The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Les Grands Montets

This is a delightful run which is relatively non-serious as it is not too steep and usually holds very good snow. It is also worth bearing in mind for flat light days as the cliffs to its R give you good contrast to improve the vis....

You are unlikely to be alone on this one, with many others joining you from the top of the Grands Montets. In addition many people may be ahead of you, perhaps waiting at the col....

This is a very popular day tour and you will need to be on the first bin to avoid the crowds. From the top of the Grand Montets cable car, ski down the very start of the Point du Vue piste before quickly ducking the rope and heading skier's right and down the Glacier du Rognons....

This line is sometimes ignored but often holds great snow and is largely unglaciated. Follow the Pointe de Vue piste until the end of the long traverse L after the initial wide slopes down below the start....

Exit to the L at the top of the Herse lift. Start for a short distance on the Pylones piste which is nearly flat, then continue straight on under the rope to what was a glacial remnant but no longer is....

To access this you follow the Blanchots black piste, turning off it in the relatively easy angled section as it traverses R. Head L on flattish terrain until it convexes off ahead of you....

These inviting glacial slopes below the Pointe de Vue piste are heavily crevassed when seen in the summertime, but in a good winter appear uniform and smooth, allowing turns of any radius to be enjoyed with tons of space....

After an exciting and condition-dependent entry pitch you have a choice of lines below. You are on a crevassed glacier so make sure you are equipped, prepared and have practised crevasse rescue, however unlikely you think falling in a crevasse is- it is possible! A minimum would be each person to have harness, axe, crampons, an ice screw, 3 prussiks, several screwgates, a pulley/DMM Revolver karabiner, a couple of slings and 2 30m ropes in the group....

A serious glacier run in the spectacular Argentiere Glacier basin. Head to the R of the rocky Rognon, then straight down, leaving a characteristic rocky ridge on your L after the glacial section below the Rognon....

This skis the huge wide open glacial slopes diagonally down and L. There is no distinct line and it has a slight convexity on it. You join the tracks from the main Dome line to enter the lower slopes through the rocks....

Start by walking up the iron steps to the top of the Grands Montets viewing platform. You then need to climb over the metal barrier on the N side of the platform and scramble round the rocks on a flattish and then downward traverse round to the left then back right, often with a fixed rope at the end to get down to the snow....