A final ski touring day with Max in Abriès: a couloir on Pelvas, Maït d’Amunt’s northwest face and lovely cold-snow descents beneath the watchful Viso.
From the Col d’Urine to the Pelvas Corridor
A leisurely start as the Abriès lifts opened—they were completely deserted! We made our way effortlessly to the bottom of the Urine Valley, then on to the pass. Max has the big one today and is taking the opportunity to get his heart rate up a bit. “239,” says the watch! Luckily, it was calories!
From the pass, I catch a glimpse of the northeast face of Pelvas, which I hadn’t planned to climb but which could be a great goal for today. Plus, there’s already a good trail, and the snow looks good. Max is all for it right away!
A beautiful climb with skis strapped to our packs, and the snow looked promising. We stopped 50 meters below the summit, at a great spot for a picnic. The rest of the way up didn’t seem feasible to me without at least some gear!
Enjoy the descent down this couloir, which is still covered in cold snow—you can really let loose under the watchful eye of Mount Viso!
La Maït d’Amunt: A Grand Finale
Now we’re ready to tackle the rest of the day! It’s a beautiful day—it would be a shame not to make the most of it! I suggest to Max that we climb up to Maït d’Amunt and ski down the northwest face, one of the most beautiful runs in the Queyras.
The climb back up is magnificent. Behind us lies Pelvas, which we’ve just skied down; Viso, of course, reigning over the landscape; and 2,500 meters below our ski tips, the Po Valley battling the gray skies! It feels so good up here on our vantage point!
Max truly savors these moments! I'm happy to be part of his happiness (and mine, too!).
After 100 meters of slightly undulating terrain, we hit some nice, packed powder again. I let Max take the lead and enjoy this little gift from La Maït! It was a blast all the way down!
Thank you, Max, for following me (almost) blindly, for placing all your trust in me, and for giving me the freedom to adapt to the mountain as best I could!
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