ARTVA & Bagnino

January 11-12th 2014

This week two important runs with David & Co.

On Sathurday we skied a couloir (maybe the first descent?) which started under the “Passo dell’uomo storto” beside the Spissen valley.

David had the idea seeing that beautiful line from Bettaforca. A small couloir framed by icefalls going down to the Netscio valley. The descent itself it’s easy as steepness it’s not above 40 degrees. The real deal is the ice inside the canyon, were there is a small river. So we skied with the presence of ice under little snow. Almost at the end of the couloir we had to climb down some ice (10 meters).

The couloir could be exited in two ways: a traverse on the right to join the lower netscio or climbing a waterfall (50 meters).

We opted for the first solution because temperatures and exposition were not quite right to climb ice.

The snow was perfect: fresh powder at the top then more heavy but always nice. In the Netscio valley we scored some of the worst crust I have ever seen. But anyway who cares? The journey was already over to me.

For David’s amusement we (better to say I) called this canyon “Canale del Bagnino”

Canale del Bagnino

Descent difficulty: 3.3 E2

Steepness: 40° max

Vertical drop: 1000m

Top: 2800m

Snow conditions: Fresh snow

Skiers: Paola Ranghino, Luca Zattoni, David Torrents (il Bagnino), Federico Rigotti, Roberto Gioria

On sunday David, Mamo and I skied the Signore degli Artva. A couloir that starts from Testa Grigia and goes down to Gressoney La Trinité.

That is not an easy line to find and to ski, due to the steepness (40/45°), the location, and the fact that it’s necessary to use rope in some spots.

After the Morgenrot couloir is the most difficult on this face. But thanks to 40 cm of fresh snow it was a beautiful descent. Big turns over hanging plateau and also some more technical skiing in the narrower parts. Really a high-level itinerary, not for everyone.