On Sunday (25 April 2010) it was a return to Mont Pourri which I’d climbed with Isabelle and Michel back in June 2007. We started from the Refuge du Mont Pourri and climbed via the glacier du Geay via the steep, exposed south facing slopes. The grip was very good and I didn’t feel the need to fit ski crampons.

The track was well made and after reaching the south shoulder we climbed to the summit on crampons. A fairly easy 50 meter scramble. Snow on the west face was dense powder. Under the col des Roches we stopped to do some avalanche rescue exercises before climbing up to the Col des Roches. Despite the late hour (13h30) the climb was pretty straight forward and we skied some excellent powder down to the Grand Col. From here we returned via the Grand Col chair and some off piste between the chair and Col des Communes. After a 5am start we were still working at 22h00 so it was a long day for us.

Great tour.
Looks like a really nice snowpack.

Georges and I did it in the opposite direction last May, because a French-language guidebook recommended it, and it allowed us to ski the Geay glacier from top to bottom.

But I like your way better, because:
* Going down the Col des Roches with it covered by snow (no cables or chains or iron showing) was pretty scary.
* Looked like a nice ski run down the N side of Col des Roches.
* No long gentle slog at the end of our tour (from near Refuge Mt Pourri back to Arc 2000).

That guidebook said that the problem with doing it your way is that it could be difficult to find the Col des Roches from its bottom (S side). But with so many skiers nowadays this does not seem so likely - (and if it happened, could just ski down to Ref Mt P and return that way).

Ken