Raide d'Écrins (2021)

Overview

Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean are continuing their ski touring projects. After exploring Nicolas Jean's stomping grounds – the Ubaye Valley – the two guides found themselves this time in Benjamin's backyard: the Écrins massif. From May 27th to 29th, they completed a rapid traverse of the massif from south to north, skiing down 10 steep slopes along the way. "An intense immersion, full of challenges, doubts, joys, and mysteries!" recounts Benjamin. This – yet another – traverse of the massif took them from the Gioberney chalet-hotel (Valgaudemar) to the Pied du Col (Haute-Romanche), traversing steep slopes over three days, "crossing some of the wildest landscapes in the Southern Alps." Three days during which they will have covered 11,000 meters of elevation gain and descended no less than 10 slopes rated in the 5, from the north face of the Sirac (5.4) to the north couloir of the Col Claire (5.1+).