Once a well kept secret, it's not secret anymore but still a great descent.

Statistics

3 - 4

hrs

685

m

1,833

m

55

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

Often a great option when it's hard to find good cold snow since the descent is sheltered and faces true north.

From the top of the Floria Drag Lift, ski north for 20 metres and put skins on and skin northwards towards the Col Crochues.

After around 250 metres of height gain it is usually necessary to take skins off and bootpack the remaining 50 vertical metres up to the Col.

Crampons are generally not required for the bootpack but may be useful in icy conditions.

From the Col, make a long descending traverse rightwards, passing under the Aiguilles Crochues west face and the cliffs of the Pointe Alphonse Favre south face.

Just after these cliffs is a couloir on a large cone.

Bootpack up the couloir and then continue along the ridgeline above to the right.

This ridge is exposed (crampons and an ice axe recommended).

Put on skis and ski down the north side trending skier's right.

The very top is briefly 45 degrees before the angle quickly lessens.

Go skier's left before the slope rolls over into a convexity (often a small section of exposed ice below).

Continue down and join up with the Bérard Valley.

There are countless variations which can be taken to reach the tree line.

Once there, stay right of the river and ski to the hamlet of Le Buet via a good track and the occasional tricky section of tight tree skiing.

Keep a check on your speed on this lower bit - it tends to ski a bit faster than you would like and it is popular with snow shoers, who occasionally walk up the track in large groups.

From Le Buet, take the train back to Les Praz and the Flégère carpark. Despite its popularity the approach slope does avalanche.

Exactly that happened in spring '18, killing the famous doctor and Mountain Guide, Emmanuel Cauchy, who who was a renowned expert on frostbite.