Ski touring in the Central Valais
~ Saturday, 7th April 2012The spring ski touring season started off for me with a monumental dose of the flu. Never before have I been so ill!! I had to leave one of my organised tours part way through, but all credit goes to the team I left, who battled on and had three good days of ski touring without me.
I started the following week fully drugged up and hopeful that all would work. A team of Eagles ski club skiers were all very sympathetic and we had a fantastic week in the Central Valais part of Switzerland. Our tour from Siviez took us across the Rosablanche and down to the Prafleuri hut, where we joined the Haute Route masses. It is amazing how things spread out so well on a busy tour. For us though it was all about finding a bit of solitude and we did exactly that on leaving the Dix hut, when just the four of us climbed to the winter summit of Mont Blanc de Cheilon. The descent to the Cabane de Chanrion was amazing, good timing for excellent spring snow conditions all the way down to the lower Brenay glacier. Awesome!!
The Otemma glacier and col de L'Eveque were quiet the next day allowing for a peaceful journey to the Nacamuli hut. A change in the weather then forced us to alter our plans a little. The proposed descent of the Ferpecle glacier was replaced by a neat little climb up Pointe Marcel Kurz and a descent of the Arolla glaciers. Beers and lunch in Arolla rounded up a great week with Hannah, Steve and Henry. Thanks to the three of you for a good week.
With my flu well and truly on the mend I then had the pleasure of a great little mini tour out to the Dix hut and up La Luette with Erice and Ken. It was a delightful tour, again very quiet and full of great skiing. Our return to Arolla was highlighted by a pair of Golden Eagles circling above the Pas e Chevres. Beautiful! Thanks to Ken and Erica for their hard work and love of the mountains.
