Given the doubtful avalanche conditions, risk 3 on all slope aspects, we opted for safety and the Col de la Vallee Etroit under Mont Brequin. Shallow but passing under some very snow laden slopes in places

about 70cm of fresh has fallen > 2000 meters this week

giving a pretty massive snowpack at altitude, things are less rosy below 1500 meters which has seen a lot of rain.

Col de la Vallee Etroit and the Lac du Loup valley with les Menuires beyond

Below the col

Pascal in Action

We finished off with a beer “chez Roger” in la Villette. This bar is run by a 90 year old from his #######. Groups sometimes ski down here from Val Thorens and have a beer while waiting for a tax ride back to resort. As the local guides and monitors about a trip to “chez Roger”.

http://www.trainingloops.com/mont-brequin-west-face_David_22-12-2012.htm

Great to see how you found a safe way to get out there in the fresh snow. And thanks for the link to a GPS track so I could quickly see which side you had approached Mt Brequin - (because I know the names of lots of the ski peaks in Savoie, but not of lots of the valleys and tiny villages for approach).

Note that the Toponeige Vanoise guidebook has a tour around Mt Brequin which starts more toward Orelle (and potentially uses the Plan Bouchet gondola lift to shorten the vertical slogging) - but I think that idea has more avalanche danger.

Looking forward to getting out there on skis in Savoie myself (or with you) soon.

Ken

Hi Ken

I suspected you’d been this way already. I was going to head up to the Venetier valley but a Savoie guy persuaded me to go with him, he said it was must safer.

Since Friday we’ve had the zero iso > 3000m for 2 days and torrential rain at altitude. Reports today were of very difficult conditions with skiing down taking longer than climbing up, sounds like our Chartreuse trip from a couple of years ago.

Junior and I were on piste this morning, which was surprisingly good.