Description

This is a long tour that involves some steep climbing in the north couloir, followed by an airy traverse of the ridge.

The descent does need you to have good route finding skills. From the parking, follow the GR58 along the valley floor and as the road bends back on itself, start to climb up the slopes near the Ravine de Clapouse.

Here you have a choice to climb the open face or stick to the band of trees for the climb to the height of 2448m.

Turn northwest and climb up a small valley to the ridge.

From the ridge go west under the north face of the Pic Beal, and once under the obvious north couloir of the Pic Beal climb to the top of the couloir.

The couloir leads on to the steep east facing slopes - traverse these until you can climb again to the main ridge. Follow the ridge till the south face opens up.

The views from the ridge are amazing. Descent Ski down an open bowel and then turn east to an easy angled ridge.

Ski down this until it flattens a little and reaches some rocks, from here I have skied both sides of the rocks (and it can be tricky to find) but you are looking for a steep couloir/slope than opens up and leads to the lower section.

As the angle eases head north a short way and then descend again through a small couloir, then traverse back to the Ravine de Clapouse slopes and back to the road to the parking.