Three days of beginner mountaineering in the Écrins with Franck, Adrien and Marion, from the Pic d’Arsine traverse to a snowy summit on Roche Faurio.
Franck, Adrien and Marion kick off the beginner mountaineering trips for summer 2016. It has been snowing regularly in the high mountains for two months, and conditions at altitude are excellent. Good karma: we catch the first proper window with an overnight refreeze, which makes progress considerably easier and lets us enjoy the experience to the full…
Days 1 and 2 — Glacier skills and the Pic d’Arsine traverse
After the first day’s glacier skills session, we head for the Pic d’Arsine. Rather than taking the usual normal route, we make the most of the good conditions to traverse via the south couloir, then follow the ridge to the Col du Glacier Blanc. A little more technical and more varied. A lovely introduction!
We have to plough through deeper snow from time to time, but never for long. At this early point in the season, the mountains are ours… Well, almost!
Day 3 — Roche Faurio and its snowy summit ridge
For the final day, given the amount of snow in the high mountains, we drop the idea of climbing the Dôme des Écrins. Instead, we head for Roche Faurio, all to ourselves today, with a memorable finish straddling the completely snow-covered summit ridge!
We descend with big grins, happy to have caught a few moments of magic up there!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 — Glacier skills and the basics
- Franck, Adrien and Marion begin their introduction to mountaineering with a glacier skills session. The first window of good overnight refreeze lets us discover the high mountains in favourable conditions.
Day 2 — Pic d’Arsine traverse
- We climb the south couloir of the Pic d’Arsine, then follow the ridge to the Col du Glacier Blanc. A varied route puts the new skills into practice, with a little deeper snow to plough through in places.
Day 3 — Straddling the ridge on Roche Faurio
- The amount of snow makes us abandon the Dôme des Écrins in favour of Roche Faurio. We have the summit to ourselves, with a memorable finish straddling the completely snow-covered summit ridge, before heading down with big grins.Beginner Mountaineering in the Écrins: Arsine and Roche Faurio
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