Day 6: The Pointe Francesetti
Chapter 12: Ski Mountaineering
Introduction to the Area
The Aiguille des Glaciers
The Aiguille de la Grande Sassière
The Mont Pourri
The Grande Casse
Appendix 1: Glossary
Appendix 2: Mountain Hut List
Appendix 3: Tourist Information Offices
On the Glacier de Gébroulaz, below the Dôme de Polset on Day 5 of the Glaciers de la Vanoise tour
INTRODUCTION
There is no denying that the mountains of Savoie are spectacularly beautiful. The proud pyramids of the Aiguilles d’Arves, the austere north-face of the Grande Casse and the sparkling ‘Dômes’ of the Vanoise Glaciers are as fine examples of mountain architecture as can be found anywhere. But there is more to the area than a collection of points of outstanding natural beauty. The geographical diversity of the region is a reflection of the different facets of Savoie’s complex personality: from the savageness of the Belledonne to the gentleness of the Beaufortain, from the ostentation of the Aiguille d’Arves to the aloofness of the Haute Maurienne. The tours described in this guide reflect the variety of landscape and skiing that makes ski touring in Savoie so special. The area is however best known to skiers for the Olympic ski-resorts of Tignes, Val d’Isère, Les Arcs, La Plagne and The Three Valleys, which lie on the northern edge of the Vanoise National Park.
The Vanoise National Park, situated in the département of Savoie, was the first national park to be created in France. As the park has been protected from the encroachment of the ski-resorts, it has been preserved as one of the great ski-touring areas of the French Alps.
The richness of the area for ski touring also lies in Savoie’s lesser-known massifs, such as the Lauzière, the Belledonne, the Beaufortain and the Haute Maurienne, which surround the Vanoise. This guide provides an introduction to all the different parts of this region and corresponds, more or less, to the French département of Savoie (with minor incursions into the neighbouring départements of Isère and Les Hautes Alpes) giving an overview of the wonderful and varied ski touring to be had here.
Vanoise Ski Touring is aimed at both experienced ski tourers and mountaineers who would like to get away from the hurly-burly of the ski-resorts. Ski touring is about much more than skiing ability; mountain skills such as navigation, glacier travel and avalanche awareness are indispensable. The safest way to start ski touring is with a mountain guide, this being especially true for skiers with no previous mountaineering experience.
Many of the tours start from resorts, though tours that are basically off-piste trails are not included; good off-piste skiing guides already exist for many of the major resorts. The guide should, however, be useful for people who would like to tour for just one or two days as part of a resort holiday.
The organisation of the guide follows the natural division of the Savoie département into its various geographical areas. The various types of tours were selected, as far as possible, to reflect the atmosphere of these areas and to provide interesting and homogenous excursions. In general, preference has been given to multi-day, hut-to-hut tours but in some areas it is more logical to do a number of day trips from a mountain hut or a base-camp in the valley. The tours involve up to six day’s skiing, although most can be lengthened or shortened to suit time constraints, weather conditions and fitness.
The final slopes below the Pointe Francesetti on Day 5 of the Carro/Evettes tour
Given good snow conditions, most of the tours are within the capabilities of any competent skier (ie. someone who is at ease on black slopes), but it must be remembered that snow conditions are not often perfect when you are touring. A final chapter describes some classic tours that fall more into the realm of ski mountaineering than ski touring. None of the tours in the guide can be considered extreme skiing.
It must be remembered that ski touring is both a physically demanding and a potentially dangerous sport; it is important not to over-estimate your fitness or technical abilities. Skinning uphill, with four kilograms of ski, binding and boot on each foot and a 10–15kg rucksack on your back, is an exhausting business. Do not expect to be able to do a 1500m climb every day unless you are very fit.
Most serious accidents are caused by avalanches, although crevasses, seracs and steep slopes, especially if there are cliffs in the fall-line, can also be extremely dangerous. General mountaineering knowledge and experience is at least as valuable as skiing ability if you want to have a long and safe ski-touring career.
Geography
This guide covers the mountains south of Mont Blanc and north of the Ecrins Massif. The western part is defined by the Grésivaudan Valley, which runs from Chambéry to Grenoble, the eastern edge by the Franco-Italian border.
This area is divided into three sections by the valleys of the River Isère (the Tarentaise Valley) and the River Arc (the Maurienne Valley). The Vanoise National Park, which lies between these two valleys, contains most of the highest mountains. The largest ski-resorts are on the northern and western edges of the Vanoise and provide convenient access points to the area. The Beaufortain lies to the north of the Vanoise, the Lauzière and Belledonne to the west and Valloire, Mont Thabor and the Haute Maurienne to the south.
Access
To get to all of the locations described in this book, it is necessary to pass through Chambéry. Chambéry is about 80km south of Geneva and 100km east of Lyons. There are regular, cheap flights from the UK to both these airports as well as to Chambéry itself. There is a shuttle-bus service between Lyons airport and Chambéry and a train service from Geneva airport to Chambéry.
On the summit ridge below the Levanna Occidentale on Day 2 of the Carro/Evettes tour
Skinning up the Col de Corne Noire on Day 2 in the Beaufortain with the Crête du Rey in the background
From Chambéry it is possible to get to most of the larger resorts using a combination of train and bus services. Unfortunately, public transport starts to become less reliable when the resorts close in the middle of April; the best time for touring in the higher areas is generally April to May. Contact the relevant tourist office for further details (see Appendix 3).
By far the easiest way to reach the start of most of the tours is by car. The road access from Chambéry is described at the start of each section.
Snow Conditions and Avalanches
Snow Conditions
As in all mountain areas, the weather and therefore the snow conditions can be very variable. The snowpack can be very unstable in winter, especially in the higher areas (above 2500m). The best time for ski touring is March to May. If you want to go touring earlier in the season, it is best to stay in the lower massifs. All
