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Grandes Rousses Traverse - Pic Bayle - Vaujany

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 kenr 17 Apr 2017
Had a great time today doing the classic traverse of the high peaks of the Grandes Rousses mountains E from Grenoble -- starting with big assistance from mechanical lifts.

Wild remote terrain, exciting ski descents, excellent views both near and far. And with sufficient expenditure on lift ticket purchase, not much uphill labor (not more 800 vertical meters).

My question: Why isn't this tour better known / more popular? The ski descents are more exciting than either the Three Cols (Chamonix / Grands Montets) or Glacier Gebroulaz (Vanoise / Les Trois Vallees). The views are better and sense of commitment greater than for Gebroulaz (and arguable greater commitment than the shorter popular Col du Passon variations of Three Cols).

My theory:
* The Grandes Rousses do not _look_ obviously spectacular from its edges or from a distance (visible from all over the northern French Alps).
* Lots of ski tourers see the commitment feeling as a negative not a positive.
* Alpe d'Huez / Vaujany have so many shorter off-piste descents (perhaps with short climbs to access) with a greater ratio of downhill payback for labor and access time.

The version I did (with purchase of a full lift ticket, not just randonneur pass), was to ride mechanical lifts all the way to the summit of Pic Blanc, then climb Pic Bayle, then descend the Quirlies glacier, then climb over Col Quirlies across the NE face of Pic de l'Etendard (which I had skied before starting from St Sorlin to N), to close to Col Barbarate. Then down a little N, and up to Breche de la Cochette. A short rappel, then a long descent with traverses to reach the pistes of Vaujany.

. . . (With purchase of only the randonneur ticket, the tour usually starts from Dome de Petites Rousses).

Ken
 Simon4 19 Apr 2017
In reply to kenr:

Must have been pretty close to you, skied up the Pic de l'Etandard.

Agree they are fine mountains, perhaps ni outstanding peaks other than the Aiguille d'Arves. We didn't have your solitude though!

You climbed the Aiguille d'Arves?
 DaveHK 19 Apr 2017
In reply to kenr:
I don't think that area is on so many Brits radar for touring. And maybe those that do go there are looking for less committing touring?
Post edited at 10:06
 Doug 19 Apr 2017
In reply to DaveHK:

Never skied there but did plan a several day walk through the area a few years ago, unfortunately I ended up with food poisoning from a dodgy meal in Grenoble the evening before I planned to start & spent two days vomiting before feeling well enough to get the TGV back to Paris

But one day, either on foot or ski....
OP kenr 19 Apr 2017
In reply to Simon4:
> skied up the Pic de l'Etandard.

Yes we saw lots of people doing that. Great thing about the Etendard is that you can view and recognized it from all over the northern French Alps (so then Pic Bayle is seen as "that boring summit just left of Etendard).

I said to my partner that the problem with starting from the Refuge de l'Etendard in late spring conditions is that you take the descent too _early_, so you ski down on frozen ice ruts. I did it car-to-car in a single day from St Sorlin, so I avoided that problem.

I also said that I would not do Etendard from the N / NE again, because most of the sections which are not ski-pistes, are long + gentle + boring. He said he also avoids doing the tedious Normal route, prefers the West ridge for climbing Etendard.

> You climbed the Aiguille d'Arves?

Not so far - (but those dramatic peaks are inviting).

Are there some interesting easy scrambling routes on them?
. . . (even better: a ridge traverse)
. . . ("easy" as in no non-Aid-able moves harder than euro 4b? No abseils more than 16 meters?)

I have _skied_ the Col des Aiguilles d'Arves from the East - (Not as good as people said). On that side for skiing, I prefer the S / SE face of the Aiguille d'Epaisseur.

Ken
Post edited at 12:41
 Simon4 19 Apr 2017
In reply to kenr:
I agree about descending too early - all sclattering over ice and ruts. We had gorgeous snow, just softened enough, also managed to keep polling to a minimum by taking a high traverse line round the lakes (viewed going down), and keeping going. There were certainly people on it, but never felt crowded.

I take the point about starting at St Sorlin d'Arves, but we actively wanted to stay in the hut to get some overnight altitude.

I haven't climbed the Aiguiles either, might look at it this Summer, given some success in the next few days. Haven't investigated routes on them yet.
Post edited at 17:21

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