Minimum altitude: 1,717 meters
Distance: 8 km
Slope Aspect: South-West
Vertical Climbed: 704 meters (2,310 feet)
Vertical Descended: 714 meters
Rating: 1.1
Avalanche Risk: 2
Snowline: 1,200
I had already covered about 20 km of cross-country skiing, but since I was in the resort at Chamrousse, I decided to combine it with a ski tour afterwards. Given the situation in Iran, it felt sensible to save on fuel and make the most of being there. I opted to try one of the dedicated in-resort ski touring routes offered by Chamrousse Mountain Park. There are three in total, and I chose the Crêtes route up to the Croix de Chamrousse.
The route starts in Roche Béranger (or “Roche Bé” to locals), though the start is not immediately obvious. It begins just after a bridge crossing the ski pistes near the snowmobile (motoneige) centre, where there is also parking. A yellow sign marks the spot, and if you look closely, you’ll notice a small path winding through the pine trees. From there, the track broadly follows the ski runs, but at enough distance that you’re not constantly aware of the resort. The route is ascent-only, with the idea that you descend via the pistes or off-piste terrain.
Some sections are fairly steep, perhaps the route was originally intended with snowshoers in mind, and you’ll encounter quite a few along the way. In any case, it neatly avoids conflicts between ski tourers and alpine skiers. I kept a steady pace, taking 1 hour and 20 minutes to climb 700 metres, as pushing harder might have left me struggling despite the relatively short climb. The wind had shifted to the northeast, still cold, but not too noticeable during the ascent. Dressed in cross-country ski gear, I may have looked fast, though the reality didn’t quite match the appearance.
At the summit, I took a short break to recover before heading down. I followed the pistes with a few off-piste detours on spring snow, which was a bit overcooked in places. This kind of outing probably falls under what people call “ski fitness.” At least it has the advantage of travelling light: just an extra layer for the descent, along with water and some food in the rucksack.
NE wind, 14C in the valleys so a bit warmer. Spring snow off piste, a bit overcooked in places but skiable. The resort had the avalanche risk as 3 but the official figure for the Belledonne was 2. The main risk was wind blown snow (N/NE -> S) forming new, small slabs and wind transport was evident.
