For one of the last outings of the year we decided to go high, to the Agneaux in the Ecrins range. It had snowed on Friday down to 2000 meters and we hoped to get some freshies on this 3650 meter summit.
From afar the face looked fearsomely steep. It is rates as 5.1 (toponeige) with a slope of 48° over 280m and an exposure of 3.
We drove up to Villar d’Arene and after driving across a road submerged by a lake hiked the hour up to the refuge d’Arene. The main refuge was closed so we stayed in the comfortable winter hut. Room for 26 although that would be a bit snugg, we were a good dozen.
The snow started at 2150 meters, much higher than we expected. That meant another 20 minutes walk from the refuge. The route crosses the terminal moraine of the glaciers then up a steep bowl which joins an even steeper couloir. This brings you onto the upper section of the Arsine glacier, from here route finding is easy. Just avoid the crevasses.
Unfortunately by 10am the clouds were moving and the last 400 meter slog to the summit was in 30-40cm of heavy powder sitting on a humid base.
The underlying snow was orange from saharan sand that had blown in mid-week. I’d remembered this kind of surface from an avalanche on the Cote Belle and knew that fresh snow doesn’t stick well. On the Calotte half the face had already slid. The remaining snow seemed stable but we decided to stop on reaching the summit ridge. Under 200 m left to the true summit but we didn’t want to test the stability of the snow on the expose face.
The first part of the slope is steep and despite the fresh you could feel the rotten base. In this photo you can see the slab that had broken away behind. Time to ski carefully.
Conditions got better lower down
Then the powder turned into a horrible crust at the base of the steep section.
Further down the link couloir offered some spring snow and we were able to make some more turns in comfort
but overall conditions were not famous
and lower down we stopped for a well deserved break
We had heard the rescue helicopter buzzing around all morning and later learned that François Biju-Duval, a Grenoble extreme skier had fallen to his death on north face of the Pic Maître. With a long career of steep descents to his name François the descent was within his capabilities but this time the mountain decided who was master. Our condolences to his many friends and family.
http://www.bivouak.net/topos/course.php?id_sortie=6271&id_sport=1 - link in French
