Steeps!: Glacier Rond

Mon 24th: Our original plan yesterday was to ski the Glacier Rond before it got skied out but for various reasons we ended up touring. Last night Ryan and I decided to just go for it and we persuaded Tom Tom to join us. None of us had done it before but we were sure of the route. We knew the conditions would not be ideal but that we could rappel if necessary. I managed to beg another day off work (still worked the evening). Yes!

Target no. 3

Met them at the Midi at 8:10 (agreed 8am) to find I was late... What? They haven't opened it that early in months. We got on the second bin of the day along with Seth Morrisson and Nate Wallace. We headed straight off and started bootpacking to the Simond refuge. Whilst we were getting ready Seth, Nate +1 shot past. A brief chat revealed they were off to ski the untracked West couloir, a different exit to the standard Rond exit couloir. They said something about giving them some room although the speed they skied it meant we didn't need to bother.

Getting to the top wasn't too bad although it is pretty exposed. Had to kick turn above a massive drop. Then the first traverse was... very sketchy. No fresh snow was left at all from yesterdays dump, it had all sluffed off. At this point I really wished I'd sharpened my edges and that my skis weren't fully rockered. Made it to the spine where we slowly made our way down. Turning at 45-50 degrees on boilerplate with the occasional morsel of fluff was interesting. After a few turns my confidence was up so I pushed on ahead. The snow skiers' right looked far better so I traversed over -  again sketchy as. The snow was soooo much better. Nice linked turns without fear. Not untracked, but great snow.

Exposed entrance

Not an ideal place to kick-turn

Almost bulletproof first traverse, edging HARD

Spine

Tom Tom traversing back to the exit couloir

After a quick 15m rappel into the couloir we were left with refrozen cut up crud. But everyone's confidence was sky high having done the hard part. We made our way down, occasionally finding some shaded aspects that were still good and exited over the Bergschund and avalanche debris. 

Ryan at the top of the exit couloir

Quick rappel in

After that it was a matter of working our way through the Bossons glacier. Fresh, soft snow everywhere and an easy exit. The only hitch was a short rappel off an Abalakov thread from a serac. The exit couloirs and trees had some fantastic untouched snow and some fun pillow lines. My legs were knackered from yesterdays tour but they were too good to pass up. Had some fun popping off them until I could no longer turn. Made it back down the icy track to town. Easy.

Mini rappel down a serac

Tom Tom checking out Bossons glacier

Fun pillow lines 

All in all it was a massive confidence boost. That said I definitely wouldn't ski it again in conditions like that. It was a fun adventure once but it's not worth the added risk. It also left all three of us completely knackered. Amazing how much energy focus and tension saps.