{"id":4952,"date":"2024-01-26T16:20:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-26T15:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/werocksport.com\/?p=4952"},"modified":"2025-02-16T11:01:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T10:01:03","slug":"peaux-de-phoque-poudreuse-et-securite-avalanche-aux-contamines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/werocksport.com\/en\/peaux-de-phoque-poudreuse-et-securite-avalanche-aux-contamines\/","title":{"rendered":"Skins, powder and avalanche safety in Les Contamines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting out from the Les Contamines ski area, a magical spot for ski touring stretches out opposite Mont-Blanc. We had the opportunity to spend two days there, climbing with sealskins, spending the night at the Refuge des Pr\u00e9s at 1935 meters and descending in the abundant powder of the Val Montjoie's wide-open spaces.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renowned for the excellent snow conditions in its ski area, the des Contamines<\/a> will have taken all night to reveal its finest assets after arriving in the rain in the evening. A good night's sleep Chalet Nant Rouge<\/a> (a lovely, spacious g\u00eete recently renovated by priority guests Carole and Alexandre and located at the foot of the pistes) and we awoke a few hours later to the grandiose spectacle of snow falling in abundance overnight. The white trees and the sublime view of the D\u00f4mes de Miage complete this winter picture, synonymous with a call to discovery and adventure on the peaks of Val Montjoie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Les Contamines Tourisme<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Les Contamines is a village in the Mont-Blanc region, with a 120 km ski area offering 48 runs at altitudes of between 1,200 and 2,500 meters. While downhill skiing remains the resort's major discipline, the environment offers the possibility of many other activities, including ski touring, which is very popular here. After taking the B\u00fbche Crois\u00e9e chairlift, we're already dropping a layer as the sun beats down hard under this big blue sky. And so much the better. The scenery is magnificent on the surrounding peaks and the beautiful amount of snow that has fallen in the last 24 hours allows us to make tracks in abundant powder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Les Contamines Tourisme<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Up front, guide Ludovic leads the way. As is often the case in ski touring, it's advisable to set off accompanied. The guides at the Compagnie des Guides des Contamines<\/a> offer all types of outings in the wide open spaces of the Contamines nature reserve. Whether for beginners or experts, all levels are catered for here, and itineraries can be adapted to suit individual tastes. As safety is of paramount importance in the mountains, especially on this kind of off-piste outing, there's no point in improvising as an expert where the danger is not always well appreciated by novices. Right from the start, our guide explains the tracks to be avoided, especially those seen a little further up the mountain, which criss-cross slopes at over 30\u00b0 and are more likely to trigger an avalanche. In fact, you only have to look up to see that a dark track some thirty metres wide has already stalled some time ago, exactly where the ski touring tracks are heading. Cautiously, we stay on our side of the trail, but the scenery is no less enchanting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vincent Girard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gradually, everyone found their rhythm and the gaps opened up naturally. Ludovic does most of the work, opening up the track and grooming large quantities of snow. \"There's no need to try and stick to me,\" he explains. \"We're here to contemplate, enjoy the mountain and have fun. If you want to stay in your own bubble, that's up to you, it's the right time to do it.\" Rather gentle at the start, the gradients get steeper as the ride progresses. It's an opportunity to make progress in our conversions on the steepest slopes. This movement makes it easy to change direction and avoid having to attack the mountain head-on on too steep a gradient. Just before entering the Contamines-Montjoie National Nature Reserve, we reach the highest point of our outing, the Col de la Cicle. From here, a first descent in powder snow allows us to savor this characteristic glide, which obviously requires a different technique than on the groomed pistes of the resorts. Our guide's advice is invaluable for perfecting the movement and taking full advantage of this dream powder. We end up getting a little too close to the snow, with a few falls, but nothing too serious, given the thickness of the snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Les Contamines Tourisme \/ Soren Rickards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once the skins have been put back on, we climb back up to the Col de la Fen\u00eatre, a popular pass in both winter and summer. At an altitude of 2,245 metres, on the border of the Savoie and Haute-Savoie departments, the panorama is fantastic, with a perfect 360\u00b0 view of Mont-Blanc and the surrounding peaks, including the Tr\u00e9-la-T\u00eate glacier and the Beaufortain mountains. By the time we've had a chance to recharge our batteries, we come across several other groups of ski mountaineers. Some of them take to couloirs where we'd never put skis down. But there's no problem for us as we attack the easier Col de la Fen\u00eatre descent, even if the first part requires us to study the slope carefully to avoid getting carried away by the difference in altitude. The rest is a dream descent to the refuge des Pr\u00e9s, where our progress in powder snow is already making itself felt.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A publication shared by Les Contamines Montjoie (@lescontamines)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n