Chamonix 2003 – France
Text and photos by Sarah Ferguson

This page is last winter's news from Chamonix. Although we did not have huge amounts of snow we had a long spell of cold weather which preserved conditions. In January Keith Geddes and I won the Telemark race (veterans) in the Posettes Derby - our combined ages were 102!

The following are three of the many ski tours done during the season. The trip to the Pyrenees has a section of its own.

SUPER ST. BERNARD

Ski touring in this area centres around the oldest crossing through the alps, the Grand St Bernard pass (2407m) and the Monastery. The buildings date from 1560 and 1898, the older one contains a Baroque church. The Monks have been giving sustenance to travellers for almost a millenium which adds a unique flavour and some culture to ski touring!

Although not exactly on the doorstep the ski area of Super St Bernard is only an hour's drive away from Chamonix. In winter the road over the col is closed but the tunnel that links Switzerland and Italy is open 24/365 and access to the Monastery is made via the ski area before the tunnel entrance. After taking the main lift and doing the short skin up to the hospice, the resident Franciscan Monks welcomed us warmly with hot tea. They are all experienced mountain guides and keen to share their knowledge of the various ski tours in the area.

We dropped off our overnight gear in the dormitory and set out for a short tour. In the evening after supper we were shown a film on the traditional mountain rescue work of the monks. Some storms have been known to bring 25m of snow and temperatures of -30C and heroic stories of rescues. Sadly at present there is no resident St. Bernard dog, and if they get a new rescue dog it is unlikely to be a traditional St. Bernard - their size and weight being somewhat inconvenient for fast deployment by helicopter. In summer the road passes over the Col and close to the buildings, but in winter, buried in deep snow, the Monastery regains an extraordinary peace and tranquility.

The following day we did another tour and later visited the extraordinary baroque church and the museum. This brought the history of the Monastery alive - centuries of habitation and some graphic descriptions of fatal or near fatal crossings of the col. The next day we thought it would be fun to ski down into Italy so bidding farewell to our kind hosts we made our way up to the top of the lift and had a wonderful long ski down to Etroubles (great restaurants!) and caught the bus back through the tunnel to the ski area.

Thanks to Lou and Karin Marino, Steph, Lisa and the Monks.

COL D'ENCRENAZ

Starting at the top of the Index lift (Flegere Ski Area) and a leisurely three hour skin up to the Col de Beugeant one is tempted to take the direct descent in to the Buet valley.

The ski tour over the Col d'Encrenaz (2579m) in the Aiguilles Rouges is an alternative descent from the Col de Beugeant (2807m). It is one that I have been wanting to do for years, particularly because I can ski to my front door from the Col des Montets (1461m) where the tour finishes. The view of the Argentiere and Le Tour glaciers is stunning and from an angle that is rarely seen. (The Col d'Encrenaz is clearly visible in the photo 'Encrenaz_from Le Tour Glacier' and the ski descent is towards the right.)

We were fortunate to have perfect weather with cold temperatures - the narrow access was in good condition but the snow in the couloir had suffered from high winds. As the slope opened out we found superb light powder snow all the way to the
Col du Montets.

Thanks to Chrissie Barnes and Rory Gregory for a great day!

BRECHE PUISEUX/PERIADES

Simon Greenleaf of Pyrenean Mountain Tours very kindly asked Jayne Hedger and I to join a group of his clients staying at the Requin Refuge (2516m) above the confluence of the Geant, Envers and Periades glaciers. They were being put through their paces by their guide before going on the Haute Route. Their final test was the ski tour up the Periades glacier (from approx 2400m) and the climb up the couloir to the Breche Puiseux (3432m) to access the Mont Mallet and Leschaux glaciers . (The couloir is just visible in the photo Periades02.jpg - top R quadrant, R of isolated rocks).

We had an amusing evening in their company and quickly realised after a dawn start that although age was not on our side, experience certainly was. The initial skin up the Periades glacier was straight forward but the couloir, always ascended in the past in soft conditions, proved to be a test for my calves and the sharpness of my front points! It had avalanched down to solid ice. I don't claim to be a serious mountaineer and can usually survive what ski mountaineering dishes up, however, wearing crampons with telemark boots is harder work than with a stiff soled boot. The 250 or so metres (unroped) behind a slower roped up group proved to be a real chore. No complaints! It was their party and certainly a good test of the group's ability. Once off the short abseil at the top there were some very relieved and adrenaline buzzed converts to ski mountaineering.

From this point in the Mt Blanc Massif there are good views of the Grands Jorasses (the classic Walker Spur) and the Dome de Rochefort. Sadly the ski down was in very heavy snow but the majesty of the surrounding mountains made up for it.

Thanks to Simon Greenleaf, Justin and his team!