Ski touring in Val Maira: three days of spring snow, beautiful summits and Italian food, after a perfect warm-up day in the nearby Cerces.
This year, nothing seems to be standing in Patrick’s way of coming to ski in the region for a few days! We’ll spend our first day together in the Lautaret area before heading to Val Maira (from the Col de Larche), picking up Christophe and Raphaël along the way.
Tour of L'Aiguillette du Lauzet
We kick off with our first day in the Cerces, starting from Alpe du Lauzet... The forecast calls for summer-like weather; we expect to be hiking in T-shirts as early as 7 a.m. Not a chance! The snow has definitely refrozen, and in the shade of the Aiguillette du Lauzet valley, it’s actually quite chilly! As usual, the plan takes shape partly as the day goes on. We make our way to the ridges overlooking the Chardonnet valley, and while waiting for our southwest-facing descent to loosen up perfectly, we take a first short run down the Chardonnet side. The snow is perfectly firm! We head back down the Aiguillette side… where the hard-packed snow has also given way to a short-pile carpet. Perfect! Still, we covered 1,300 meters of vertical today for our return to the slopes! A flawless descent down to 2,000 meters, a little less flawless below that—luckily, there wasn’t much left to go. In any case, we managed to slide all the way down, and for the end of April, that’s pretty awesome! The day ended on a high note with a nice little meal at Le Casset… It’s spring, no doubt about it!
Larche Pass - Punta Signora - Feuillas Pass - Viviere
I admit I hesitated a bit about sticking with this plan in the Val Maira… The relatively low elevation of the area—especially the mountain hut (1,700 m)—made me have some doubts about the conditions, given the current heat. But the previous day’s hike to the Aiguillette du Lauzet ultimately confirmed that I’d made the right choice. That’s how we ended up completely off the beaten path in a totally deserted Val Maira—despite the superb conditions!
Christophe and Raphaël joined us for the next three days. Starting from the Col de Larch, we began with a steep 800-meter climb toward Pointe Signora. It was a chance to brush up on our skills with 288 conversions! The view upon reaching the jagged ridge was magnificent.
First descent down to Lac de l'Orrenaye along some beautiful, steep slopes...
We put our skins back on and head toward Italy via the Col de Feuillas... The climb in the sun stings our legs and eyes a bit. Another 1,200 meters of elevation gain today—that really takes it out of you! From the Col de Feuillas, we drop into the Enchiausa valley via a short, steep slope. I was hoping to find some snow that hadn’t quite settled yet on the northeast side of the valley. No such luck! A nice, sticky valley awaits us! Well, it’s enough to keep us sliding without too much effort, but it’s not exactly a blast… We console ourselves with the scenery, which we have time to take in at our slow pace!
Further down, there are fewer tracks, so it’s easier to glide along, and we arrive effortlessly at the charming hamlet of Vivière, a little corner of paradise in the heart of the Val Maira. That’s where we’re staying! The Vivière refuge is an incredible place—for the setting, the warm welcome, and Fabrizio’s cooking, as well as the beauty and comfort of the building, which has been completely renovated in the traditional style… Fabrizio’s pasta dishes will come in just at the right time to replenish the energy we left behind on the mountain! A long afternoon awaits us, punctuated by naps, sauna sessions, sunbathing, and other “torture” sessions… until dinner, a true feast of Italian cuisine. It’s hard to believe we’re in a mountain hut!
Viviere - Punta Eco - Bric Cassin - Viviere
Today we’re heading out to explore the slopes near the Col de la Gardetta. We’re making our way up through the cool, quiet Gardetta valley. The view from the pass of the Roc de la Meija is simply magnificent. The temptation to ski is everywhere. How many lifetimes would it take to skim the surface of each of these peaks? For us today, we’ll settle for Pointe Eco, just above the pass, with a truly airy finish.
First run on top-quality carpet against the backdrop of a dreamlike landscape. It could be worse!
We head back up to Bric Cassin to rack up our standard 1,200 meters and, while we’re at it, hit that lovely southwest-facing slope that’s just starting to get covered in powder—it’s really catching our eyes. We wait about half an hour for the slope to warm up, then we hurtle down this magnificent run at full speed!
We’re not overthinking the afternoon plans: Fabrizio’s gnocchi, a nap, a sauna, and another nap. Just what we need to get in shape for our host’s delicious meals!
Viviere - Scaletta Pass - Cime Peyrassin - Larche Pass
The original plan was to head back via Pointe Oserot. But the information on whether the Col de la Maddelena road is passable is uncertain… the prospect of getting stuck on the Italian side, 10 km from our car, isn’t exactly thrilling! So we set off toward the Col de la Scaletta and the Cime de Peyrassin. After 3 or 4 days of hiking, our legs are starting to feel it. We make a first short descent of 350 meters below the Tête d’Enclause before climbing back up to the summit of Peyrassin. We’re starting to get seriously tired—it’s time to get there! It’s well worth the effort! The descent looks beautiful and takes us almost directly back to the car.
This lovely little hike ends at the Rifugio della Pace, where we arrive parched but satisfied with the scenery and beautiful views. Thanks again to everyone for your complete trust!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 – Tour of the Aiguillette du Lauzet
A warm-up day in the Cerces, touring around the Aiguillette du Lauzet from the Alpe du Lauzet. Around 1,300 m of ascent and some great spring-snow descents.
Day 2 – Col de Larche → Punta Signora → Col de Feuillas → Viviere
Starting from the Col de Larche, we climb towards Punta Signora before skiing down to Lac de l’Orrenaye. We then skin up to the Col de Feuillas, cross into Italy and ski down the Enchiausa valley to the hamlet of Viviere. Around 1,200 m of ascent.
Day 3 – Viviere → Punta Eco → Bric Cassin → Viviere
A loop from Viviere through the Gardetta valley and Col de la Gardetta. We climb Punta Eco and then Bric Cassin, enjoying two beautiful spring-snow descents along the way. Around 1,200 m of ascent.
Day 4 – Viviere → Col de la Scaletta → Cime Peyrassin → Col de Larche
Our final day takes us across the Col de la Scaletta and up Cime Peyrassin, with a short intermediate descent before the final climb. A long last descent then brings us back towards the Col de Larche.
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