TouringTip | Pointe Alphonse Favre - Couloir NW

Ascent

We start at the Télephérique de Flégère valley station in Les Pras. Quickly buy a tour ticket and get on the cable car. You have to walk the rest of the way, unless you are clever enough to cheat your way onto the Index chairlift and the Floria tugboat. At the top, you ascent and cross in a northerly direction below the Aiguille de la Floria towards the Col des Aiguilles Crochues.

At the pass through to the saddle, the slope steepens briefly and crampons may be necessary in unfavourable conditions. From here at the latest, leave the hustle and bustle of the ski resort behind you and head off to the right. Crossing slightly to the south of the foot of the Aiguille du Belvédère wall, you mostly pass over old and bumpy avalanche fields until a wide, south-facing gully opens up on the right in the wall below the Pointe du Alphonse Favre. Visible from afar, this narrows towards the top and, depending on the conditions, requires crampons. Once you have climbed through the gully and reached the top of the ridge, keep to the right and reach the summit of Pointe Alphonse Favre via an easy climb. Here you have a fantastic view of the Mont Blanc massif before descending into the couloir NW.

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Another magnificent view of Mont Blanc before descending to the north side of the Aiguilles Rouges

Adrian Sauter

Mont Blanc

Descent

Only a few metres separate us from the entrance to the gully, which is 45 degrees steep in places. Somewhat hidden from the summit, you keep to a small flank in the direction of Glacier Mort until a mini saddle on the left opens up the entrance to the gully after about 20 metres. Check your bindings for a tight fit and then enter the gully. This is where the real adventure of the tour begins, as it is about to get very steep. Fortunately, there are already a few turns behind you and you can work your way up to a slightly wider and flatter section. If you stay on the fall line, you can hardly get lost. Nevertheless, you shouldn't fall, as rugged stone walls flank you to the right and left. As soon as you shoot out into the basin, the most difficult part of the tour is over. Now beautiful, open slopes separate us from a well-deserved touring beer. We quickly make our way through the fun ravines and forests of the "Hexenwäldchen", past a small witch's hut with good tea and down to the mini ski lift in the village of Le Buet.

The route continues downhill over beautiful ski terrain, past rugged rock faces

Adrian Sauter

Aiguilles Rouges

Once you arrive at Le Buet station, you have to wait for the next train. Here you have the choice of enjoying a local cool drink near the station or putting your feet up on the train and taking a nap if you want to start an afternoon tour back in Chamonix. However, this only works if you haven't dawdled in the Hexenwäldchen.

Notes

The difficulty of this route can vary depending on the snow and current conditions. Even if the ascents are not a major obstacle, you should be well informed about the current conditions. In dry conditions, you will have to climb down a slight ledge in places and the tour should only be tackled when there is a low avalanche risk.

Due to its sheltered north-facing location, this tour, like most of the other north-facing descents of the Aiguilles Rouges, is a fairly well-known insider tip. The Couloir NW is a worthwhile alternative with only a few metres of ascent, especially when there is not much snow or everything is covered in snow. Another plus point is that the crowds tend to spread out over the less technically demanding descents, so you are usually on your own here.

Information on

Difficulty: ****

Special dangers: only possible with low avalanche danger, note danger of falling in hard snow

Exposure: N, W

Altitude metres start and finish: 2,578 m, 1,329 m

Altitude metres uphill: 620 m

Altitude metres downhill: 1734m

Duration: 3-4h

Best time of year: January to April

How to get there: From Chamonix to les Pras to the Télephérique de Flégère

Topographical maps: Carte IGN Chamonix/Massif du Mont Blanc 3630 OT, Freeride Map Chamonix Nord, Fatmap

The PowderGuide touring tips are general descriptions of tours that we subjectively like. They do NOT refer to the CURRENT CONDITIONS. Read the weather and avalanche report and plan your tour accordingly.