27 nov, Les Trois Evêchés, Lautaret.

Super session at the Lautaret Pass today.

We managed to reach "Les Trois Evêchés" as the South/East wind was blowing properly about 10-20 knots.

Super cloudy sky with huge dark clouds rolling all the day long.

Often complete flat light.

But sometimes, the wonderful sunbeams came for a couple of minutes and that was really incredible (but true).

Here, Wareck and Gauthier having a short rest.

Once at the top of the area, we found a real fresh powder snow and that was amazing, awsome, stunning, to go cruising around on such snowpack.

We stopped the session about 4 PM and met the rain while leaving back home with the car.

It seems that the super S/E wind conditions are here for a few days more.

So, don't hesitate to join the spot, dudes.

:-)

25 nov, Lautaret with rain

Gauthier with the new HQ race prototype 20m

Super wet session today at the Lautaret.

The wind was remaining the same than the three past days, I mean too much South/West so it's blowing against the high mountains Galibier then goes down to La Grave and crossing along the Lautaret.

On the area "Jardin Alpin", it was super gusty, lot of rotors, On-Off, sketchy, scary, at the end not so super good actualy.

We tried to go towards "Trois Evêchés" but the wind was definitely blowing downhill back there.

The snow is melting super fast as you can see on the pictures, and very bad for skiing, we staid stucked on the snow even with perfect wax put to the skis yesterday evening.

This super dark cloud cover was not the best for the visibility on the snow. Super flat light so pretty dangerous to cruise too much fast as we couldn't see the holes or windlips and the risk to fall down into one of them was super high.

Quite nobody kiting on the spot, the real snowkiters are more clever than us, Gauthier and me.

We went rather early on the spot as the forecasts said rainy around noon and getting stronger and stronger to the night.

After one hour on the first spot, we went to the opposite side of the road, behind the five stars Hotel.

This area is often better during such conditions, the wind blowing more stable here.

That was the occasion to give a try to our HQ Race prototypes 10m, 14m and especialy to the new 20m arrived yesterday.

No hill-gliding with these Formula 1, but testing the rushes, the acceleration, the loops and other fast movements we have to do during a Race.

We had a very cool moment here and even we went right behind La Pyramide to explore the terrain.

But the rain came and didn't stop for about one full hour.

As the forecasts said it was due to get harder and harder, we packed the kites and stopped the session.

No worries, no problemo, that was a cool day and we'll come back sooner or later.

Lautaret is THE spot.

Here is the HQ Race prototype 14m.

:-)

"La Croix de Fer" southern area

Not so easy to reach the spot with lot of snow on the road to get up-there.

At the end, about 20-30cm on the road, I had to put the chains on the tires.

Well, we parked the cars very far from our usual place because of the snow.

But the wind was here, blowing properly to the southern area of "La Croix de Fer" snowkiting spot.

On the image above you can see my friend Jeff who's starting to go (the cars are right behind the rock).

Once on the spot, the wind is pretty difficult, super gusty, changing from 5knds to 25knds all the time.

I got scared a few time with the 14m HQ Montana M8 I started with, so I changed for the 8m.

The snow is really amazing, about 40-50cm super light and fresh powder.

So cool to cruise around with such high quality snow.

This southern area at "La Croix de Fer" is really huge, we can cruise super long runs, and there are two main spots for impressive hill-gliding sessions.

I didn't go for it as the wind was really too much difficult for me, but my friend Francis was flying quite all the day long.

Well, I stopped about 3PM but my 4 friends kept kiting a couple of hours more.

That was a really great session anyway.

Here, I'm using the 8m and you can see the snowpack on the spot.

Super fresh powder snow.

:-)

Mega session at "Les 3 Eveches"

The weather forecast websites were right for today.

S/E wind blowing in the morning and getting super strong in the afternoon with dark black clouds coming fast.

So we started the session from the Lautaret Pass about 8h and we had to wait at the first step called "L'antenne" as the wind was not yet going to the right direction. Big and hard gusts didn't allow us to go further ahead.

In this case, we have to wait for better conditions, and they were coming about 10h, and so we managed to reach the top of the mythical area "Les Trois Evêchés".

Six kiters went to the top and all other couldn't come as the wind conditions were really sketchy.

Near the summits, the deep fresh powder snow was incredible.

Not so often seen such great snow quality.

We had a very huuuge session, with steepy slopes runs, hill-gliding, freeride cruising.

At 1 PM, the sky was getting really dark and the wind increasing very hard.

That was time to stop.

Now, two days raining/snowing so let's hope for super conditions right after the snowshowers.

:-)

Light South wind Lautaret

No wind today due to the forecasts.

Actualy, an unespected gentle South wind blowing all the day long.

We went to the area "Jardin Alpin".

Fresh thin powder snow covering a hard snowpack, as it was raining here for the two last days.

Cool session with lot of kiters coming for the first blue sky window after three bad weather days.

On the picture below, Gauthier is testing the new racing prototype HQ Powerkites.

We are still thinking about the name for this really super kite.

Here, this is the 16m size.

Tomorrow, super strong S/E announced so we get ready for the session to "Les 3 E"

:-)

"HQ Powerkites" week in Norway + VIDEO

Click the image above to see the video

Cliquez l'image ci-dessus pour lire le compte-rendu en français.

Click the image above to read the report in english.

:-)

First 2015 "Les Trois Evêchés" session

Saturday 8th november.

Great session at the Lautaret Pass.

Ending with a run towards the mythical high mountain area "Les Trois Evêchés".

LISEZ LE COMPTE-RENDU ICI

READ THE REPORT HERE

:-)

Lautaret Pass Opening

First 2014/2015 session at the Lautaret Pass today 6th november.

Super fresh powder snow.

Wind not so easy, here blowing South 10knds.

Cool team mates on the spot.

Click the image below to read the (french speaking) report or see more pictures.

Many thanks to Marc Benoît for taking this photo.

:-)

Fall session : VIDEO

The video of the session, last week-end in Les 2 Alpes glacier 3.600m

Click the image above to see the movie

:-)

Last fall session glacier 3.600m

Cliquez l'image pour lire le compte-rendu sur Onekite

Last session during the fall opening week at Les 2 Alpes, France.

Only 7 days for the fall holidays here, and now it's closed until december for the winter season.

The snowkiting session was cool, 5-15 gentle South wind blowing.

Snowpack a little bit icy and hard because of the beautiful "indian summer" days lately.

I went with the perfect HQ M8 Montana 14m kite and the 180cm Rossignol Super 7 skis.

Now, let's wait for the further snowshower which is due for next tuesday.

Click the image above to read the report at Kiteforum

:-)