Three days of ice climbing with Maxime: La Schappe in Briançon, Cervières and Les Formes du Chaos, catching up and tailoring each day to his progress.
Maxime is an old acquaintance! We first met three years earlier during a glacier skills session.
Max loves the mountains in all their forms. A few professional detours are keeping him away from the peaks for a while, but that does not stop him coming to sample our local icefalls for the very first time!
Luckily — or perhaps not, since he has to put up with the guide for three whole days! — Max has me to himself on this course. That naturally gives us more options than we would have with a group…
Day 1 — La Schappe in Briançon
After several hours on the road and a considerable detour because the Col du Lautaret is closed, Max makes a rather last-minute arrival in Briançon around midday.
I suggest a “concentrated” day. We head to the Parc de la Schappe to climb its artificial icefalls.
An unusual setting, with Briançon’s old town in the background, and surprisingly peaceful despite the city being so close…
We still manage around 200 m of climbing that afternoon. Enough to satisfy Max on his first day!
Day 2 — Peace and quiet in Cervières
No point kidding ourselves: it is Sunday, and we need to choose carefully if we want some peace!
I suggest Cervières, where there will be plenty for the two of us to play on.
A lovely day with the place to ourselves… and calves beginning to feel the effort!
Day 3 — Les Formes du Chaos
Max is doing very well indeed, and I would like to show him Les Formes du Chaos, that magnificent Hautes-Alpes classic.
The day begins with the guide spectacularly forgetting his crampons. Oops… Fortunately, the local hire shop soon puts that right!
Apparently, we are not the only ones who thought the icefall would be quieter on Monday than Sunday. But by coordinating sensibly with the other teams, everything runs smoothly and in good spirits!
Max enjoys the beauty of the icefall, which offers him little resistance.
The hardest part of the day turns out to be finding a sunny terrace for a drink!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 — La Schappe icefalls
- After Maxime arrives in Briançon, an introductory afternoon on the artificial icefalls in the Parc de la Schappe.
Day 2 — Cervières
- A quiet day of ice climbing, with the programme tailored to Maxime’s progress.
Day 3 — Les Formes du Chaos
- Climbing the classic icefall while coordinating with the other teams on the route.
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