www.Grandshelters.com

Hi every body,

I use to work as a mountain leader in France, and I propose to my customers, nights in igloos.
I was watching for an easier solution, and found the Ice box on the net!
I just received it today (by switzerland 'cause no retailers in France) (that was quite long and intricated but finally arrived)
So, next saturday I will experiment it and will send you pictures! from top of our local mountain (Mount Ventoux)!

Regards,

Pierre Peyret (Close to Avignon, south of France)

Hi Pierre, Welcome to the forum.
Is the road over Mount Ventoux open in the winter?
What a view from the top. I look forward to your pictures.

Hi Ed,

The road to Mont Ventoux is closed until half May. And especially this winter!
It snowed a lot this year and the cold settled permanently (3,2m cumulated snow until now!) We had not seen it for 30 years.

I watched your DVD presentation of Icebox last evening. Very interesting
You filmed it where?

Here the pictures of me on my last igloo party (before icebox!) with classical technic.
http://fr.global.sendpix.com/albums/09030211/7a6r4qy60w/?a=view&i=22

At the altitude of 1450m (4600 feet) We had 1,5m (5 feet) deep hard snow to build 3 igloos for 12 people.(so we went until the ground), but 44°F at 10:00 PM!! too hot!

From outside it seems to be very small! We can communicate between the 3 of them. We had a big "Tartiflette" at night (a kind of potatoes, bacon and cheese meal and of course wine!).

Good experience!

Regards,

Pierre Peyret - Agarrus

Hi Pierre,
It must be great to have a winter as good as the one you are having. Generally, the USA is getting lots of snow but only in the mountains here in Colorado. The plains of Colorado are dry this season.

If you have Google Earth on your computer, you can view where we built the tutorial video igloo by saving this file and then opening it up in Google Earth by double clicking the file:

The pictures of your igloos tell me you will enjoy the igloos built with the ICEBOX®. It always fun to have good food on trips too. I've taken precooked stuffed chickens along and heated them up with steam/tinfoil. Always pleasant to enjoy hot food that is good. I mostly eat my food cold though unless someone is along that I think will enjoy a hot meal.

Hi!

We did it!

I finally received the "MACHINE" (a little bit expensive ouch !!! 230€ - 300$ US!!!)

and we (customers and I) decided to built the biggest we can! (11ft) the snow was good for the first experience! we managed to enter 13 persons sat inside!
I should trained a bit more to build quicker! we needed 5 hours to finish it!

Temperature at night inside was close to 4°C, and -3 outside (little bit windy)
One person wasn't able to get in! (afraid of!) so slept under tent close to igloo.

Now the sun made then almost disappear..
But it was a cool experience, and next year we should build them at altitude 1900m in a very windy area!

see the pictures on :http://picasaweb.google.fr/Agarrus84/200903

See you next year !! bye!

Hi Pierre,
Five hours for your first time on an eleven footer is pretty fast. They are pretty huge as you saw with seating 13 people in it.
Looked like a nice warm fire but still I would think I would have freezing fingers playing a guitar. Not that I now how to play one.
I hope the igloo tool serves you well.