Accommodation
As Savoie is a very popular tourist destination there is a wide range of accommodation available. If you want to combine a few days touring with a more traditional resort holiday then it is usually cheapest to go on a package deal booked in the UK.
If you only want to go touring, it is worth staying in the valleys where accommodation is usually cheaper than in the resorts. Another advantage of a valley base is that you can easily change from one area to another for one-day and two-day trips, a real bonus as you will be free to go where the best snow conditions are. This is not such a consideration if you are planning a multi-day trip. In Appendix 3 are listed a few useful publications and the telephone numbers and internet addresses of the main tourist information offices. If you are only planning to spend one or two nights in the valley, the cheapest and often most convenient type of accommodation is in a gîte d’étape. These are similar to mountain huts, but are situated beside roads, and are used to dealing with sporty guests.
Outside the French school holidays it is usually possible to find accommodation without booking. During the holidays (all of February and late March to the end of April) booking is essential to avoid disappointment.
Bad Weather Alternatives
If you are unlucky enough to be faced with a period of bad weather making touring impossible and you have had enough of paying 30€ a day to ski in zero visibility in an overcrowded ski-resort, what else is there to do? The answer depends on the time of year.
In the winter months cross-country skiing or snowshoeing can provide entertaining alternatives. There are some excellent cross-country ski areas in Savoie, often amongst the trees and therefore protected from the worst of the weather. Equipment rental and ski passes are much cheaper than for alpine skiing.
Snowshoeing may look like a very pedestrian sport but great fun can be had in forest areas when there is deep snow and the avalanche risk is too high to venture elsewhere. Snowshoes can be rented in most resorts for as little as 8€ a day. Generally there is no point in following sign-posted snowshoeing trails as the snow rapidly gets compacted by the passage of too many people. Get the map out, use a bit of imagination and you will have an excellent day.
In spring it is often possible to go mountain biking or climbing in the valleys in the sunshine when the mountains are buried in cloud. Otherwise, if the weather forecast is abysmal for a few days, remember you are only about a four hour drive from Provence and its much more clement weather.
For more cultural activities, the cities of Grenoble, Annecy, Lyons and Geneva are all within easy reach.
Using the Route Descriptions
The route descriptions give all the information necessary to follow an itinerary, but it must be remembered that the best line to follow will vary depending on the snow conditions.
Below the Col de Morétan into the Pointe de Comberousse in the background (Day 4 of the Belledonne traverse)
Starting and finishing points
The stated heights for these points were taken from the relevant IGN 1:25000 scale maps.
Height gain
The height gain is the difference in height between the starting point and finishing point plus any significant additions due to undulating terrain. The resulting figure has been rounded off to the nearest 10m.
Time
The time required has been calculated on the basis of an average climb rate of 300m per hour, a descent rate of 1000m per hour and a 30-minute break at the summit. Where appropriate, extra time has been allowed for tours that cover long distances or when there is more than one climb. The time required will also depend on snow conditions: it is much quicker to climb and descend in perfect spring snow conditions than in breakable crust!
Orientation
The predominant orientation of the descent(s) is given. This is very important for the timing of your day as changes in the qaulity and stability of the snow are related both to the ambient temperature and the warming effect of the sun. Do not hesitate to start early if the descent faces east or south.
The terms right bank and left bank used refer to the true (orographical) right and left banks of rivers and glaciers.
Difficulty
All grading systems are subjective. This is even more so for skiing, as the difficulty of a slope (both for going up and for skiing down) is as much a function of the snow conditions as the gradient. Though it isn’t possible for any grading system to take into account snow conditions, the grades here assume these are reasonably good.
The grade descriptions themselves are defined by the gradient of the slope, the length of the steepest sections and the presence of cliffs, or other obstacles, which would make the consequences of a fall more serious. The system adopted, which does not claim any equivalence with any other system used to describe ski tours, uses six grades ranging from easy to extreme (the extreme grade is beyond my own capabilities and thus there are no extreme tours in this guide). Please see the table below for grade descriptions.
The majority of the tours in this book fall into the moderate and quite difficult categories and should be within the abilities of most competent, experienced ski tourers.
Multi-day tours usually involve slopes with different orientations so you are unlikely to have perfect conditions all the time. It is important to get into the habit of observing the changes in snow conditions during the climb to get a better idea of what is likely to be waiting for you during the descent.
The length of the climb can also contribute to the difficulty of a tour. It is much more difficult to ski well after doing a 1000m climb, especially if you are carrying a heavy rucksack, than when you step off a ski-lift!
N.B. Like all mountain sports, ski touring can be dangerous. Do not over-estimate your abilities; tours should be chosen to suit the weakest member of the party. Embarking on a ski-tour assumes that you have the necessary technical skills to move safely in mountain terrain. If you do not have these skills one of the best ways to learn is to go with a guide.
GRADES
EASY
Generally quite gentle slopes but may include very short sections of up to 30°
MODERATE
Longer slopes of up to 30°, possibly including short sections of up to 35°
QUITE DIFFICULT
Slopes of around 35°, possibly including short sections of up to 40°
DIFFICULT
Slopes of around 35 to 40°, possibly including short sections of up to 45°
VERY DIFFICULT
Long slopes of around 40 to 45°
EXTREME
Slopes of above 45°
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This give additional information that is not covered by other parts of the description, or to comment on a particular point of interest