Ski Touring in the Grand Massif

Our Day Ski Touring Mont Buet - Giffre Massif

Of the many ski touring routes in the Grand Massif, Mont Buet was one I definitely wanted to experience!

Having already hiked it in the Spring/Summer it was only natural to want to ski tour it in the Winter for a different experience! With the closure of the ski resorts, due to the COVID-19 virus, and no guests staying in the chalet it became a possibility this year. In February, Joss and I made our first attempt from Salvagny/Sixt but after 2 1/2hrs we had to abandon our plans due to the amount of avalanche debris in the valley. With the arrival of new snow in March we planned a second attempt, this time from Vallorcine (the normal route).

Mont Buet facts

At an altitude of 3,096m its summit is the highest in the Giffre Massif mountain range in Haute-Savoie and is one of the biggest day ski tours in the local area. It is sometimes called ‘Mont Blanc des Dames’ as it is excellent high altitude training. The outlook from the summit is stunning with views over the Mont Blanc Massif and the Matterhorn. It is also said that you can see as far as Lake Geneva on a clear day, not sure how much this is true as we couldn’t see it today.

Our Itinerary

I met up with 3 others on the col in Châtillon-sur-Cluses at 06:15 grabbed some supplies from the local patisserie and headed off on the 1 hour drive to Vallorcine on the Franco-Swiss border to the start of one of a number of routes up to the summit of Mont Buet.

The weather forecast for the day was sunshine, temperatures were due to rise with a freeze level of 2000m by the afternoon and the avalanche bulletin was 3 out of 5. With conditions looking good we started the 1,750m ascent at 07:40 and followed the normal route.

Leaving the carpark at “Le Buet” 1350m we headed in a westerly direction up a deep wooded shady valley along “l’Eau de Bérard”, the trail at this point is well used by both skiers, snowboarders and showshoers. After about an hour the valley started to open up into a large bowl and we arrived at the “Refuge de le Pierre à Bérard” 1950m, although we could only guess its exact location as it was completely buried under the snow. We were now in full sun and the temperature was already starting to rise along with the gradiant of our climb.

From here we headed in a north westerly direction up to the “Col de Salenton” 2500m where we could see other groups traversing under a large cliff band and over the col. We reached the col at around 10:30 and took the opportunity to grab a short break and rehydrate. Refreshed we followed the traverse, gently climbing north towards a weather station high on the “Arête de la Mortine”. As the traverse started to steepen we attached ski crampons to get a better grip on the wind scoured snow and tackle the steep 250m climb up to the weather station “Abri de Pictet” at just over 3000m. Finally, with the sumit now in sight the last 100m was a mellow 10min skin to the top. After 5hr 15mins we arrived at the summit, 3098m, the views were amazing and not a cloud in sight! There were another 5 or 6 people at the top all taking in the glorious views and preparing for their descent.

After transitioning (removing climbing skins and preparing to ski/snowboard) and a spot of lunch, we made a plan for our descent based on what we’d seen on the way up. Our plan was to ski down “Creux aux Vaches” a mellow valley leading to a couloir exiting just above the “Refuge de le Pierre à Bérard”

The snow conditions were a mixed bag of good, ok and downright horrible making it an overall interesting descent however, we did find some nice pockets of snow on our way down. As the valley narrowed and steepened we entered the couloir, the spring snow was at first slushy and became more and more chopped up the further we went, in places it was starting to refreeze as the sun became obscured by the high sides of the couloir.

Exiting the couloir and back into the “Vallon de Bérard” we headed back down the valley maintaining some speed over the flatter sections until we reached the narrower part of the valley and back into the trees. From here we retraced the path we had climbed that morning back towards the carpark. To our amazement and obvious delight we found a Bar/Restaurant at the bottom that was open (takeaway only) and had to take the opportunity to grab a beer and chill in the sun before the drive home.

All in all the whole tour was just over 7 hours, a long day……yes, but one that will be remembered!

Is Ski Touring for everyone?

Ski touring is for those enthusiasts that already have off piste skiing/snowboarding experience and can easily handle red level runs and a variety of snow conditions. If you are at this level and enjoy getting away from the crowds then yes it could be for you! It does not have to be a long day or multi day tours, you can start with short in-resort tours, even next to the piste where you feel safer. As you progress you can start venturing further a field.

The route we took had nice mellow slopes and didn’t pose anything too difficult or steep but it was necessary to have a certain level of fitness as it is quite a demanding ascent.

Top Tips - It is essential that you have the right avalanche safety equipment with you; avalanche transiever (ARVA), shovel and snow probe (and know how to use them). Alway check the weather forecast and avalanche bulletins before you go, and have a good understanding of the terrain you are touring in as they are generally unsecured.

Ski Tour buddies

I would like to thank my ski tour buddies for a great day out!

Joss from Chalet Brio

Arno from AlpAdventures

Jonny ‘chopper’ all out ski bum!

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What is your most memorable ski tour, we would love to hear about it?