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A classic ski couloir in a wild valley
France's Finest Couloirs: An Epic Skiing Roadtrip
15 of the best couloirs in France, spread across some of the Country's most magnificent mountain ranges, this trip should be on every skier's bucket list!
Images
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Chalky snow and nobody about. La Grave at its finest.
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At the start of the main couloir.
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Piecing a way into the line in thin conditions.
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Great skiing and equally good scenery.
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Abseiling into the line
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Midway down, in perfect conditions.
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Traversing back to the Aiguille du Midi mid-station.
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Finishing the abseil into the line
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![Grande Casse 3.png](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/6332b3e5-5d83-41d1-8339-d67cee793129?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
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Beautiful snow on the lower section.
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Dropping into the skier's left entrance.
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The big traverse above Mont Lachat.
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Picking out the route on the lower section of the descent.
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Finishing the bootpack, with the Chamonix Valley laid out below.
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A sobering reminder of the stakes.
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Arriving on the summit with Mont Blanc dominating the view behind.
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Epic views from the summit, with the peaks of the Chablais on the left, the Portes du Soleil in the middle and Mont Blanc reigning supreme on the right.
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Beautiful powder on the upper section of the descent, with Romme village visible below.
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You really do ski straight off the summit!
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Looking up at the summit from the west ridge. The Petit Pertuis is the line directly down from the little col right of the summit.
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Earning the turns, with a great view across the Portes du Soleil.
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Soaking in the spring sun on the way up.
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Excellent conditions in the upper section of the descent.
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Mellow skiing in the bowl below the couloir proper.
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A final pause at the Chalets de Pertuis before heading back into the ski area.
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Great snow in atmospheric surrounding midway down the line.
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Beginning to open it up on the lower section.
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Mellow powder towards the bottom.
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Edging into the start of the couloir itself.
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Steep and exciting turns in great snow at the top of the couloir.
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Summit!
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Climbing up to the Col des Autannes.
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Great snow in the middle part of the couloir.
![DSC01343.JPG](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/76a44c81-6362-43cc-9e3a-05eec413b935?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
Looking back across the Glacier des Grands from the top of the couloir.
![DSC01345.JPG](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/89abc7e3-2af1-4a21-936f-8921eaa6a5bc?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
Peering into the line.
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Incredible skiing and fantastic ambience below the Trient Glacier.
![DSC02275.JPG](https://fatmap-digitiser-assets.imgix.net/304c7566-18ae-48e9-b68c-0509b73ddbbe?w=328&h=250&fit=crop")
Underneath the north face and heading for home
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The line as seen from Pic Lombard
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Skinning up towards the summit
Description
France has a realistic claim to being the World's best country to ski in - it has the highest mountain in the Alps and the largest ski area on Earth. As if that wasn't enough, it's home to hundreds of ski resorts of all shapes and sizes, and literally thousands of ski tours. The terrain in France varies from mellow, open slopes through to steep, narrow couloirs and it is these on which this guidebook focuses.
Narrowing (pun intended) France's many couloirs down to just 15 is a tough task and these were selected primarily for their quality, but also because they will take you around some of the Country's best known resorts. In the process of skiing these you'll visit the legendary 3 Valleys and ski beneath Mont Blanc and the Meije. In addition, you'll also ski tour in some wild and relatively unknown areas such as the Queyras and the Aravis.
So, book some time off work and head to the south of France!
Once you've got the taste for the skiing there, check out some of our more specific guidebooks to the various ranges that the Country is home to.
https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/222/the-classic-ski-tours-of-the-chamonix-valley
https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/17/la-grave-classics
https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/255/great-freeride-lines-in-the-3-valleys
Adventures
Epic, wild terrain with tricky route finding. If in doubt, go with a local instructor or guide.
A wild adventure and 800m long couloir
Easy to access, steep couloir skiing. A La Grave classic.
A classic steep colour, for expert skiers only and with tricky route-finding
A ski mountaineering classic involving a steep climb from the Refuge de la Vanoise to the summit of the Grande Casse, the highest in the Tarentaise.
A long complex descent on moderate terrain; a great adventure.
A truly brilliant ski descent which you are unlikely to share.
An easy ski tour to a perfectly positioned peak, followed by a steep and exciting descent. Ski touring doesn't get much better!
An excellent couloir on a prominent and quiet peak - what more can you ask for?!?!
A big adventure through some huge terrain
This is a classic extreme skiing line, not only in Chamonix, but across the Alps. 900 meters of sustained and serious terrain between 40-50 degrees; enough to get anyones heart pumping.
Probably the most spectacular descent on the Hellbronner, this line goes through some huge terrain and features steep freeriding.
A large and very attractive couloir in plain view from Chamonix
Fantastic but serious big mountain line on a majestic, wild north face