Wednesday and the weather was holding similar to yesterday - high cloud and
around freezing down in Beaufort, so would be lower higher up the valley.
Yesterday was vey much around introducing Toby to touring in a "safe"
environment where he could escape out onto the piste at anytime he felt
uncomfortable, as this was not required today we would extend the experience
by leaving the ski area behind and doing a small mountain tour. The aim was to
climb up to the col du Pre from where ever we could leave the van - I had
explored the road up the col on google street view and found some likely
spots. Previous experience had shown that if the road was clear we could get
up to the car park above Boudin, however if it was not then we may have to
start lower down or even in Areches.
At the hamlet of Boudin we stopped - there was a sign banning camping cars from
going any further up the road (I am not sure if the van is classed as one but
did not want to take a chance). By luck there were several parking spaces snowed
in beside some rubbish bins on the hairpin and we just fitted into on that was
cleared - see the end for more about this.
We walked down the track into the hamlet and past all the houses to a sign post.
The path left from behind a shed, and it looked like several skiers had been
that way a few days ago, so time to transition the skis for walking.
The path climbed gently around the corner of the hill, with pasture on the
slopes either side.
Continuing on the path around the hill heading for the depths of the gully.
Under some trees overlapping the path and onto the final corner where the combe
open up before us.
We had a choice here - we could climb up past the grass avalanche debris or take
a more circuitous route on the slope straight ahead and then around the back of
the chalet to reach the gulley from that side. There were tracks up both.
Steph took the lead as we worked around the combe and up the series of zigzags
up the slope ahead (prudence dictated our choice of routes)
We followed this trace up to the track that comes around the chalet from the
normal parking area on the col road. We had a slight descent to get to the base
of the combe (there were tracks leading into the woods but being unsure where
they would come out we stayed on what we knew)
In the depths of the combe we turned to climb up. Any trace of a previous trail
had been eradicated by the descent trails and Steph set off to make a new one.
The new powder made this very tiring and I took over about a third of the way
up.
We continued to beat a new trace up the powder - the gradient dictated by how
high the skis could be lifted to beat down a new step, as well as making sure
the skis did not slip back once the step was made.
I continued up the next third of the slope, until it lessened and we entered a
bowl.
Here we managed to find an old skinning trail (it was covered in spindrift, but
had a solid base). Toby took over the track making and we followed the old trace
as much as we could. We were aiming for the large rock on our current skyline,
this was the beginning of the end of the climb where it transitioned into the
col..
Past the large rock and continuing to zigzag around the bumps now heading for a
chalet looking over this edge of teh combe.
We reached the chalet that marked the easier ground beyond where the trace
meandered around the humps on the col.
The top of the col was marked by a restaurant (closed for winter) and a shed with a way marker in front, the shed contained information panels. We stopped here for an early lunch, and a brief chat about skiing in potential avalanche territory, before transitioning the skis ready for the descent.
Down to the chalet first off cleaning the ski bases and generally loosening up before the steeper sections. Down to the rock as the first "safe" stop.
Next the main steep section using a convenient tree, and down to above and to the side of the grass avalanches.
Around the danger zone and down to the track from the car park, before dropping down across the track to reach the next transitional paths (including the one we had come up on)
There was a slight climb on this track to reach the corner we had rounded on our initial ascent. Then it was onto the train track heading back to Boudin.
With steep slopes on each side we made judicious use of the powder and wider track points to manage the speed as well as an occasional snowplough. Toby had no choice but to straight line it.
Back at the hamlet we climbed off the skis where we had originally put them on and walked back to the van.
We were in the middle of cleaning the skis off when a local came up and asked why we were not parking in the parking area above. I think we had used his slot and he was more placated when we indicated first the sign about "camping cars interdit" and second that we were just leaving and he could move in. All in good nature and no bad feelings. back at the apartment early for a lazy afternoon (apart from Toby who needed an afternoon walk to keep up his daily step count - we would get him back tomorrow!
