Fri, 28 March 2014
Vertical Climbed: 1,350 meters (4,429 feet)
Rating: 3.3
Follow the les Cottaves route to the summit. http://pistehors.com/charmant-som-from-les-cottaves.htm
From the summit cross descend a bit to the right to find the start of the couloir which you enter via a left/right (exposed if the snow is hard). Don't be tempted to ski to the left as there are small cliff bands (about 5/10 meters). The couloir drops you into the West bowl. You can ski this to the Fontaine de l'Oursiere at 1300m and then climb to le Fournel to join the D57e Charmant Som road close to the Oratory.
Alternatively at 1600m in the West Bowl you can follow a path between the cliff bands that exits onto the fields above the Chalets de Charmant Som. From the top of the fields climb to the W via a small passage to the south summit of the Charmant Som and return via Maubouchet to les Cottaves
Comments on route: Slope is 40° for 150m.
Access: Grenoble -> Le Sappey en Chartreuse -> Col de Porte -> D312, left after the pont d'Orgeval, park at entrance to the village on right (car park)
Equipment: Ski crampons, maybe crampons for the entrance to the couloir.
Country: France Area: Chartreuse Trailhead: Cottaves