{"id":913,"date":"2018-12-17T10:28:10","date_gmt":"2018-12-17T17:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voile.com\/blog\/?p=913"},"modified":"2019-11-25T15:43:56","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T22:43:56","slug":"guests-of-honor-to-the-cloud-splitter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voile.com\/blog\/guests-of-honor-to-the-cloud-splitter\/","title":{"rendered":"Guests of Honor to the “Cloud Splitter”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Before this past October, I had never actually skied with Beau Fredlund. There were many times we would say hi and agree to find time to get out together. Unfortunately, the timing never seemed to work out. The closest we had come to making turns together was teaching an avalanche awareness course. But alas, one ski-run on the ungroomed blue trails at Bridger Bowl could hardly count.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quiet and soft-spoken, Beau is commonly regarded as THE resource for Beartooth range skiing. He spends almost every day skiing in the backcountry, surfing the finest powder. Beau skis from the first snowfalls in early fall, to the late-season spring squalls. He has established first descents all over his home mountain range, as well as all over the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I was working in New Zealand as the Snow Safety Director at Porter’s ski field, I received an email from Beau. I had essentially taken the job to finagle a way to ski in the famed Aoraki\/Mt Cook National Park. It just so happened that Beau was heading to the South Island for his ninth ski trip. Having completed as many descents as most Kiwis hope to accomplish in a lifetime, Beau simply couldn\u2019t get enough. Needless to say, I was ecstatic that Beau was interested in skiing with me. So I took the initiative to make sure I was available to be his partner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cool As A Boil<\/h4>\n

After months of vague plans and broken phone calls, my girlfriend Amy and I puttered our \u201896 Toyota campervan north to Twizel to meet Beau. On our trip north from the Fjord Land National Park, Mt Cook\/Aoraki National Park received 1 meter of kiwi powder before a strong high pressure immediately took hold and dominated the region. <\/span><\/p>\n

When we arrived, we quickly exchanged hugs, introductions and loaded my gear into Beau\u2019s borrowed car. Beau cheerfully declared he was psyched to give the south peak of Aoraki a shot. \u201cWith good weather, good stability, and a strong partner, I think we should give it a go!\u201d he explained. \u201cOkay, right on man!\u201d I nodded my head as I digested his statement and tried to maintain my cool as a boil of excitement welled in my stomach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conditions were fat and all signs pointed to a good platform for Beau and me I. We planned to travel up the Hooker valley to the Empress hut and ski the SW Couloir\/West Ridge route of the south peak.<\/span><\/p>\n