Les Diablerets, Switzerland 7/22

jon

New member
We went out for some lift serviced summer skiing this Sunday on the Les Diablerets glacier.  We picked the right day, with plenty of sun and warm temps.  Maybe just a bit too warm as it was +7c at 3000 meters.  Access to the glacier is via a cable car at the top of the Col du Pillon, at 1600 meters, between the Vaud Alps and the Berner Oberland.  The skiing takes place between 2800m and 3100m on 4 lifts, 3 T-bars and a chair.  I brought out the teles and it was my first time on them since March when I lost a hook for one of the Chili cables.  I've since found a replacement hook at the only shop in Western Switzerland, at least that I've found, which sells tele equipment, Mountain Air in Verbier.  Conditions were already soft spring corn when we arrived on the glacier at around 8:45.  The corn was soft, but not too soft, at that point.  The longer slopes are serviced by the 3 T-bars but their low angle and direct orientation to the sun insured that these pistes began to become really mushy by about 11:00am.  It was possible to find slightly firmer corn on the few shorter and steeper slopes which face to the north and we took a few runs there in the late morning and early afternoon.  The lifts close at 2pm but most of the slopes were nearly un-skiable by that time.  The best skiing is definitely in the morning and I'm of the opinion that the cable car should go up at 6:30 or 7:00 instead of 8:20 to allow for better snow conditions.  Other points of interest included a huge half-pipe which was be far the most heavily trafficked area on the glacier.  The slopes were nearly empty but the pipe was extremely busy.  There was also a husky dog sleigh team selling rides for 10 CHF.  Which seemed a bit of rip off as the driver really only looped around for maybe a 2 minute ride.  But there were several tourist wearing sandals and trudging through the wet snow who were willing to pay the price and to take photos of the dogs.
 
Here's a couple of pictures: <BR> <BR> <BR>The peak in the far background with the sharp summit on the left and the broad shoulder on the right is the Matterhorn. <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/11/1166.jpg" ALT="diablerets1.JPG"> <BR> <BR> <BR>A slope on the Les Diablerets glacier. <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/11/1167.jpg" ALT="diablerets2.JPG"> <BR> <BR> <BR>Seracs and crevasses of the glacier hanging over a cliff. <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/11/1168.jpg" ALT="glacier2.JPG">
 
Back
Top