The area that surrounds La Meije (3982m), the famous peak that towers over La Grave, called the Ecrins Nord, is one of the premier locations in the world for ski touring. Firstly you have what is arguably the most inspired ski hill on the face of the planet, although to put it into the category of ski hill is somewhat of a misnomer. Where mere mortals would see only a mix of rock and ice fit for some very solid mountaineering, the French see an ideal place to run a gondola up and call it a ski hill. It is easy to fall into hyperbole when speaking of La Grave, but the facts force you into it. No one gets onto the lift without full touring gear, and if you are not with a local you better have a guide as its no good following tracks as its more than likely that they will lead you to a couloir that needs to be rappelled into or a crevasse which needs to be aired at just the right point.
So, La Grave itself offers unparallel access to big mountain touring, but the whole area of the park is well worth exploring through a good network of roads and ski hills to get you up high, and a couple of fantastic guide books to tell you where to go. Naturally, there are also guides available, who as you can imagine are some of the best in the world, cutting their teeth in terrain that is simply not available in many other parts of the world. |
