A major figure in the world of ski mountaineering, the Frenchwoman Laetitia Roux reveals some of her favourite spots. A godsend in these very favourable times for practice, because of the closing of the resorts.
17 World Championship titles, 9 European Championship titles, 27 French Championship titles and 123 gold medals. At 35, Frenchwoman Laetitia Roux retired from competition three years ago after a successful career. The Frenchwoman, who is currently training the young American Grace Staberg, agreed to reveal some of her favorite ski-mountaineering spots. Enough to make you want to break out the sealskins at a time when interest in the discipline is exploding due to the closure of ski lifts.
A spot to start ski-mountaineering?
"There are so many. The first that comes to mind is my home, of course. Réallon is where I learned to ski. There are some incredible itineraries that are magnificent in terms of views and accessible. I don't know if it's groomed, because it's a very small resort that must be really struggling today with the situation. It has easy spaces to start with, with its gentle slopes on the bottom."
"At the moment, the context is favorable for ski-mountaineering. It's fabulous because you have access to the resorts and to some groomed runs, without the danger you might normally have with the traffic between skiers coming down and hikers going up. So it's a good place to start, and easy to find groomed or easy-to-ski and free areas. Already last year, some sixty ski resorts had created hiking itineraries."
A spotlight on her beauty?
"This winter I'm based in the Haute Tarentaise, in Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise. It's the perfect place for me, with its peace and quiet. When you go ski touring, the view of Mont Blanc is incredible. It's exceptional, you can see the glaciers opposite, and the wild Italian side. There are no resorts or villages, so the view is grandiose. It's a different atmosphere to my home in the Hautes-Alpes."
A more technical spot?
"I'd say the Queyras, still in the Hautes-Alpes. It's a little paradise for ski touring, among other things. Recently, we wanted to do Mont Viso (a nearby summit), but we couldn't because the conditions weren't right. The tour of Viso was already exceptional, so the summit must be great, but it's more technical. I'd also mention the Aravis and Mont Charvin, where the couloirs are a little steeper and more challenging.
A spot to ski at night?
"The main thing is to catch the full moon (laughs), and for it to be out in the open. Not in the forest, but open. What's incredible about Réallon is the view over the lake. Having done it under a full moon, it's quite magical, because you can see the Aiguilles de Chabrières and Lac de Serre-Ponçon on the other side, along with the village lights. It's just exceptional at full moon because the summit is not forested. In the Hautes-Alpes we're pretty well served. It's my territory, so I certainly know it well. I've traveled a lot, but in competition it's different. The Dolomites are incredible to ski, but I haven't had the time to do it for myself."
A spot outside the Hautes-Alpes ?
"There are some in the Pyrenees for sure, but unfortunately in the races I've been able to do there, we haven't had too much luck with the weather. It's reputed to be wilder than the Alps. There's a race in the Pays Toy that's really nice around the Pic du Midi. There are some magnificent couloirs."
"I've never done ski-mountaineering in the Vosges, Massif Central or Jura. In fact it's too flat for what I'm looking for. But I know that there are small ski-mountaineering races there. The Beaufortain, which I know from the Pierra Menta (which she has won seven times, ed. note), represents an incredible playground for ski-mountaineering and touring."