Backcountry Logistics


	La Grave Area (Ecrins Nord)

	Chamonix

France

- General
- Snow
- Weather
- Terrain
- Getting there

General
The Alps. The holy grail for any self respecting ski tourer, the Alps contain some of the best ski touring and ski mountaineering in the world, with outrageously easy access and the best backcountry infrastructure anywhere.

Although we only have the two most popular areas listed on the site, the French Alps contain many more possibilities away from these busy - but epic - locations. Exploring is always well rewarded and there are guide books published for the entire range so you don't have to go blind.

One of the problems with the Alps is the unreliability of the snow fall. Some years are epic, bases reaching well over 3m and everything is on, and some years are painful to see, with skiing only available higher up on the glaciers and the backcountry a maze of rocks and crevasses. With this in mind, it is generally best to go from February onwards, with great skiing to be had through April. Because of the huge verticals that you deal with here, the quality of the snow almost always varies during a single tour, and while France has its fair share of powder days it is not as consistent as other places like BC or Hokkaido. Be prepared no matter when you go for anything from sheet ice to thigh deep fluff, and everything in between.

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Weather
The weather is often very favorable for touring, with plenty of sunny days even in winter. Storms often come in and dump their load and move on quickly. High up winds are often a problem, and of course at those altitudes localised weather can be a factor and you can easily get socked in up high even as its clear down below.

Terrain
While there is plenty of good tree skiing in France, the real action is in the alpine. There is more ski mountaineering here than most other places, and even intermediate tours can have serious exposure. Combine that with the constant glacier travel and the often tricky route finding, and you’ll see that the Alps are not a place for amateurs. That said, there is really no where else that you can access such extreme skiing, and so much of it, so easily. Every type of alpine terrain is here, along with some of the longest runs you’ll ever have. Bring your crampons and ice axe and enjoy!

Getting there
Getting into the Alps is very easy. Geneva is the closest to Chamonix, just a 90 minute bus ride, or you can also catch the train or drive. From Paris you can train it all the way to Chamonix, or fly into Grenoble, where you can train up to Chamonix or catch the bus up to La Grave or other places in the Ecrins, or rent a car from there or Lyon and explore.

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