Early start, today's route is described as a long flog in the summer; we were hoping that using skis would make it more interesting and also speed the descent.
The first section was to "ski" down onto the glacier.. it was a more of a traversing descent, but in the dark using head torches.
Once down on the glacier it was a just a matter of following the well marked trail heading up the very slight incline of the glacier.
Eventually we reached the final slopes as they steepened up to the col
From here we turned left and took the gentle slope heading ever upwards.
finally we could could determine the last slopes and the summit
The last steps and along the summit ridge would be done on foot, so we deposited the skis just below the rock band
The ridge was relatively wide and an easy walk to the high point.
The skiing back down to the col was a lot like much of the off-piste runs we had done at Les Grands Montets. We were soon back on the glacier, and looking back up to the col
Down the glacier was a long run reminiscent of the Valley Blanche. As we were coming down the clouds were gathering and closing on on the tops.
One last look up the valley, before we put the skins on and climbed up the slope to the hut. it was further than I remembered from the morning, and we were all very exhausted as we approached the hut, slowly one step at a time.Back at the hut we had a quick rest before heading off down the rat-trac to the ski area. From here, whether it was the pisted surface, or the addition Oxygen of the lower altitude, but we very quickly got back to the car. The weather was closing in all around.
After the night we had spent in Saas Grund earlier we chose to keep driving back to Chamonix and hope the weather had improved.
A quick meal in a restaurant in Argentiere and we were back at the camp-site in Les Praz. The snow had all gone and everywhere was dry. Time to recover from 2 days at over 4000m.