Grand Mont, France

New years day ... time for the traditional tour up to Grand Mont ...  a bit of a drive around to Beaufort but a good day for the trip.
Knowing that the road had a diversion on it then we chose to go via Les Saisses (up and over then down into Beaufort). bypassing the diversion...  however this did take some time to get there. We did take the opportunity to pick up a group ticket in Beaufort and save some euros and also time at the caisse.
the big obstacle for us was the time. There was still four lifts to get to the col, all that took more time.
It was nearly 1 pm by the time we were putting on the skins and readying for the start.
The initial rise for the the top of the drag lift to the fist shoulder was simple enough but a stark warning that the  ground was hard and icy. Getting across to the main col was even trickier (as this happens on traverse with a potential slide if the skis do not grip). Those of the party with the Fritschi swing crampons were laughing at me with the traditional clip-ons (even if the binding was newer!). So at the col they went on and stayed on, despite the approaching long flattish traverse to come.

The step following the col has a couple of kick turns on it, but with the crampons in action proved to be tame .. then we were into the bowls of the traverse. Still hard packed and I would have better glide without the crampons, however I knew they would be needed again shortly.

At the point where the track splits ...  one side going to the top of Grand Mont and the other to the col, I was worried about time ...  I wanted to make sure we got down with out pressure to leave the resort or even to make the last chair down.
So we headed for the col...  directly into the sun.

The col proved a good choice ..  the wind was fierce and blowing across the col .. the side with the little bump to the left was sheet ice as a result of sun and wind.

We did not stay there long, and after the compulsory photos headed back down to try and find some where out of the wind for lunch.

skiing down was a mixture of traversing side slip and some turns when the little powder deposits were found.

the sun shining off the icy surface made good pictures though.

Back down to the col and break for lunch ...  nowhere else had been out of the wind.

After this it was back on the piste ...  we dropped all the way down the bowls on this side and took a lift up to get over the other side.

From the top of the chair lift we played in all the "old" play grounds we knew from past visits.
then drop down on the chair to the car park and the long journey home... although this time via the valley bottom and the straighter faster roads.

A good day skinning and exercise, and we saw the Grand Mont in another (different) light