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Orelle, France | FreeRide Sector: Caron
Ride Date:
11 Dec 24Snow conditions:
PowPowAvalanche level:
3 - ConsiderableTerrain:
Front countryWeather conditions:
SunnyPrecipitation:
ClearElevation entry point:
3000mElevation exit point:
2600mAspect:
South EastMax slope angle:
Between 30 and 45 degreesDrop in:
OpenExit:
Ski outSuper easy access mellow piste to piste line. On a powder day it’ll leave you whooping with joy and glad you skipped the awesome Combe Rosaël bump run.
From Orelle take the OR2 ORELLE CARON gondola - you can scope the whole line as you ride up. You could also access from Val Thorens via the VT33 CIME CARON cable car but there’s no scoping opportunity via this route.. Both lifts deposit you in roughly the same place, from here follow the Col de l’Audzin red piste until you hit the 1st junction (after about 50 metres), take skiers left keeping left to join the path that becomes the black Combe Rosaël piste. The bath turns sharply left and then descends for a few steeper turns towards a wooden fence (see photo - the view). Follow the fence line, hugging the right hand side of the piste, the piste again steepens, your drop in options become visible skiers right. (see photo - line on piste map)
What 3 Words entry point
///sparklers.mimosas.chatWhat 3 Words exit point
///drearily.jaunts.parallelsEven though this line is accessed and exited via avalanche mitigated pistes (black Combe Rosaël / blue piste Gentianes) it should definitely be considered off-piste, so you'll at least want Transceiver, shovel, and probe, This section of the mountain is littered with rocks and boulders so a helmet and goggles makes sense even with a considerable snow depth as the larger obstacles could still be just below the surface.
The stoke was really high on the day we rode this line, that may have been more about the early season dump of POW and less to do with the line itself, so I’ve marked it down a couple of notches and will evaluate next time.
Apart from plotting your way around a few obvious rocks, this is a pretty mellow line. Assuming the viz is good you can hit this at full throttle without much concern.
The view looking across the seemingly endless mountains is truly breathtaking, in fact my favourite in Les 3 Vallées.
The View
The Good Times Crew. Photo: Ani
Line (pink squiggle) on piste map
⛷️: Joya
⛷️: Ani
⛷️: PowdaBunga
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