SnowSlider – Blogging From the mountains by ise

David and Chris had planned to do the Bishorn today/tomorrow but the forecast for tomorrow is poor so David suggested the Val Rechy instead, by the time we’d got to the top of the Lona lift I’d persuaded him to try the Lona instead. My plan was to ski into the plateau near the Lac Lona and then climb out over a small col between the Diablon and Sassiniere before skiing down through the Alpage des Torrents to the Moriy Barrage. Incidentally, Chris Longbottom has just bought La Ferme here in Zinal, an old restaurant near the centre of the village and will be opening as the new owner in the summer.


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Meeting up with David, Neil and Claire on the first lift this morning we’d plans to head over to Grimentz and climb into the Pas de Lona area from where we’d a couple of options. But, the top lift at Zinal wasn’t running due to high wind so we decided to head over near the Zinal Freeride area then climb up onto the ridge behind there and grab a line from there. From the top, between gusts of wind, we decided to cut far out across the mountain and access some slopes under the Garde de Bordon, this turned out pretty well……


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It’s not snowed for a while now and it’s been peak holiday time so all the off-piste is totally tracked out, but it’s been cold and if you’re prepared to put some climbing in then there’s still some great snow to be found. I rode the lifts to the Bella Tolla and then climbed the south east side of the Bella Tolla, I started on skins but the hard icy snow soon needed ski crampons and even then I was struggling to make progress so I racked the skis and scrambled up to the ridge at the top. From there I’m rewarded with a view into the valley, it’s not untracked but it’s certainly not tracked out and the snow’s obviously pretty good.

Google Earth Track File


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I’ve stood on the other side of the valley a couple of times recently and wondered about doing this route, it’s pretty short but I’ve not been over the Basset de Lona before, I’ve been over by Lac Lona, the Diablon and Sassiniere etc and skied from those places to the Lac de Moiry Barrage. Like all the lines in that area this starts from the top of the lift system at Grimentz and goes to the Col des Becs de Bosson, from there it drops to the Lac Lona. The descent to the Lac Lona was breakable crust with isolated pockets of transformed snow, so skiable but awkward in places.

Google Earth Track File


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