Four days in the Écrins with Alain and Tristan, linking Ailefroide Orientale and the Pelvoux traverse, from their first snow couloir to the high glacier.
I’d come down from Roche Émile Pic that very day, wrapping up a brilliant few days around Glacier Blanc with Pascal and Jacques. Straight back up I went to the Sélé hut to meet Alain and Tristan. Our plan for four days in the Écrins was to climb Ailefroide Orientale and traverse Pelvoux. The first crux for a tired guide was dodging the fatal ambush in Raoul’s kitchen…
Day 2 — Ailefroide Orientale via the couloir
Conditions are incredible. We put our crampons on below the hut and keep them on all the way to the summit. Tristan and Alain get their first taste of the magic of a snow couloir, armed with two ice axes each. They’re having a ball! We’re still a long way from the summit and already grinning.
Above the couloir we get back into a good rhythm. A quick break before the banana-shaped slope, then off we go up that wonderful curve of snow. Just a few steps to the summit dome… and there we are on top of Ailefroide Orientale! You can feel what it means to everyone. It’s warm, the views go all the way round, and we could happily stay up here. I bump into my mate and neighbour Tibo, who ends up joining us for Pelvoux too.
We descend the ledges, following the usual summer route through one of Ailefroide Orientale’s buttresses. We take off our crampons for a few rocky sections. Below the ledges the snow has softened, so we slide down a broad couloir without crampons, all the way to just below the hut. Nice and easy!
Day 3 — Meeting at the Pelvoux hut
Alain and Tristan spend a second night at the Sélé hut to finish acclimatising. We agree to meet at the Pelvoux hut the following day for the next part of the trip.
Day 4 — The Pelvoux traverse
The Pelvoux traverse is in exceptional condition for the time of year too. Well, why wouldn’t it be? We put on crampons 50 metres above the hut. Before the Sialouze hump, the scree and slabs that are usually a bit of a slog in the dark are covered by pleasant snow slopes. Alain and Tristan are going well. Tibo, our resident photographer, orbits us and shoots from every angle.
We reach the summit of Pointe Puiseux early. Another big moment for everyone. We’d happily make it last forever, but a breeze is getting down the backs of our jackets and we still have a long way to go.
Coming down the Pelvoux glacier plateau feels like hanging between earth and sky. Then comes the big plunge towards the valley. That day, a single step takes us across the nasty old crevasse that’ll have climbers doing acrobatics later in the season. A few abseils later we take a good break in the sun and do our best to lighten the packs by eating what’s in them.
There’s still plenty of snow, so we try the winter descent. It’s fun to get off the beaten track! A few grassy steps lead to the famous Ailefroide ledges, where we need to keep our wits about us. From there the path takes us straight to the bar terrace, without missing a beat.
Alain and Tristan, I had three excellent days with you. I loved our time together. The easy enthusiasm you bring to the mountains, the moments we shared, your sense of wonder and your good humour throughout are some of the best rewards a guide can ask for. Thank you, and here’s to another trip next year!
Practical Info / Route Topo
J1 — Up to the Sélé hut
- I meet Alain and Tristan at the Sélé hut to get ready for Ailefroide Orientale and Pelvoux.
J2 — Ailefroide Orientale
- Alain and Tristan climb their first two-tool snow couloir. We reach the summit in sunshine and descend the ledges to the Sélé hut.
J3 — Meeting at the Pelvoux hut
- After Alain and Tristan spend a second night at the Sélé hut, we meet at the Pelvoux hut.
J4 — Pelvoux traverse
- We reach Pointe Puiseux, cross the glacier plateau and take the winter descent to Ailefroide, with Tibo along for the day.
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