After breakfast we begun the long ski down and out from the Adele Planchard. It was another windy but beautiful morning and we had no idea what the rest of the week would bring. Starting in the sun we screeched our way down steepening bullet hard snow to the colder valley below. I nearly stopped to put my earplugs in!
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| The start of the ski down in the sun |
From here it was back along the valley, with a short skin up to the Alpe Refuge, where we made a coffee stop. The final descent to the car park was a mixture of walking and skiing.
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| Exiting the icy gully at the bottom |
Later that afternoon we drove South to La Berade, where the road was open early and we were able to make a reservation in the CAF La Berade Alpine Centre. After hot showers and plenty of food we finally decided upon a plan for the following day.
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| Admiring the view on the way to La Berade, a pretty crazy road to drive on |
Friday 3rd April
On recommendation from the hut guardian we headed towards the Breche de la Somme. Setting of on foot North towards the Torrent de Bonne Pierre we were soon able to put our skins on, and after some river crossings began the long slog up the valley towards the Glacier de Bonne Pierre.
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| skinning along the morraine |
After following the moraine's edge until around 2800m, we turned North up the steeper slopes towards the Breche. The sun was now blazing down and as we got higher the snow started to soften. On the last steep pull up to the Breche uncertainties about the snow caused us to turn around. Steep, south facing, it wasn't the thin melt freeze crust on top that was worrying, but rather the fact that the fresh and wind blown snow from the last few days hadn't bonded to the layer beneath. It was a shame that we didn't get to see the view from the top, however, it brought back some words that I first heard as a teenager on my first ski tour, 'if any member of the group has any doubts, don't go'.
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| Striding forth towards the Breche reaching a steady pace of 600m/hr! |
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| Early warning (an warming!) signs as we spread out for the last section of skinning |
The ski down tested everyone, a mixture of spring snow, crust, icy, and a final descent between rocks and trees. But... we did finally get a few magical turns in spring snow, granted before I almost headplanted hitting the crust on a different aspect at the bottom!
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| Skiing back |
Saturday 4th April
What to do today? Our plans have changed on a daily basis and today was no different. We had booked tonight in the Selle hut, and the plan was to go over the Breche du Rateau, unless it was sunny, which it wasn't, when we could go over the Col du Replat (requiring a lot more navigation).
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| Setting off in fresh snow, it felt more like the UK than the Alps! |
Upon arrival at the Chatelleret hut, we knew we were far too late, about three hours too late, and the hut guardian told us so! After a hot chocolate, and no luck for a reservation here, we opted to continue up the valley so we would at least get some skiing in.
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| Snow, fog, sun |
As we carried on further up the valley our goal became the Refuge du Promontoire, perched high on the rocks south of La Meije, we were curious to see what it was like before skiing back down.
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| Spot the refuge! It's in the middle of the rocky promontory at the back middle left |
Through clearings in the fog and GPS and map use we made it. As we arrived we thought we would chance a booking, the hut guardian looked very surprised as we had skinned all the way up without one. However we explained our plans, he had just had a cancellation for five people and said we could stay in the attic.
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| Super psyched to have a reservation (we hadn't seen the attic yet!!!) |
After an incredible dinner, with seconds and an aperitif the Guardian talked to us all about the conditions of the route to the Aigle refuge and the weather forecast. Squeezing in 31 people for dinner, the hut was pretty much at maximum capacity, but there was a great feeling of camaraderie and awesome views.
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| Fresh snow in the mountains |
Sunday 5th April
Our last day in the mountains here. The original plan was to cross the Breche de la Meije, and go across to the Refuge d'Aigle and down to La Grave. An awesome, technical ski mountaineering route, and one that we were all super keen to do, however... Last night it had snowed much more than predicted, with 15cm at the Aigle, and 40cm windblown on the skin up to the Breche.
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| Just before we turned around, the Breche is at the back of the photo |
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| Looking back towards the Refuge |
There was much debate in the hut over breakfast about the conditions, and no one seemed too convinced. We set off up towards the Breche, but turned around before the steepening. The group ahead of us were swimming in snow, and as we later found out, pitched the whole thing, taking so much time that almost all of the other groups turned around.
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| Amazing powder turns |
An incredible powder descent followed as we retraced our steps to La Berade, via a quick hot chocolate stop at the Chatelleret. What an end to a challenging week. One that left us all wanting to return to the Ecrins, not least of all to travel from the Promontoire to the Aigle!
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| And the powder continued into the fog |
2016 here I come.
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