Hut to hut in the Thabor massif – Day 3/3 (April 14-2013)

For day one click here.

For day two click here.

The weather report announced really warm weather and wet snow avalanches had been pretty active yesterday in the pm so we figured we had two good reasons to get up a bit early, the second one being not missing out on the spring corn...We left the the I Re Magi hut at 7 and started skinning north up the Vallée Etroite and then west and south towards the Col du Vallon (2645m).  The trail started off pretty flat then got quite steep which allowed us to gain elevation a lot more efficiently than the two prior days. We were at the pass at about 10 and from there we had a wide open view towards Vellée de Clarée.

Below is our route with the day 3 route in yellow:

Topo map: 3535OT (French IGN reference)

Dominating direction: NE then SE

Starting elevation: 1780m

Pass elevations : 2645 (Col du Vallon)

End elevation: 1603m (Névache)

Click here for Laurent's photos and videos.

Here are some of my pictures of day 3 (click to enlarge):

Early start to beat the heat...

Looking back on the village and the hut

Looking back on Vallée Etroite with the village on the valley floor
 and Sestriere (2006 Winter olympic venue) in the distance.

Laurent working his way up

Lots of space and large features...

A break on the way up

Frank giving free reign to his exebhisionistic tendencies...

Really worth coming back for...

First sighting of the Col du Vallon

From Col du Vallon, looking down onto the "other side"

From Col du Vallon a view of the Mont Blanc in the distance (with max zoom)

All sorts of skiable terrain...

First avalanche from the prior day, we are glad to be here early. Click to enlarge
 to see the scale against Jean Marc who is practiclty at the end of the run off. 

They have broken all the way down the valley...

...and this is where you thank someone for still being around...

From left to right: Laurent, Pierre, Jean Marc and Frank

Last stretch on skis...

...and on foot...

...and back to Névache where it all started three days ago.

Hut to hut in the Thabor massif – Day 2/3 (April 13-2013)

For day one click here.

We left the Refuge des Drayéres at 8 and started skinning east towards the Col des Muandes (2828m).  The trail was pretty flat but also pretty long so mileage was more of a delaying factor than elevation gain. We were at the pass at about 10:30 and from there we had a wide open view towards Italy. This day we got to make up for the lack of skiing from day one.

Below is our route with the day 2 route in black (click to enlarge):

Topo map: 3535OT (French IGN reference)

Dominating direction: NE then SE

Starting elevation: 2180m

Pass elevations : 2828 (Col des Muandes)

Hut elevation: 1780m (Refugio I Re Magi)

Here are some pictures of day 2 (click to enlarge):

Jean Marc, Laurent and Frank bright and early

Wide open spaces...

Yours truly

You get enough time out there to get into the zen of the mountain

Skinning some more...

...in surroundings where you can find an infinite amount of appealing lines...

...and amazing winter landscape.

This one is here just because...

...and this one too.

At the Col des Muandes with a view into Italy.

Starting to make up for no downhill ski yesterday.

Jean Marc plying his trade...

...and Frank too

Nice Aiguille

To the left Pointe Balthazar - to the right Pointe Melchoir,
 and, as I found out later from an Italian guide: in the middle
Couloir de la  Gallina. I will have to come back for that  one.

This is where we stopped for lunch...

...for which both Jean Marc and Frank brought a bottle of Graves and some cheese...

Enough sitting around, back to work...

View into Vallée Etroite at the bottom if which we'll find the hut.

Refugio I Re Magi which translates into the three wise men. The three peaks
 dominating it to the West are: Pointe Gaspard (2808m), Melchoir (2948m)
and Balthazar (3153m).

The expedition staff...

Grand Séru at the end of the Vallée Etroite.

This is what it looks like when an avalanche runs out from Pointe Gaspard.

Entrée...

Main course of polenta and sausages... A fitting end to any ski day.

Hut to hut in the Thabor massif – Day 1/3 (April 12-2013)

On April 12th three friends and I went out on a three day hut to hut in the Thabor massif (french southern alps) that took us in to Italy where we never missed the opportunity to eat or drink something or other…

There were four of us: Laurent, Jean Marc, frank and myself.

We left Annecy at a reasonably comfortable 8 am and took a three hour long “road trip” south through the tunnel of Fréjus into Italy via Bardonecchia and then back into France driving towards our departure valley: Vallée de la Clarée and the village of Névache. While in Italy we of course stopped for coffee even though we were short on time; some priorities are not to be messed with…

Below is our route with day 1 in black, day 2 in yellow and the last day in red (click to enlarge):

Topo map: 3535OT (French IGN reference)

Dominating direction: Day 1: NW – Day 2: NE then SE – Day 3: NW then S

Starting elevation: 1603m

Hut elevation: Day 1: 2185m, day 2: 1780m

Pass elevations : Day 2: 2828 – Day 3: 2645m

Access by car:

From Annecy drive south through Albertville then onto St Pierre d’Albigny  and Vallée de la Maurienne towards Modane till the tunnel of Féjus. In Italy pass Bardonecchia and follow the signs to France then to Vallée de la Clarée and stop at the parking lot at the entrance of Névache (1620m). Trail access is across the road that you passed turning into the parking lot.

Here are some pictures of day 1, I'll post the more interesting days 2 & 3 shortly (click to enlarge):

Last preparations in the parking lot at Névache by my new "skimobile"

From left to right: Laurent, Frank and Jean Marc

Things are getting serious - no more kidding around...

Laurent crossing that bridge when he got there...

In the center a tasty looking line that I may have top come back for...

To infinity and beyond... The first day is all work: 10 miles and
no skiing, it sure felt like infinity.

Finally! Refuge des Drayères in sight

Jean Marc and Laurent arriving to the hut

Sunset on the valley, this was taken from the hut's deck

G'night - Yours truly, hobbit feet and all...