Ski touring in the Queyras: three days around Refuge de la Blanche, from the Tour des Toillies to Vallon du Longet, between France and Italy.
Last year, François, Tom, and Laurent came for three days of ski touring between Lautaret and Cerces. The weather window we had was interesting, to say the least, with red snow at every elevation and some slightly challenging pass crossings!
This year, we’re setting our sights on the Cerces again, but from the Maurienne side. The weather window looks much better than last year… but at the last minute, those so-called weather oracles flip-flop—the bastards! All hands on deck—we’re not going to let this get us down! Off to Queyras, where the weather window seems wide open. It’s a long drive for the three guys coming from Paris… but this change of plans puts our second Laurent back in the running (from Massilia).
Day 1: To the Refuge de la Blanche via the Pic de Châteaurenard and the Traversier
After climbing the Pic du Demi last year, not far from the Pic Ombière, we’re going to spend two nights at the Refuge de la Blanche to stay true to our beer-themed adventure!
To make up for the time spent getting ready, we take the Saint-Véran ski lifts, which gives us inexpensive access to the Pic de Châteaurenard for a quick snack at 3,000 meters!
After a short warm-up run, we head back up to Pic Traversier. Our slightly off-schedule timing means we have the place all to ourselves up there.
Even though we got a little late to the party, the snow is still excellent on this southwest face. In the last 100 meters before the road, it does start to feel a bit like water skiing, though!
A leisurely hike back up to the mountain hut, where we enjoyed the terrace—still bathed in sunshine—with a few rounds of well-deserved cervezas. Just what we needed to get ready for a nap!
Day 2: Tour des Toillies
Well, you can't say that the so-called "prophetic oracles" completely lied to us today... but still, they were a little too optimistic. Nothing catastrophic for us, and let's face it, compared to last year, we've got some breathing room!!
Our goal for the day: the Tour des Toillies, that slender rocky pyramid that towers over the Blanche Valley—a sort of mini-Matterhorn! To get there, we’ll have to cross the Col Blanchet, ski into Italy, climb back up to the Col de la Noire, and finish with a descent to the mountain hut.
We find our stride as we climb Col Blanchet while Lolo does interval training.
From Col Blanchet, we head down into Italy. Of course, the snow hasn't settled today... which shakes up our socks a bit. But the snowpack is relatively smooth in this area and the slope is gentle, so we can still enjoy some good skiing.
We ski down to the lake, where we begin the ascent back toward France via a somewhat steep couloir that we traverse with our skis strapped to our packs (except for Lolo, who takes the opportunity to practice turning with his boots laced tight!). We’re overtaken by an Italian skier who appears out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly. It’s the only encounter with another person all day around the Tête des Toillies.
There’s a great atmosphere in these wide-open spaces straddling the border between Italy and France. We spot an unfortunate ptarmigan that takes off even faster than the Italian. It’s all well and good, but where are the Italian women?
We begin a long traverse and climb toward the Col de la Noire. Carried away by the momentum, I lead my companions on a little detour... We finally reach the pass, where the wind has really picked up! It’s a challenging skin-off that’s quite reminiscent of last year’s at the Col du Chardonnet!
The descent to the lodge is fantastic, alternating between packed powder and wind-blown powder. A good omelet and a beer—there’s nothing like it to recover from a day in the mountains!
Day 3: Col de la Noire – Tête du Longet – Saint-Véran
When I woke up this morning, the weather was spectacular! We haven't really finalized our plans yet! I have several ideas for outings, some more indulgent than others. In the end, we went with the option that involved the most elevation gain… but our efforts were well rewarded with four-star skiing and postcard-perfect scenery!
We start with a short, gentle 450-meter climb up to the Col de la Noire, in a much less hostile atmosphere than yesterday!
From there, the plan is to ski toward the Ubaye before heading back up to the Tête du Longet. The first 500-meter descent is a real treat—the snow is as soft as silk! It’s just what you need to get you in a good mood first thing in the morning.
Right now, we’re at rock bottom. We have no choice but to climb back up the slope to the Tête du Longet, our way out. The sun is beating down today. Fortunately, a cool breeze is blowing down into our little valley... We also come across a providential water source that will save us from certain dehydration!
Slowly but surely, sticking to our steady pace, we’re gradually covering the distance that separates us from our destination, one step at a time. As we round a bend, we suddenly realize we’ve arrived! It feels great!
What lies ahead looks even better: a 1,300-meter descent into the Longet Valley, where some great skiing awaits us, with a mix of packed powder, carpet-like snow, and transformed snow! It feels great to get the skis moving again after a long climb!
At the bottom of the valley, we join the cross-country ski trail, which isn’t all downhill (!)… I head off to pick up the car in Molines while the gang waits for me at Le Cros, a nice Coke in hand! A day well earned!
A big thank you to all four of you for your flexibility (logistically speaking, of course!) and for going along with my artisanal approach (in the noble sense of the term, of course). For me, this is the best way (and, incidentally, the safest) to practice this craft! See you next year—Adèle better watch out!
A big thank you to all four of you for your flexibility (logistically speaking, that is!) and for going along with my artisanal approach (in the noble sense of the term, of course). For me, this is the best way—and, incidentally, the safest—to practice this craft!
See you next year—Adèle better watch out!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 – Pic de Châteaurenard – Pic Traversier – Refuge de la Blanche
- We start by taking the Saint-Véran ski lifts, then climb to the Pic de Châteaurenard to reach the Vallon de la Blanche. After a first descent, we skin up to the Pic Traversier before enjoying a beautiful descent on its southwest-facing slopes and heading to Refuge de la Blanche.
Day 2 – Tour of the Tête des Toillies
- A long loop around the Tête des Toillies. We climb to the Col Blanchet, then ski down into Italy as far as the lake. We then climb back towards France through a short, fairly steep couloir before a long traverse to the Col de la Noire. A beautiful descent takes us back to Refuge de la Blanche to finish the day.
Day 3 – Col de la Noire – Tête du Longet – Saint-Véran
- A morning climb to the Col de la Noire, followed by a 500m descent towards the Ubaye. From there, a long climb takes us to the Tête du Longet, before a superb 1300m descent through the Vallon du Longet and back down towards Saint-Véran.
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