3800 m ; 500 m 45°- 50°; West ; D+ ; %.2/ E2
It was several years that I was dreaming about riding this line in such a wild place.
I already tried once, a couple of years ago, but a serac fall just before the traverse made us to turn back quickly.
There are two possible access, one longer and potentially safer and one shorter but more dangerous because it requires to traverse under 3 huge seracs to gain the base of the couloir.
Our first idea was to take the first option, climbing up the Breche Pisoux, rappelling down on the other side, skin back up the glacier and climb the last steep face to reach the col from behind.
The warm temperatures of the last days caused big slides on the middle part of the Vallèe Blanche, under “La Noire”, blocking the passage; for that reason we decided to change plan and give it a try following the second option which is to climb Point Yeld, ski the beautiful slope of the “Noire Traverse”, traverse under the huge seracs and climb the line.
Despite the warm temperature the snow remained cold and did not melt down till 3.30pm.
We hit the line at the right time, finding perfect corn.
What a wild place to ski this beautiful line in front of those massive seracs !!
One of my favorite line in the range so far.
Waiting at the top for the snow to melt we realized that we would have lost the last train and that we would have had to walk all the way down to the valley floor, but it was worth it !
Another fantastic day on the mountain with my ski buddy Matteo !
Good powder snow on the first slope of La Noire
We had to rappel 10 m to access the lower slope
Traversing under the seracs towards the base of our goal
Scary place
Matteo crossing the Bergshrund
The snow is perfect
What a place !!!
Trying to find a way through the broken glacier
It took us 45 minutes to come out from the labyrinth of seracs and crevasses
Happy People
Lonelyness…
BIG THANKS TO THE GUYS AT MONTENVERS TRAIN STATION THAT OFFERED US A COUPLE OF GLASSES OF RED WINE BEFORE THE LONG WALK DOWN TO TOWN.
