet spots where I wanted to camp were either puddles with water and slush and in the pouring rain or in a part of the valley that had the access road shut due to av risk. I had just paid for the worst day on snow in my life and the chances of the lifts opening the next day were close to zero (at least, no lifts servicing good snow). So rather than camp in the rain and appalling snow slush just to drive home the next morning.... I drove home deeply disappointed that night. I refused to camp in the pouring rain on a bed of melting snow puddles. My GF had a friend visiting and so my side of the bed was taken. I ended up in my sleeping bag on the kitchen floor reading my book about bad weather navigation. Pathetic but a little bit funny.

 

It turns out that one or two lifts opened at one of my favourite resorts (Les Grandes Montets) at 1am the next day (Sunday). The av danger was lowered to 4/5. I am hearing rave reports of amazing powder at the tree line. Given the temps in the valley I suspect it is amazingly deep fresh heavy snow, not powder. It terms of quantity the cover up high would be superb (although very wind affected). It will just get better with the additional snow forecast in the next week. The Alps got a lot over the last 4 days and in the places where it stayed cold, it should be very good. Chamonix temps are starting to fall again so the valley will become a re-frozen puddle, very slippery. By far the best option is to stay in the Argentière end of the valley where it didn't quite get warm enough to rain. That end of the valley is always the best option anyway as Chamonix town itself is a bit of a tourist hassle and best avoided.

 

I am fortunate to be able to hit the snow every weekend, but the pains of being a weekend visitor are acute: you eat what you are served or you don't eat at all.

 

I have sensibly dismissed my Russia trip in April (the second time I have decided against one this season) and will rent a camper van for two weeks of chasing good BC touring conditions in spring with my girl.

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Don't start really snowcamping - it can become an expensive, flakey obsession!

 

Save yourself countless hours studying the physics of heat transfer and condensation and debating gear specifications and performance below -15 Celsius.

 

Do you want to be in a tent at -18 C with roaring winds blasting spindrift through the mesh of narrow vents in the middle of the night all by your lonesome?

 

You could be in a hostel, sitting around the fireplace with pleasant company watching a video.

 

Wanna sleep in a VBL?

 

The good news is the technology is constantly taking steps forward.

 

At least 2,000 USD could set you up with all the basics purchased in the USA.

 

I take it that you'd eat the dog for fresh meat - a decent enough dog wouldn't expect anything less.

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I have no serious intention to be a snow camper. And I agree with all the research that can be done on the topic. Some people are obsessed. I bought a good reasonably expensive bag and a good tent. That's all. The winter snow camping is really a prelude to a lot of active spring and summer camping. My intention at the moment is to explore the boundaries (of comfort) and learn about how my gear performs. Other than that strange investigative obsession, I doubt I would camp in the snow very often at all.

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I like the reports le spud, sorry to hear about the rain. It all sounds like it could be fun though given better conditions.

 

 Quote:
the technology is constantly taking steps forward.
What kind of things, coyote?
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I'm not sure if that appeals to me at all....... if it all went as planned that is.

 

 Quote:
I refused to camp in the pouring rain on a bed of melting snow puddles.
And so you should!

 

Were there many people up there doing, or thinking of doing, the same le spud?

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Nah, never see anyone in the valley in tents, but loads of camper vans*. It would be quite miserable, especially frozen gear the morning after a wettish day in the snow. I have seen crew camping ridiculously close to a 50 degree slope of the Aiguille de Midi in Chamonix though, the exposure was intense. At approx 3800m it was very very very cold and windy. We arrived up there early in the morning to start a short tour then ride down a nice line to the glacier and these guys were just getting out of bed. Perhaps they were acclimatising, dunno why they would camp as there is a great hut between the Midi and Mont Blanc summit. Perhaps they were testing out some gear before a more extreme expedition. It would have easily been -25C overnight plus 20 knot winds.

 

If all goes to plan then we will be doing a night or two of snow camping next month during a 2 week campervan trip.

 

Many of the good free ride areas have semi-permanent campervan communities: Alagna, Chamonix etc. I am sure Le Grave would be the same. I have seen a guy getting around Cham all season in a camper that looks to be sponsored by Scotty Bob telemark skis.

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  • 1 month later...

Depends if you're going to be out in the winter or just spring, summer and fall

 

Things I'd look for in a tent

 

Large vestibule

Lots of tie downs

Good ventilation

100% fly coverage

Sturdy poles

 

I use the MEC Tarn II

I've never had a wet night and I've been through some intense Japanese rainstorms

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4 season tents are also called 1 season because they are only meant for 1 season. Yes you can use them 4 seasons but for the weight and other reasons it's not worth it to haul them around in the spring, summer and fall.

 

Check out MEC 4 season tents as well if that's what you're after. They will be cheaper and for sure are as good as big name brand gear.

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I have a North Face 'West Wind'. 3 Poles, lost of guy ropes (which I didnt bother with in the above pic and hence it sagged when it got really wet). Blurb says it is good to 80kmph wind.

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