UKC

I'm heading out to Alpes D'huez in late January for a ski trip & some of us were planning on taking our mountaineering gear so that we could spend a day or two exploring on foot.

We aren't really looking for ice climbs etc, more like moderate hikes / scrambles

Can anyone suggest any suitable routes or suggest where to look? I've done a bit of googling and most of what I have found is aimed at families & total novices.

I have ordered the IGN map of the area & also have it covered on my Garmin GPS so hopefully navigation won't be too much of a problem.

Thanks in advance

In reply to Ryan Parle: the problem will most likely be the snow. You would be wallowing in lots of it on anything shallow and from memory there isn't really anything around there that looks ridge like enough to not have snow and be a January objective.

There is a reason people go skiing at that time of year.

There are some ice climbs in the resort but not sure they regularly form anymore?

In reply to smithaldo:



True, but snowshoeing (raquetting) is a viable alternative, if the party does not have ski-touring (ski de rando) skills. Nothing like as good or flexible, but is at least viable. Raquettes (and with some more greater difficulty and a LOT more cost, ski-rando kit), can be hired locally.


Need to check (typically on IceFall.com or Camptocamp) if they are there, if it is a dry year, the lakes that overflow to form them are frequently drained to supply the snow cannons.

In reply to Ryan Parle:

If you don't have touring skis, buy, borrow or hire snow shoes if you want to walk (assumming the snow arrives, there's not much of it at the moment)

In reply to Doug:


The Charteuse looks completely dry, but the Belledonne looks to have a certain amount.

But being there, you are probably a lot better informed than me just looking at webcams and meteo.

In reply to Simon4:

stuck in Paris looking at webcams, etc

In reply to Doug:

So no different to being stuck in London then!

Did have a glorious walk and scramble over frost-glazed rocks in the Lake District this weekend, in dazzling sunshine and clear cold air though. And a fantastic walk along the chalk cliffs of the Aiguilles des Sussex coast, in a deep freeze before that.

Who needs the Alps?

Lots of steep exposed terrain around there.
Just because you're out on snowshoes instead of skis doesn't mean you can ignore Avalanches.

late January is a high-probability season for (big) unexpected unpredictable avalanches
. . . (TG = Temperature Gradient snow)

Ken

In reply to kenr:


Which is a good argument for carrying avalanche kit, i.e. transiever, shovel, probes. But not thinking that these will somehow make you immune to an avalanche, you still need to think about risks, slope angles, forecasts etc.

Not sure how many snowshoers actually do carry the kit.

In reply to Ryan Parle:

I spent a couple months skiing there and not once got bored. Didn't see anything that I thought would be a nice walk either!

Avalanches are a serious risk off-piste there, a lot of it is in the prime angle range.

In reply to Simon4:

I'm in Serre Chevalier, not so far from Alpe d'Huez and have been out skiing a couple of times at the Col du Lautaret. There is a lot of snow around above 1800m. Best start to winter for 10 years or more. Look at meteofrance and follow the links for avalanche and snow conditions and you'll also find a synopsis of weather history and snow depths. The ski resorts seem to exaggerate snow depth and sunshine for obvious reasons, but I certainly descended 500m of 30cm depth powder from 2500m yesterday.
Have a day, half day or evening (head torches) on snowshoes . The resort will have marked trails, hire options and guided groups. Don't think too ambitiously about mountaineering objectives. Things are pretty serious in winter, requiring avalanche kit. To go out a few times on snowshoes, you probably need bring no extra for your ski holiday other than walking boots and a day ruck sack that you can strap them to.

In reply to Ryan Parle:

I've been snowshoeing a couple of times out of Alpe D'Huez a couple of times. The pisted trails are great for the final sprint for the last lift, but other than that not really interesting.

There are some okish routes around but it is primarily a ski resort and doesn't really offer much more.
There are a few bits of ice around that have been formed, but I have tended to be there in mid-late Feb.

In reply to Stairclimber:
Hmm, looks pretty damn bare to the West of the Col du Lautaret, Alpe d'Huez looks like Reading with French concrete ski architecture. Monetier les Bains and the domaine Nordique at Serre Chevalier look pretty thin or just plain dry too.

Sept Laux and Chamrouse as ski resorts, er just aren't!

Any idea if ice routes are in on the East side of the Ecrins?

In reply to Stairclimber:

One good thing about it being so dry is that the avalanche risk is pretty low.

No need for transceivers or shovels. Or raquettes for that matter, trainers will do nicely!

In reply to Simon4:
I was out with stair climber on a few tours and the snow high up is good, and a very good start to the season, most of the ski resorts around here are open and above the first lifts its good, are you basing it on a local view or webcams?

it is very warm in the day at the moment, climbing with tops off at Raff today really nice,

as for ice they have started to get the artificial ice wall in L'Argentiere ready it is looking ok and starting to form well, Not being any where else to have a look yet.

In reply to Simon4:

Yes for now
but the problem with such a thin early season is that it tends to cause a vicious Temperature Gradient TG snowpack when we do actually get some snow. Which could result in a big very weak underlying layer for many weeks into the snow season:
dangerous big unpredictable Avalanches.

Ken

In reply to Simon4:

Below 1800m there's grass due to the deluge of rain a couple of weeks ago, but above there are copious amounts of snow. It is possible to ski down to the road at Monetier due to the artificial snow that's recently been made. Great job done and a glorious red run. Superb early season conditions above, although the entry to the Yret off piste below the chairlift isn't great. No personal experience of Alpe 2ez but don't be put off by looking at scenes of relatively low areas. No low snow means easy driving conditions. Incidentally, an opportunity was missed today. Serre Chevalier offered skiing first and pay whatever you like afterwards. If that wasn't good enough, free hot drinks and pastries before and after skiing.

In reply to ecrinscollective:


Webcams, thinking of arranging something for the week after New Year. Would tend to be to the West of the Ecrins rather than the East though.

In reply to kenr:



Yes, I believe that was the case last year.