May Day ski touring with Pierre in the Queyras: 30 cm of fresh snow on pic de Châteaurenard, a welcome sunny break and powder turns all the way to the car.
An unusual first of May starts with 5 cm of snow at home! Pierre has come to ski, so he’s hardly complaining! The poor souls selling lily of the valley along the roadside probably weren’t quite as pleased!
As predicted by the holy weather oracles, it has snowed and it’s still snowing. On the road towards Saint-Véran, we find 10 cm, then 20 cm as we arrive at Pont-Lariane... This is looking rather promising! Hardly anyone at Pont-Lariane today: understandable, really, as these conditions dampen the enthusiasm a little!
From col Longet to pic de Châteaurenard
We first climb to col Longet in rather limited visibility! Then we cross onto the south-facing slopes to reach pic de Châteaurenard... We’re up to 30 cm of fresh snow, and breaking trail takes some effort, especially as the wind has packed the snow down on this side. Anyway, that keeps us busy all morning.
While we get ready and grab a bite, the sun starts breaking through the clouds. We weren’t asking for that much! A proper powder jackpot could be on the cards!
A powder couloir for May Day
We approach the entrance to the couloir cautiously. Things feel good, with no concerning signs of instability. Then it’s total powder indulgence: snow flies up our noses and we can let rip... What a blast!
Not a single turn wasted. We savour every one all the way back to the car, delighted to have made the most of this little return to winter!
Thanks, Pierrot, for being 200% on board with the guide’s style and improvised plans! See you next time!
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