Part 1: Assorted Episodes in the Ecrins: A Backcountry Adventure in the Southern French Alps.
The opportunity finally presented itself.
Some calls were made, the idea pitched, a crew assembled.
Wed be based in Chantemerle, one of the quaint villages in the Serre Chevalier ski area.
Its extensive and well-spaced larch forests are home to some of Europes finest tree-skiing.
The concentration of quality diversions in this area is therefore rated high to very high.
We began in Serre in far from ideal conditions.
The worst hed ever seen in January said Joe.
Remaining vertical was a challenge:
The wind was in fact our only hope of finding good snow.
Despite the challenging conditions, it was a great day to start the trip.
The terrain in Serre Chevalier was evidently excellent; we just needed some fresh snow to jazz it up.
The next day we bombed over the pass to Joes home patch La Grave.
The terrain here is massive- as big as anywhere in the world.
Joe points out some of the classic lines pioneered by Coombs, himself and others back in the day.
At the halfway point of the lift, you help yourself to free Yogi tea.
We lowered Kene into a crevasse and a mini gap-session broke out!
It’s a little melodramatic for my tastes, but they certainly are beautiful.
Moon is the giant bear-dog that belongs to Philippe, the owner of the awesome restaurant at 3200m.
Each of his paws must measure 15cm across.
Chipie gets ready for lunch at the atypical but awesome mountain restaurant.
Dress code: smart-casual-mountaineer.
Stay tuned for part 2 & 3 in the coming weeks.
