Traverse to Evettes refuge, France

We got up early as today was going to be a very long day .. we had learned over the last two days that the snow pack became very soft in the afternoon and the risk of big avalanches was very high. So we aimed to be skiing down to the Evettes refuge, if not already at it by noon.  This would be a tall order and we would need top push all day.

Yesterday was a big step up on our fitness for this trip, but this would take it even further.

We dropped down to the lakes from the hut and put the skins on ...  this would be a repeat of the first part of the day before, up to the col, following the obvious lines - this time in the dark. It just started to get light as we reached this point.

From the col it was down into the next valley..  as this slope got a lot of sun it was a maze to pick out the previous tracks on hard icy snow. We first traversed left then zigzaged our way down to the glacier below.

Once on the glacier we started to follow the tracks, we needed to descend a little then cross over to the other side. However we went a bit too far down and had to put the skins on early and make our way back up to the bottom of the slope, luckily it was not too far.

The sun was now playing on our side of the glacier and was inching to the track. We could see that the slopes had slide tow or three times over the previous few days and were anxious to get up it before the sun came across properly.

The route went initially from left to right then back across to a false summit before heading on to the ridge line. We hit the steep section, which was quite sugary at the same time as the sun. It was unnerving to see the slides underneath us.

It was a great relief to get past the gullies that were the sources of all the slides and make it to the false summit. We paused for a while and took in the view back tot he route down the other side.

From here the gradient got a little easier, as we worked our way up to the ridge line. On the skyline you can make out the party in front of us .. we had been following them for two days and this was the closest we would come them.

Reaching the ridge line was a relief .. this meant we were now just a traverse away from the descent ...  the traverse looked reasonable, just a long, long way.

The traverse started with a slight descent, before a gradual climb across to the col Grand Mean.

The route across was hot and got hotter .. the full glare of the sun was on us all the way over, and we constantly looked at the slopes above and hoped we were early enough ...  looking back from the valley when we got down later in the week there had been a massive slide across the tracks...

At the col we were exhausted, but elated to have made it within our target time. the party in front had detoured up one of the little peaks at the head of the glacier, but we did not have time and prepared for the descent.

The initial descent was down onto the glacier proper, before cutting over tot he other side before it diverged into two different tracks. We headed over to the left hand one and dropped over the edge. The skiing was brilliant, a slight softness to the surface with a firm base.

Cutting down a couple of steep, exceedingly pleasant gullies, we headed down towards the flatness in the bottom of this hanging valley.

From here we crossed the mainly flat section to the lip that overlooked the valley down to Bonneville, before the final effort up to the hut ... these last sections always suck the last remaining energy out of you.

The hut was a welcome place indeed, and i was in desperate need to look after my feet ... I was severely blistered, and knew I would need time to repair them. The hut was like a prefab ...  but really cosy and welcoming. Because of the state of the snow we had arrived in time for lunch, so rosti all round washed down with a small beer.

Fantastic.