Aravis - L'Etale Combaz
Outing date: 2013-01-05
Altitude of access point: 1456m
Maximum altitude: 2483m
Elevation gain/loss: +913m >> -170m >> +200m >> -200m >> +170m >> -913m
Snow depth at 1456m: 40cm with 15cm of powder snow
Snow depth at 2483m: 120cm with 20cm of compacted/winded snow or hart snow
Weather: sunny
Departure/arrival time: 10:30/16:45
This outing was again in the Aravis range. My objective was to ride the Combaz chute just under L'Etale summit. The chute is mainly North oriented and the slope is roughly 45° with a short section at 50°.
I started hiking from the parking of Aravis pass at 10:30. It was foggy until 1400-1500m.
The first step was to climb in the Marion valley to reach a little pass at 2360m. The snow was not so bad but I had to put the crampons in the second part of the ascent. The valley was quite crowded, five ski tourers were before me and maybe more behind...
... I reached the pass which gives access to Blonnière valley around 12:15. From there the chute was visble on the left of the valley. I decided to keep my splitboard skins to cross the valley in direction to the bottom of the chute.
I quicky accessed the bottom of Combaz and after having packed my splitboard and prepared my ice crampons and ice axe I started climbing in the chute. I chose the line on the right side of the rocks lock. In the middle, next to the rocks lock, the ascent was difficult. Lack of snow avoided to easily use the ice axe and it was bit sketchy.
It took me 30 minutes to reach the top of the chute.
I kept the ice axe to ride down because the snow was a bit hart in the first part of the chute. In the second part, after the rocks lock, the snow was better and I had a very nice run.
Back to the pass to Marion valley...
... it was time to have a last look to the Combaz and to ride down to the parking in the Marion valley.
