On Col de Cristaux the day before we'd seen two people skin past us late in the afternoon to the Col des Courtes. It had been Oskar. Apparently the conditions were amazing all the way with a tiny section of hard snow at the top.
Lukas agreed to join me and we set off early doors. I had my reservations and had made them known. So did he. Usually I'm with someone with more mountain experience than me but this time I was the experienced one. The second top bin left us with plenty of time as the face never gets any sun. Still we made quick progress. We arrived at the base to find one person on it about half an hour in front. We transitioned and began the boot pack.
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| Glacier gal Lukas |
Col des Courtes / Point Eales is a very steep and imposing face with a nice big rock band in the middle. It also currently has a monstrously big open bergschrund at the bottom. We crossed the large snowbridge + step over the bergschrund and began up. The long boot pack gave us plenty of time to think about where we were. It didn't matter that the conditions were perfect - the no fall zone was definitely playing in the back of our heads. Lukas was increasingly nervous and as we reached the rock band said he wanted to turn back. I'd been keeping my nerves in, but was actually a little relieved to turn back.
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| We made it up to where the red line crosses the rock band |
The transition was interesting. The slope was even more convex due to the rock band so was over the stated 50 degrees. Lukas was bricking it (moi aussi) so I told him to make a step and wait for me. I built a step, buried my axe as an anchor for some confidence and carefully transitioned. It took a good few minutes and some interesting stretching moves to clear the balls of ice from my tech inserts but I made sure I was safe, packed my gear and then set about getting Lukas ready. Using my shelf, with some help clearing the large amount of ice off his boots and clipping in and he was sorted and much happier now on skis. So was I.
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| Getting sluffed from above |
The descent was epic. One of my best ever. The only blip was nerves getting the better of me on the first turn and managing to slightly cross my skis. I recovered easily but still, not easily forgotten. What followed was the steepest sustained terrain I've skied, in fantastic snow. Wide linked turns all the way down, stopping only to let my sluff go by and to take a few snaps. Lukas followed with some proper wide freeride turns. We crossed the Bergschrund and got clear of the face with massive grins.
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| Me enjoying the wicked snow |
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| Lukas following down |
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| Looking back on our tracks on the mellower section |
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| Lukas crossing the bergschrund |
In hindsight I wish we'd kept going. The snow was sublime and the boot pack wasn't technical, just exposed. The part that had scared me most - the transition - had been easy in the end, if incredibly nerve wracking. Still, I wasn't going to push Lukas / myself with the lingering doubt in my mind. We still got well over half way up with some wicked turns on the way down. And well... hindsight is most definitely a cruel mistress.
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