Down the side of the resort at Areches, they have created a kind of permanent trail to snow shoe/ skin up.
There are two jumping off points at the top of the first section of lifts or the second section. We took the lower option and bought a one up ticket - we had noticed you do not need a pass to get back down again!
We walked over towards the ski de fond area (or where it would be if there was enough snow) .. and got ready to go up the track, which at the start looked not too bad .. plenty of traffic had packed the snow down and kept it from melting.
Up the open pasture to the trees and then through the woods besides the lower part of the piste.
As this came out towards the top of the last steep section before the station it got very bare ... grass skinning.
Then it was up the piste .. the steep rocky bit from yesterday.. we had to cross over a couple f times to keep from slipping on the hard snow.
the track should have gone into the woods on the other side but it was bare so we stuck to the piste for a while.
When we came out of the steep we cut over to the right and went through one of the usual "play grounds" and headed up to the ridge.
As we forced a track up through it got steeper, but also the snow became less consolidated and more corn like.
The turns got harder as the foot stability became less sure.. but after a few anxious moments we were all up the main slope and back into the woods round the other side of the ridge.
The top point was occupied so we passed on (down a green meadow) and up to the next summit.. where there was a view point and very convenient point for lunch with Mont Blanc as the backdrop.
Another green section and we were back onto the top play ground below the second lift station - a simpler climb with only a small sting in the tail.
From here it was back down the route from yesterday to the top of the bottom section of lifts and a ride down to the valley.
At the top we had played around with automatic picture facilities .. still a little rushed!
