Given the 40-50cm of fresh snow over the last week we decided to play safe and head up to the Grand Van near to the ski resort of Chamrousse. Snow was also forecast for the afternoon. There is a lot of snow still above 1800m. It was crusty in the morning which turned humid in the afternoon below 2000m. This was obviously due to the zero iso which was up around 2500m the previous afternoon as well as the sun on very exposed S/SE slopes higher up.

We skied down below the Petit Van in a not very steep couloir except for a short pinch point which you can see in mid slope in the picture below.

Here is Jean-Marc, a high mountain guide with the Grenoble natural risks institute skiing below the gap in fresh powder

Anny shredding the gnar in her new ski helmet a Petzl Meteor III+ I believe

Anny is recovering from an injury after falling in the traverse below the Lac de Crop (when Ken and I skied this route just before Anny’s accident we took a the direct “goulot” which avoids this nasty traverse but Ken will remember it on the climb up.

The sun came out for our descent.

Ski tourer tracks.

Nadege on her 1980s Super Yeti skis with 65mm underfoot and not much more on the shovel!

The final run down to Casserouse was pretty cut up by 14h00