Our last beginner mountaineering course of the season in the Écrins: glacier skills, fresh snow on Roche Faurio and Pic d’Arsine with a lively group.
The last beginner mountaineering course of the year. The end of the season is in the air. Huts are starting to close, guides can only talk about holidays and get their meeting arrangements wrong, and snow is returning to the summits…
For this final group outing, I meet a cracking crew: Aurélie and Didier, Matthieu and Lise, Marine, and finally Aldric, who joins us 24 hours later after I make a spectacular mess of the arrangements. Sorry again, mate!
J1 — Glacier skills on Glacier Blanc
I take the not-yet-wild horde out to stomp around on the glacier, which is having a hard time this year. Unfortunately for it, we are not here to whisper sweet nothings. It will have to put up with hundreds of crampon points without a word of complaint…
This short glacier session lets us check that everyone is ready for what comes next and establish the group’s core values: obedience, individualism and self-denial. Quite a programme!
We are on time for a very civilised drink and politely get to know one another. We do not linger tonight. Tomorrow we are heading to Roche Faurio from the Glacier Blanc hut. It is a long haul, so we are getting up early!
J2 — Roche Faurio and a VIP glacier session
A beautiful night without a cloud on the horizon. After an easy first section on the path, we head into the heart of the glacier for some nocturnal acrobatics. It is quite broken up at this stage of the season. At least it keeps us awake!
From 3,000 m we find well-settled fresh snow. It is lovely to look at and much more pleasant to walk on than ice. The climb to Roche Faurio does not come easily to everyone, but everyone makes it.
Up there, we are delighted. The team ahead leaves us the summit all to ourselves. The mountain is deserted. What a treat! Lise experiments with power naps while the rest of us take in the view.
We are having a ball.
The descent goes smoothly and we reach the hut around 2.30 p.m., where a surprise awaits me: Aldric! I gave him the wrong meeting arrangements. To make sure he gets his session, I swap my nap for some one-to-one glacier practice. We take the opportunity to explore places that would be awkward with a group.
Back to the hut for a drink. The group is warming up nicely and things are much livelier than the previous evening. The rounds keep coming and soon we are the only people you can hear in the hut!
The winter room is mayhem tonight. At least twenty people, plenty of children and a few adults, some of them decidedly drunk… A short night, then.
J3 — Pic d’Arsine
To finish on something rockier and a little quieter, we head for Pic d’Arsine, my favourite summit! There is nobody in sight. We have the mountain to ourselves.
We reach the summit along the ridge. The fresh snow picks out the distinctive splits in the rock. It looks rather good like that. A lovely break at the top, with a view every bit as fine as yesterday’s…
You can find some of Matthieu’s photos on his Facebook page.
Thanks, everyone, for three days full of laughs!
Practical Info / Route Topo
J1 — Glacier skills
- A warm-up on Glacier Blanc to practise basic crampon technique and get to know the group.
J2 — Roche Faurio
- An ascent from the Glacier Blanc hut, time together at the summit, then a one-to-one glacier session with Aldric.
J3 — Pic d’Arsine
- Climbing the ridge to Pic d’Arsine to finish on rockier terrain.
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