With Romain and Thierry, a traverse from Pointe Cézanne to Pic d’Arsine: soft snow, mixed climbing and sweeping views on our alternative Écrins outing.
Our trip with Romain and Thierry is all about changes of plan!! We originally intended to climb the Meije Orientale and the Doigt de Dieu, but the latest news from up there isn’t encouraging: deep snow to plough through on the approach and very dry faces…
So off we go for Plan B in the Glacier Blanc area. The traverse from Pointe Cézanne to Pic d’Arsine is a beautiful alternative, definitely one for early season when there’s plenty of snow! Today’s overnight freeze isn’t particularly good, though: we’re in for some serious wading, with a few “holes” almost swallowing us whole!
We carry on to Pic d’Arsine anyway, and even a little farther along the ridge, with some interesting mixed moves. For a moment, we consider continuing to the Pic du Glacier Blanc, but more deep snow puts us off… And we’ve already enjoyed plenty of views throughout the traverse!
Today’s conditions and tomorrow’s forecast lead me to abandon the planned traverse from Roche Paillon to Émile Pic. We’ll choose a rock climb instead. Back to the Glacier Blanc hut for a proper feast and an afternoon of recovery!
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