Mont Vélan par le Col de la Gouille

Mont Vélan, photo taken from the Valsorey Hut last spring.

25th & 26th January

It was time for a trip to Switzerland, and another unfinished project. We planned to ski tour Mont Velan, a beautiful summit overlooked during the Classic Haute Route.

Starting from Bourg St Pierre, you skin up for about 4 hours (took us longer due to crap snow) to the Cabane Velan. Which is open during the winter months and well stocked with wood. Mattresses and blankets are available. I found this day difficult due to the previous day, aching body parts, being unfit and the deep snow.

Plum, looking good....seeing to the stove

The huge Grand Combin which we overlook from the hut. The Plateau du Couloir route nips behind the dark semi circle shape halfway up on the right.

Morning, day 2. Heading for the Col de la Gouille. Our changed objective.

We had a good night in the hut, with a leftover bottle or Rosé and some pasta and with the stove cranked up. Our fitness is not the best at the minute, and the quality of the snow (with no tracks to be seen) was proving difficult. We decided to at least get over the Col the next day and probably miss the summit.

The next day was overcast and we had a nice skin up the the Col. Here you pull on chains (if they aren't buried) over mixed terrain to cross over the rock band.

At the Col de la Gouille

The descent, before the snow and cloud came. We decided to take a trip through the glacier, rather than skinning up and over. It paid off, phew.

Glacier tinkering...

Our route in descent from the Col.

Due to poor vis, the ski descent wasn't as good as it could have been, but at least we hit the right lines, didn't end up in any holes and made a speedy descent.

Pretty tired now. But good to get the fitness going finally for this season.