With Julien, I swap ice axes for skis on the Seyte ridge: two powder descents, a friendly encounter and route choices shaped by the day's snow conditions.
After spending two days exploring all the frost-covered buildings in Ceillac, Julien and I decided to try a new way of getting around today: skiing!
I have to say, the beautiful powder that fell yesterday while we were climbing the Formes du Chaos really caught our eye!
Julien is a versatile mountain enthusiast, and the idea of going out to enjoy the thrill of powder snow immediately appeals to him. I suggest a hike suited to the conditions of the day.
Despite the spring-like atmosphere in the valley, we mustn’t forget that in the mountains, on the cold slopes, it’s still winter! The fragile snowpack is very much present, significant amounts of fresh snow have fallen, and the wind has, once again, taken its toll. All of this calls for caution.
We made good time climbing through the woods, even though we had to break trail… At around 2,000 m, there was already 20 cm of fresh snow, and all the way up at the top, in the sheltered areas, there was a good 30 cm. Perfect!
We stop at 2,500 meters; I'd rather not take any chances on the last 80 meters leading up to the cross.
Two friendly Belgians join us. There will only be four pairs of skis carving down this big mountain today! The Belgians are very sportsmanlike—they’re waiting for us to finish eating so we can be the first to ski down, since we broke trail all the way up!
Perfect timing—a small sea of clouds forms just as we're getting ready. We couldn't ask for more!
And off we go for a stunning run with even better snow in the woods! Julien quickly finds his footing in this soft powder—we’re having a blast!
Some days are just like that—not too bad!
Then we head into the woods, where it's even better!
We ski as long as the conditions are good, up to 1,750 meters... and then the next step is obvious: we head back up! With the trail marked, it’s (almost) a breeze! We even go a little higher than the first time, up to the first hump of the Crête de la Seyte...
The Belgians couldn't resist either and went for another run! The second run lived up to our expectations in a valley that was just perfect... Even though our legs were a little sore, it's hard to stop!
That's enough for us this time... we'll take down one or two more pins, then leisurely follow the forest trail back to the car. There's no denying it—the snow is pretty great!
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