Re-uniting with the machines, Tony Lamiche and Alex Pittin in Chamonix, Xavier knew he was in for a mission, and they did not disappoint choosing the Angelique Couloir…

…as their objective and giving Sam Smoothy a good work out for his fifth day back on snow post surgery.

MISSION ANGELIQUE

The Angelique Couloir summits at 3780m and is 800m long, 200m of 50° pitch followed by 600m of 45° running into the Jardin de Talefre. The machines, Xavier & Beanie along with Sam Smoothy who came to experience the “Chamonix day out” after just four days back on snow post injury, set off from the Grand Montets at 8am. The adventure started gently enough, touring up the Argentiere glacier to the foot of Les Courtes, where the day took a more machine like turn with crampons and ice axes required for the five hour ascent up the Courtes face. Encountering black ice lightly covered by a thin layer of rotten snow and numerous loose rocks the team arrived at the top at 3pm and peered down into the abyss of the Angelique couloir. Rappelling into the couloir and navigating the first third of rocky, dodgy snow Xavier and Smoothy were finally able to open up and ride the lower two thirds of the Angelique. Still far from home, the team worked their way back to Chamonix chased by the night until arriving exhausted at 8pm. A solid 12 hour day, just a standard day out for the machines. For further information regarding Xavier De Le Rue’s DIY Series, check out the website: www.xvdiy.com