We shouldered the heaviest packs that any of us had ever carried on this trip. The payback? Ski mountaineering from comfortable camps in some of the most wondrous scenery imaginable. We enjoyed blissful, absolute silence throughout.
It was bitterly cold as soon as the sun went down and scorching hot by 2pm which meant to get good, safe skiing we had to rise early. Brrrrr.
We burnt a lot of energy and when in the valley, ate a lot of food. The waitress at Denny’s couldn’t believe that the four ‘skinny’ guys would eat what they’d ordered for 4am breakfast. Easy. Same for the delicious hog ribs washed down with Fat Tyre beer at Rusty’s Western Saloon. Top stuff all of it.