Page 21 - 2010 AMA Autumn

also other Haute Routes known by their region name for example: The Italian HR, The Oberland HR or The Verbier variation HR. All still with varying difficulties and degrees of isolation and inherent high alpine dangers we associate with travelling in the mountains.
None of these trips should be considered without first doing some research into what the whole trip entails; including snow condi- tions, weather, ski ability, personal fitness, equipment require- ments, group numbers and the list goes on. Although these trips are undertaken by a large number of enthusiasts yearly there are also a number of trips cut short or groups evacuating early from their chosen route due to a number of factors including dehydra- tion, poor level of personal fitness, level of personal skiing ability and a whole host of other reasons.
All of the guys were skiing well and even with day bags on there did- n’t seem to be too many problems. The weather really closed in and so made for an interesting ski down the ‘Bumps field’ without actu- ally being able to see the bumps until they hit you! Some said they were attacked by the snow which made them fall over?????
So to the real stuff of ski touring & ski mountaineering: The local glacier and mountains to Les Contamines are The Tre La Tete glacier and the mountains of Domes De Miage and Le Pain du Sucre and Mt Tondu; All easily accessible from the Tre La Tete & Les Conscrits Alpine huts. I must add that some of the Alpine huts would probably be 4★ hotels in the UK! Indeed most who have travelled through the Alpine hut system will declare that they would rather stay in them than some outrageously priced hotel in the UK!
So, the trip starts. Day 1 is a shake out ski day on and off piste up on the slopes of Les Contramines-Montjoie. The snow is fantastic and the off piste is pretty good too. Due to there not being a mas- sive amount of snow but still plenty to ski on & off piste late into April; there was apparently an unprecedented amount of high winds for most of the winter season bringing lots of pressed, hard wind-slab in lots of off piste areas. A hint to watch out for slab avalanche as we progress out onto the more isolated ski moun- taineering routes.
So we set off up the hill with skis strapped to the side of our day bags and walked up the hill until we met the snow line or the hut, which ever was to come first. We met the snow line but decided to press on walking to the hut rather than strap on skis as it was not much further up the hill. It is generally approximately 2–3hrs uphill walking to the hut and is always a welcome sight.
Alpine huts are sometimes very full and even though the hut war- dens rarely turn anyone away, it is always strongly advised to
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