Combe de La Vélière

A fabulous off-piste adventure, with reasonable skiing but very careful route-finding required. A good snowpack is necessary to avoid bare south-facing slopes at the end. The top sections is prone to windslab. The exit follows a narrow track with sheer drops, and is the only way out through cliff barriers to the valley bottom. From the top of La Mio black piste, branch left where the piste turns right, and follow the ridge for about 200m. Move slightly down the left-hand slope until the slope below eases a little and it is possible to cut back sharply left and traverse down across a steep slope into the main bowl. Follow the floor of the bowl, moving to the left side where it narrows to a real valley, and continue all the way above the stream until near the final steepening. Keep your height above the stream, aiming for a small col directly ahead, on the left of the valley as it bears right and drops steeply to the main valley. Pop over the col and into a small bowl which funnels down to a narrow outlet. Pick up the track which cuts out right from the end of the tiny valley, and makes a sharp zig-zag back left across a very steep slope, and down to the tiny hamlet of Les Bois.