M-J came back from the hospital yesterday with a prescription for rest and paracetamol ... no big issue, so while she stayed at the chalet and Dominique went off for piste skiing, the rest of us headed out towards l'Ecot again, only this time up the footpath on the left hand side of the stream.
This footpath left from the car park at the very top of the village and out the back ... with immediate challenge of downhill skinning ... then meandered off through a boulder field.
The track was very much more interesting than the track, as it weaved in and out, up and down through the scrub and trees and mounds on the opposite bank to where we were the previous day.
The track exited from all the close shrubbery and things opened out more as we got higher ,,, passing by the house where the dog was having fun yesterday.
On the opposite side and taking the track up to the Evettes hut, were a party of three.. later to be two as one turned back. this was the route Bryon and I descended over 10 years ago.
It was interesting to see especially as it was close to how I remember our descent route, which was a struggle at the time.
Approaching l@Ecot from the other side gave a completely different view to last time ... there were more houses than we saw yesterday.
the same steeper section to get up to it though.
Taking a path up through the village, and past the church. I was heading for a similar place as yesterday ... perhaps a little higher as we were earlier ....
As we got up towards where we stopped yesterday, the snow was really hard ... it was very close to Crampon territory ... stepping out of the tracks became challenging on this surface, so after negotiating our sideslip surface from yesterdays departure that was it, and we called lunch time.
The descent was also far more challenging than the day before - probably the most challenging of all week.
The surface was crispy and rough where the over night frost had hardened the new tracks, and had a slight crust on the fresher snow,, which would not support a ski ... however we all got down to the track close to the house with the roof.
Now following the ascent route for a while ... traversing around the trail, we then scuttled down and over the stream where there was a large snowfield covering it, and back to the track side.
On the other side of the stream, we picked up the snowshoe trail running along the river in preference to the track ... I had not seen it on yesterday's descend, but this made for some interesting manoeuvres in and around the trees and boulders.
This track went on for quite awhile in much the same vein, with just enough gradient to keep going. It was also helped by the still icy nature of the snow from the over night frost, as opposed to yesterdays more powdery state.
Finally there was a climb out to the track involving some close relations with a bush, just to add more interest.
this was the final day .. so Lloyd took his skis and boots back to the hire shop with Katie and the remaining three of us took the now usual route back to the chalet.
Dry everything off and begin packing for tomorrow we return home
