Three days of ski touring between Lautaret and Chardonnet: Saharan sand, strong winds and good turns together, with a night at the Chardonnet hut.
François, Laurent and Thomas haven’t exactly arrived in a spell of settled weather! Still, it would take more than that to dampen their enthusiasm and good humour. We’re not going to let a few drops of rain spoil things!
Day 1 — Col de Laurichard and a touch of Roland-Garros
For this first day of ski touring, we head as high as possible to reach the elevation where rain turns to snow. Yes, that still happens! A chance to brush up on the basics and warm up the legs before the next two days. Strangely enough, crowds aren’t a problem today! We set off from the Col du Lautaret towards Col de Laurichard.
The tour begins with 200 metres of ascent on sand-coloured snow: thanks, sirocco! One group comes down the Laurichard valley; they’re the last people we’ll see all day. Sheltered from the wind in the valley, we watch the clouds occasionally part to reveal ghostly glimpses of the surrounding mountains. No sweeping views, but plenty of atmosphere.
A few final kick turns below the col, followed by a picnic tucked into the cornice after a little snow excavation. All in a day’s work!
The descent turns out to be surprisingly decent… until we reach the Roland-Garros layer, where things get very sticky.
Day 2 — Off to the Chardonnet hut
We cast off for two days in the mountains, with a night at the comfortable Chardonnet hut. The weather hasn’t improved, and the wind gives us a good buffeting at every col.
There’s just enough snow left on the approach via L’Alpe du Lauzet, with only a short section carrying the skis… but it won’t last much longer! I choose the northern Col du Chardonnet: a little steeper — good kick-turn practice! — but less exposed to the wind than the ridge.
No outdoor picnic today. The wind encourages us to head straight for the hut, where we enjoy a proper bite to eat before a well-earned nap!
Day 3 — Pic du Demi and navigation at the Chardonnet
We retrace our route with a little extra: Pic du Demi, right next to Pic Ombière… Names that sound suspiciously like beer references to a group of beer enthusiasts!
We enjoy some good turns on Pic du Demi whenever the visibility allows, followed by an even livelier crossing of Col du Chardonnet than yesterday. The wind has picked up — gusts of 80 km/h! — and visibility is down to the bare minimum. A chance for me to revisit some classic navigation skills, map and compass in hand.
Once we’ve found the col, we don’t hang around. We drop into the slopes leading back towards the Ponsonnière valley and even find some very good skiing! Below 2,300 metres, things deteriorate: the snow is soaked and full of sand. Time to invent some new techniques for skiing this unusual substance!
Challenging conditions, but we made the most of them and shared some good turns along the way. Perhaps we’ll do it again next year!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 — Col de Laurichard
- A warm-up tour from Col du Lautaret, with kick-turn practice, a sheltered picnic in the snow and a descent onto Saharan sand-coloured snow.
Day 2 — Chardonnet hut
- Ascent via L’Alpe du Lauzet and a windy crossing of the northern Col du Chardonnet, followed by a night at the hut.
Day 3 — Pic du Demi and return
- A detour to Pic du Demi, a return crossing of Col du Chardonnet in gusts of 80 km/h, then a descent towards the Ponsonnière valley.
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