Steep skiing in the Petit Davin and No Fiesta couloirs: 2,500 m of ascent, plenty of powder and one mission for the day — finally tire Antoine out!
I’ve already had quite a few days out with Mister Roberto and, although the man is still full of surprises, I’m beginning to know the animal pretty well! Lucile’s instructions for today are crystal clear: “Tire him out — you’re the only one who can do it!!” No choice then. If I’m going to achieve that, it won’t be on classic terrain… I’d collapse long before him after 3,827 m of ascent, foaming at the mouth and expiring with one final groan. I’m going to have to be cunning!
We start the day chatting away like a pair of magpies, jumping from one subject to another and moving at a decent pace… We haven’t even been going for ten minutes and I can already feel my heart trying to escape through my lungs!! I slam on the brakes. “Antoine, if you want your guide to be any use to you today, you’d better save him!”
We climb towards the Petit Davin couloir, approaching it from the small entrance on the south side. In other words, the plan is to ski the couloir on sight, without climbing it first. Advantage: no tedious wading through deep snow, a nice loop and plenty of scenery. Disadvantage: the suspense of having to judge the conditions from above!
It’s indecently hot on the sunny slope we’re climbing. As well as hauling ourselves uphill, we’re dragging hideous 3 kg clogs under each foot. Fortunately, this gruelling ordeal only lasts for 200 m of ascent… but 200 m can feel very long. The good news is that I’m not the only one getting tired!
Antoine’s attempts to convince me that it might be too difficult for him, that I’m probably overestimating him and that he’s not sure he can manage it aren’t fooling me… We’ve already skied plenty of days together. Admittedly, never on anything seriously steep, but there are some signs that don’t lie! Once the skis are on, the spring is released and he strings together more or less jump turns without batting an eyelid!
The further down we go, the more consistent and powdery the snow becomes. Inevitably, the turns get longer! One of the luxuries of April: a shaft of sunlight finding its way even into the most north-facing couloirs!
That’s the first one quickly dealt with. We’re now down at 1,900 m in the bottom of the Vallon du Casset. Several couloirs are beckoning. We put the skins back on with the idea of heading towards the Davin couloir, where two skiers have already made a track. But on the way, we branch off towards No Fiesta, the obvious couloir between the two… No tracks in that one! So off we go for a proper session with the skis strapped to our packs. Hopefully this will tire Antoine out a bit!
We take turns breaking trail before I take a long stint at the front up to 2,900 m. The slope steepens and we’re sinking deeper and deeper into the snow. Antoine is still wondering whether I might be overestimating him. We’re also starting to feel a little tired after the 2,500 m of ascent we’ve already clocked up this morning. So this is where we stop!
Just like earlier, the moment the skis are back on, our perception of the terrain changes and Antoine starts firing off turns without any trouble… We take the opportunity to work on a bit of technique. The couloir is steeper and more sustained than the Petit Davin. The snow is good, settled powder and pretty forgiving. Our thighs are demanding increasingly frequent cooling breaks!
Once again, we don’t hang around and before long we’re back at the bottom of the Vallon du Casset, where we let the skis run all the way down to Le Casset, squeezing in one short stretch of powder through the larches before hitting the glue lower down the valley.
We arrive in Le Casset straight onto the terrace of the bar. We order a lemonade and a pineapple juice. No beer — suspicious! Could there finally be a hint of tiredness in the air?
Practical Info / Route Topo
Petit Davin – 4.3 E2
Around 400 m of couloir, mostly around 40°, with a steeper upper section at 45°. A beautiful, fairly consistent north-facing couloir and a relatively accessible introduction to steep skiing.
No Fiesta – 5.3 E3
A significantly more technical and sustained couloir, with sections at 50° and a short passage around 55°. A narrow section, changes in gradient and a more serious feel: this is definitely steep skiing territory.
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