I’ve been very busy over the last couple of weeks so not much chance to get out. However today I was up with the crack to drive to the Col de la Croix de Fer for a tour to the Rocher Blanc - at 2928 m the highest summit you can ski from in the Belledonne range. Well ok you can ski from the Grand Pic de Belledonne, or at least a couple of people have done it.
I set off from the car at 7h20, it was already warm. Just in front was Sylvain and following up behind Benoit and Bruno on a snowboard. The snow was soggier than Charlize Theron’s buttocks. Around 50cm had fallen on Monday and Tuesday, this had compacted down to about 15cm of soft snow on the harder neve base.
Arriving at the summit at 10am another lumiere of the skitour website, David Lavie was just heading down. Sylvain and Benoit arrived at the summit and I agreed with Benoit to ski down the north side and then return by a south facing slope under the Rochers du Buyant close to the col of the same name.
Chamois
Crete du Buyant
la Chartreuse
Sylvain in the soft snow
Still plenty of snow towards the Belle Etoile
Combe Madame
Benoit
Lots of snow on the Etendard
And plenty on the North Belledonne too
does my bum look big in this?
My super 15 euro ski jacket
Turns in the soft snow
Lots of purges on nearly all steep slopes. The snow is very good. We skied to 10 minutes of the car-park which is pretty rare on the 24th of May.
