Rocher de Plassa - Long lines and Epic Views

Rocher de Plassa – a tour up to the heights of Courchevel’s backcountry.

With big ascents, long ski lines, epic views of both Courchevel and Pralognan, and the rare sighting of a Bearded Vulture, this ski tour was one to remember.

With this season’s persistent weak layer finally dissapating and thus lowering the avalanche risk for the first time since December, combined with a perfect weather window, the time was ideal to push further into Courchevel’s vast backcountry arena. Meeting at the bottom of the Chanrossa chair myself, Chris and Paul met for a quick coffee to discuss the plan for the day: Nicholas would be saftey stop in the UK – receiving stage by stage updates on our progress; the avalanche risk – at 2 and “a fairly stable coat during the spring transition” – was acceptable; and the snow conditions should be good on our planned ski aspects. However, we had to keep a good pace and summit by 1400 in order to make it back in good time – a deadline that would keep this writer puffing hard for a large portion of the day!

A short traverse, transition and skin from the top of Chanrossa was a welcome introduction to the day – including the opportunity to get some kick turn practice in which would prove invaluable later on in the day – followed by a decent descent all the way down to Chalet de la Grand Val. Not only was the skiing a pleasure with good snow conditions, but this also afforded us the opportunity to test out the Southern aspects we’d be experiencing higher up on Rocher de Plassa later on.

Chalet de la Grand Val brought with it a transition into skins and the time for me, as a first timer into this part of the Three Valleys, to reflect on just how peaceful and vast this section of the Vanoise is – with huge numbers of peaks and seemingly limitless lines to explore. This was also the start of a long ascent, up to Col des Saulces, where we would make our turn for Rocher de Plassa. This part of the ascent would be a tale of two halves for me – half the time being extremely grateful that Chris had seen a more direct yet still approachable climb than other skin tracks around us, and the other half cursing his apparent superhuman ability to skin faster, and for longer than I could ever dream of! Feeling grateful that I had already prepared my excuse for a slower ascent – by volunteering to photo-document the day – I reached for my camera a no-doubt slightly suspicious amount of times in order to catch my breath!

A few hundred metres on from Col de Saulces we regrouped, checked our timing, washed down some much needed snacks and turned ourselves towards the final ascent. This would prove markedly different from the previous, long but gentle, section, instead giving us a short but steep ascent with angles pushing over 42 degrees. It was a rewarding challenge however with each kick turn noticibly improving for me, and the views becoming more and more spectacular with each turn. Petit Mont Blanc, Glacier des Sonnailles, La Grand Casse, even the town and slopes of Pralognan (an unexpected pleasure) all provided stunning backdrops, whilst the final few hundred metres to the summit brought all of Courchevel into the most magnificent of views that simply cannot be seen from the ski area.

The wonder didn’t stop there however as, upon reaching our summit, we were rewarded by perhaps the most stunning moment of the day – a bearded vulture – one of only 60 breeding pairs in the Alps – rounding the rockface behind us in full flight, soaring past us at a distance of less than 20 metres. Close enough for us to jump back in shock and awe! As if the climb wasn’t already worth it it was the cherry on an almighty cake.

Despite making good time on our ascent (even with my numerous “photo stops”) the collective decision was made to descend the first section before lunch in order to increase our safety margin, and to also give us a slightly less precarious spot to enjoy our baguettes! (No doubt much to the disappointment of the Bearded Vulture who I’m sure had already decided which of us he was about to pick off for his own luncheon.) What followed was the first in a series of glorious decents – long, flowing turns in delightful spring snow. Smiles from ear to ear all round.

The descent, with our pit stop for lunch, followed our skin track down (there is a ski path from Rocher de Plassa that can take a skier further along Dent Portetta but, with unknown territory and some pretty pokey drops, it was rightly never a consideration for this tour). This led us back to Chalet de la Grand Val and then beyond into the depths of the Avals valley, where we picked up the usual route back to the bottom of the Chapelets chair, surrounded by the stunning couloirs off Dent Portetta and Dent de Villard.

Our reward for such a tour (as if one were needed)? Upon being delivered to the top of the Chapelets chair we were met with near-empty pistes in superb condition, giving the three of us the chance to stretch our legs and hurl ourselves in joyous satisfaction all the way down to 1550 (a special and little known route in itself), where we parted ways – and this writer unashamedly made a beeline straight for the spa!

Thanks to all for a fantastic and highly rewarding day out – ticking off one of the higher, classic peaks of the Courchevel area.