Haute Route Report
7 Day Ski Tour from Chamonix to Zermatt

Approximatively 700m uphill, 1700 for the downhill

The day starts off early, we better get used to it, it will remain so or be worse for the next 6 days. After a hearty breakfast, we head out the door for the second day, which will see us going up col de la Grande Lui and then have a long downhill to the quaint little village of La Fouly. We start by skiing back down to the glacier de Saleina, the way we came up, the slope is frozen solid, our still sleepy brains have to concentrate on not slipping down, as some traverses are relatively steep and go down a rather long way.

Cabane de Saleina to Col des Planeureuses (about 450m uphill)

Once on the glacier, we put on the skins and start heading up, but rather rapidly, our guide notices that the slopes above us are charged with snow, the same fresh one that we found on the glacier yesterday, but not as heavy, as the slope, except for the lower parts, seems to remain in the shade all day. The avalanche danger seems to be rather high and our guide decides that we will not be going up the col de la Grande Lui, but will instead do the three col variation: Col des Planeureuses, Col de Crête sèche and col des Essesttes, this will bring us on the same slope as we would have take down from col de la Grande Lui, but a bit lower.

Our route diverges slightly, we will have less uphill than planned, but also less downhill. We head up towards col des Planeureuses, the slope is nice rather soft at first, but getting steeper. The higher we get, the more fresh snow there is, i am lost in thought wondering wether we should not just ski this slope all week instead of doing the Haute Route. Our guide seems to be getting worried about the snow though. All of us looking at this beautiful powder face longinly, but from the looks on our guide's face, we know that we will not be going down this way, ah well, something for another day.

Col des Planeureuses to Col de Crête Sèche (about 200m downhill/traverse and 50m uphill)

Once we have reached the col, we set up a small rope, as we have a few meters of rock and snow to downclimb before being able to ski, and then it is a nice little slope, with a bit a fresh snow and a long traverse taking us to the bottom of col de Crête Sèche. There we cross some people going the other way, we are all a bit jealous of the fact that they will be getting the good snow we just had to go up on. Hopefully it is stable. This second col is steeper, we take off the skis and bootpack up the couloir, it is not too long nor too steep, so makes for an enjoyable climb in the sun.

Col de Crête Sèche to Col des Essettes(about 200m uphill)

On top of Col de Crête Sèche, as we are making good time, we have a little break, eat a little something while enjoying an unlimited view over the whole northern italian and swiss Alps, we get a glimpse of our destination, indicated by the Matterhorn in the distance. It seems rather far, are you sure we are going all the way there???

going to the Col des Essettes, is rather easy, a wide uphill gentle traverse takes us there and we take of the skins preparing to go down.

Col des Essettes to La Fouly (about 1510m downhill)

The top is a bit steep and icy, so we bootpack a few meters down and then ski down the wide open bowl, first towards Cabane de l'A Neuve, and then down some nice sunny slopes into the valley to La Fouly.

A good meal awaits us at the hotel, and, as we arrived early, we have some time to relax, buy some needed supplies (replace a broken pole) at the local store and enjoy an afternoon in the sun. We are off to bed early, as a very early start awaits us for the next day, a day where we will do mainly only uphill....

>> next day >>