Description

From just behind the Inversons restaurant off the top of the Roche de Mio you can find the entrance into Le Sablier ("The Hourglass").

Follow the ridgeline almost under the Inversons chairlift look for the small hump that sticks out above the others.

If you are not sure you know where you are, then don't go! This ridge is covered with massive cornices hanging over exposed rock.

This is not a place where you want to poke around hoping you will find the entrance.

The best thing to do is to ride the Inversons chair up and spot the entrance from the chair.

Make a mental note or snap a photo and then come back from above. This route has heavy exposure, both in terms of avy risk and in terms of exposure over rock.

You don't want to make any mistakes on the upper portion as it is truly a no fall zone.

Once in, the top is actually a pretty wide ramp and can be a super fun ski that can be charged hard.

As you get into it there is a choke about 150 vertical meters down, hence the hourglass name.

Once you have cleared the crux, then it is wide open for another 300 or so meters. The bottom of this line, dropping into the Derochoir riverbed gets pretty technical again if you stay fall line.

There are a series of narrow and steep couloirs that have a tendency to slide frequently.

In good snow, they are the jam, in mediocre snow you are best to traverse left above them and find the open apron down to the valley floor. This line is addictive and one that is not often tracked out.

Once you know it you will return to it as often as conditions allow.