Forcletta (Saint Luc)
13th February 2008
It’s a busy time in most ski stations, school holidays around Europe and in Switzerland always draw the crowds in of course. The good news is that the snow is still quite good in places even though it’s been some time since the last fall, but the better news is that the snow pack is very stable and we’re running at a risk of 1 on the standard scale which is really as low as it gets. That means it’s just a perfect time to get out and do some ski touring and I picked a route I’ve not done before over at Saint-Luc. The route basically takes the valley behind the Hotel Weisshorn up to a high point called Forcletta at 2874m so it’s around a 700m climb which is pretty easy.
As I start climbing it’s fairly clear that the basically north facing slopes I’m climbing are still holding good snow, over the last week it’s been skied but it’s by no means tracked out and there’s a prospect of a good descent although it’s not going to be very steep.
There’s a couple of people on snow shoes but I soon pass them and they go no further than the first ridge before turing back. At that point I’m left alone in the valley which is pretty eerie in some ways but quite pleasant and reassuring to know it’s still possible to escape the crowds so easily.
Some views over to Grimentz (above left) and Zinal (above right). The climb actually starts to get awkward, there’d been a lot of tracks earlier but there’s none up here so I have to break ground towards Forcletta. Towards the top it actually gets quite awkward and I start slipping on some frozen, icy snow. I thought about turning back but with only a couple of hundred metres to the col it seems a shame not to push on so, I stop briefly and fit my ski crampons to get some more grip and carry on. Near the col the wind’s removed the snow and I take the skis off and hike to the ridge, my Gramont Megarides are ski mountaineering boots and have vibram soles so it’s easy to scramble to the top.
Above left, looking into the Turtmann or Tourtemagne valley, not much snow cover on the south slope but actually some nice looking snow in the bottom. Above right, looking at L’Omen Roso, I’d thought about doing this peak and in fact wished I had with hindsight, from there it’s possible to ski down to Ayer or Mottec. Ayer looks the better course although it’s bound to involve some walking through the forest.
It’s quite a nice spot at Forcletta, there’s not much wind and the sun is strong so I sit for a while eating a sandwich and taking a drink before packing away the skins and crampons and skiing down.
And the descent? It’s flat in places as I expect but there’s some good powder pitches and it’s quite good.
click on photograph for larger version
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