This is an article by Matt Dickinson, IFMGA guide. A great start for anyone needing a bit of inspiration for the upcoming season or to just compare with your own experiences. What do you think? Has he missed your favourites off the list?

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14.

14 ?

thought I’d pare the discussion down to the essentials isn’t it all about how many you’ve done ? 

ah right, well you have the advantage of being Swiss based, if it was 25 must do routes within half an hour of my house I would have more chance.

Obviously any list is going to be a bit arbitrary, it probably doesn’t make any sense suggesting the Couloir de l’Infernet because it is too steep and too obscure even if it compares very favourably to the much more famous couloir Marinelli (2000m of vertical down a single crack is impressive.

From the few routes I know the Foglietta is worth it, the short climb tends to limit the number of skiers a bit. It is Ste Foy btw Miss Mountain Tracks, Mme Foy was a woman. The Sache/Sachette get far too skied and are practically itinerary routes although they go through some spectacular scenery.

I was quite surprised I’d done that many & it may be more like 16 or more, a couple of the names seem familiar and I’d need to read it better.

Obviously I’ve done the Anniviers ones, Orxival is excellent via any number of lines and the next peak along, La Brinta, is great accessed by a ski into the the Rechy and a climb out. The Moiry barrage is very run of the mill, good on a powder day but the skiing below the barrage is exposed to some big slopes which, IMHO, are seriously under-estimated by the hordes on the route. The run of the Marenda is pretty epic I think, steep, narrow and onto an exposed slope below, very, very serious (or so I thought). The run off the Bishorn is the best in the valley IMHO if you’ve a day or two to climb it.

15 (based in the Netherlands)

So don’t complain Davidof!

It may also be a perspective problem, from Lyon, Paris, Maastrich the whole Alps lies before you as your playground. So you’ll concentrate on going for the big, quality descents rather than Couloir X behind my house that may or may not have skiable snow.

I do a lot of travelling during the week so my pleasure is to ski as close as I can to home.

8 but on the plus side he says that the Bellcotte is not for advanced intermediates, does this mean that for the first time “ever” I’m better at something than I thought

davidof - 03 November 2011 09:32 AM

It may also be a perspective problem, from Lyon, Paris, Maastrich the whole Alps lies before you as your playground. So you’ll concentrate on going for the big, quality descents rather than Couloir X behind my house that may or may not have skiable snow.

I do a lot of travelling during the week so my pleasure is to ski as close as I can to home.

Right you are:  I am absolutely jealous!