UNDER THE GAZE OF ADÈLE: OPENING A WILD ROUTE IN THE HEART OF THE ÉCRINS

 

 

Saturday morning, meeting at Laetitia’s place in Villar-d’Arêne to pack our bags.

 

Two days earlier, Pierrot called to suggest we check out a line spotted by our favorite Laetitia in the valley behind her house. It’s one of the wildest and deepest valleys in the Écrins.

 

The route is to the right of "Louise Fine," on the north face of Pointe Louise. In the few photos I received, you can see a superb ice pitch at the bottom—the length of which I couldn't identify—a middle snow slope, and a very thin couloir at the top that leads to a col. I was immediately drawn to this face. The line looks obvious and fairly well-formed. The plan was set.

 

The backpacks are heavy. Everything is overflowing: tents, jackets, snow pickets, sleeping pads. It had been a long time since I’d carried such a big pack, and I really felt it over the kilometers of the approach.

 

Once we had the line in view, we noticed a hanging icicle. No ice? No more ice? Big questions about the so-called line. Is it in condition? Did the icicle fall?

 

For a kilometer or so, doubt set in. Well, we still had to go see. We quickly realized that our line actually goes to the left of that famous icicle. It is, in fact, clearly present in our photos. A huge relief. Our motivation skyrocketed.

 

The route is mapped out for the entire lower bastion, and we’ve also seen the middle slope. Only the upper bastion remains an unknown: we’ll see about that tomorrow!

 

As for the tent, it’s set up on the flat part of the glacier at the end of the valley, facing the North Col of Roche Faurio, which will be our descent route.

 

2:15 AM. The alarm goes off. Unlike Pierre, my night was short. As is often the case, I don’t sleep in the mountains. A mix of fear, excitement, and altitude—which I still tolerate poorly.

 

The freeze-dried meals are quickly swallowed, and we start making our way to the Tombe-Muret glacier. Laetitia has an issue with her headlamp. Well, we told ourselves that was an argument to be lighter!

 

Dawn is breaking as I begin the first pitch. It immediately sets the theme for the day: steep and icy, sometimes good, sometimes bad. The protection is precarious and sparse. Run-outs will be the keyword on this ice line. I tackle L2 in a soft but reassuring light. It’s on this steep wall of rotten ice that I really start to exert myself. Falling is not a pleasant thought with my last 13 cm screw already 8 meters below me. I focus hard, concentrating on my axe strikes and foot placements, then the pitch unfolds as I zigzag through the less-than-perfect ice.

 

We quickly arrive at the base of the icicle and the ice veneer to the left. Laetitia leads that section. The pitch is once again steep and in poor snow. She moves slowly, but as safely as possible. Following, I dislodge a rock that narrowly misses Pierre. More fear than harm, but I keep in mind that our day could have ended right there.

 

Next come two 5-star ice pitches, the kind you might find in the Fournel valley in the middle of February: pure happiness before reaching the middle snow slopes, which are steep but consist of good snow. We make quick progress in this section. Pierrot finishes these snow slopes by traversing left before reaching the upper couloir.

 

To our great surprise, it’s all ice. How exciting! The first pitch of this section doesn't end up having very good veneers. They are thin and often poor, but Pierre handles them beautifully. The following pitches are similar but just as beautiful in this narrow gully. We continue until the final snow slope brings us into the sun, accompanied by a rising wind that significantly chills the air.

 

The euphoria is at its peak once we reach the col: the sun, the friends, and a new line in the bag. What a pleasure!

 

The atmosphere soon changes: on the first rappel down the south face, a rock cuts one of our ropes clean at 30 meters. The rappels are going to be longer than planned. Then, while pulling the rope, we get it stuck. Time wasted and frustration sets in. Pierre has to climb back up to free it, taking care not to damage it further.

 

In the end, it takes four 30m rappels to get us to the base of the south face. It’s a real relief to get our feet back on solid ground. That south face is truly composed of mediocre rock that really worked our nerves.

 

A short traverse of the glacier leads us to the North Col of Roche Faurio. All that remains is to down-climb the north couloir to reach the slope. The descent quickly turns into a slide to save time and energy.

 

Under the gaze of Adèle Planchard, tired but happy, we head back to the car to begin our third GEAN training session the next day.