Ski touring the Haute Route - Day 3
Cabane de Saleina - Col des Planeureuses - Col de Crête Sèche - Col des Essettes - La Fouly
Skinning up toward Col des Planeureuses
After a sleepless night (a lot of snoring going on) we wake up early to rush eating breakfast, and get out of the refuge early to avoid risky conditions. Easier said than done as some people (Spike) are initiated to refuge life by waiting 30 minutes in line for the toilet.
We ski back down to the glacier de Saleina as the sun starts illuminating the higher peaks. As we start preparing the skin up, Philippe mentions that he is worried about the slope we were supposed to take, the col de la Grande Lui, the slope leading to it looked unstable, so he decided to take us through les trois cols, Planeureuses, Crête Sèche and des Essettes.
The way up the first col got to be a bit steep, and the snow seemed to be a worry for Philippe, too bad, because the upper section was a perfect powder field, that we would all have liked to power down at least once.
Looking up col de Crête Sèche
Once in La Fouly, we realise we get to stay in a hotel, therefore.... with shower...
the only one of the trip....But first things first, we have a few beers, discuss steep conversion technique (which somehow seems similar to a slow motion irish jig) , have a few more beers, a late lunch Roesti of course, a few more beers (we need to stack up on the calories since the next few days promise to be quite long and hard).
There is a ski shop, so we manage to buy some much needed equipment, a new pair of poles for Spike, a sun hat for Rob, and a few other goodies) , including a bottle of rose which will be forgotten the next morning in the early rush.
The evening is quiet, i don't even think that any of us wanted to go out, if there is a place to go out. Despite the fact that we were not in altitude, we still had some snorers the whole night
Top of the col des Planeureuses, very nice, though we have to tie ourselves up to downclimb a 5-7m steep, rocky face and then, skis on, so we can traverse on top of a rim, ski down a small nice powder slope and then cross over to a steep straight uphill, going up to Col de Crête Sèche.
Skis on the backpack and up we go. The day remains nice and it looks like it will stay that way, a little break at the col before going onto a long gentle uphill traverse taking us to col des Essettes.
Our last col of the day is easily reached, but to go down, we must put the skis back on the backpack and walk down a steep slope. Once in a comfortable area, we get to ski down all the way to La Fouly through gullies, open slopes and a long flatish area at the bottom.
One of the telemarkers manages to give us a good show with a nice head plant.
Downclimbing from Col des Planeureuses