Ski touring around Refuge de la Blanche in the Queyras: three powder-filled days exploring Châteaurenard, Col de la Noire and Sagnes Longues.
After 3 days of freeride skiing in powder snow from resorts in the Hautes-Alpes, we figure it might be nice to check out the powder in the Queyras! So we set off with Tor, Eddi, and Karl for a little ski trip, following the powder around the Refuge de la Blanche.
First Day
We’re out skiing. The lifts at Saint-Véran are calling to us. From the top of the resort, after a short but excellent run through the powder on the south-facing slope, we head to Pic de Châteaurenard for a picnic break. The weather is on our side—much better than expected! The snow has remained excellent for skiing on all aspects.
Today's little treat: the first tracks beneath Pic Traversier—not so bad, as they say!
A night of heavy drinking in the cozy Refuge de la Blanche—my friends are great on skis and at happy hour!
Day Two
We're starting to lose track of time after all these kilometers of beautiful descents... and today, once again, we're not disappointed!
A day in two parts. Col de la Noire: a perfect run, with an ascent in the blue of the morning and a descent that was half in the shade, half in the sun... Everyone seems to be finding pure, crystalline happiness today, without a trace of pretense...
The reasons each of us is here, shouting with joy in the snow, are all unique. Having known each other for five days now, we communicate less, but better. Friendship is taking root. Some deeply emotional confidences give these moments an almost religious quality. Precious moments!
The first run ends on the refuge's terrace with a hearty meal.
More oceans of powder await us this afternoon, which is a perfect replica of the morning, with skiers who are a little more tired but excited by the promise of another perfect run.
And it's divine... some wine and génépi—a little too much again tonight!
Day Three
We set out from the shelter toward the Sagnes Longues, the highest point of the trip at over 3,000 meters. The undulating traverse across the cirque is magnificent, glistening in the sunlight! Then the slope steepens until it reaches the long, increasingly flat summit ridge, characteristic of Sagnes Longues.
The wind is really whipping us around... With gusts reaching 80 km/h, we're getting tossed about a bit... Strangely enough, the summit is sheltered from the wind, and it's like we're in the eye of the storm.
From our vantage point, we can see several groups heading up toward us... We're a little ahead of them, so we get to be the first ones on the trail today!
The skiing was just as good as the previous days—nothing to complain about!
After our traditional restaurant outing, the return to civilization was a bit complicated, with a whole mix of problems: a car that wouldn't run, poorly booked flights, train tickets rescheduled by a day... In short, a chaotic mess that my three friends faced with good humor!
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