The wealth of freeride variants, their extremely good accessibility with the lifts and targeted marketing have meant that the area around Mont Fort has been teeming with freeriders in recent years. Accordingly, you have to get up early after snowfall if you want to secure your line in the fresh snow. However, if you are prepared to get up on your skins, you can escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy challenging freeride runs almost on your own. There are plenty of them in the area around the local mountain, Mont Fort.
The technically easier tour to the nearby Rosablanche starts at the mountain station of Mont Fort and leads over its steep southern flank, the Col de Momin and the wide glacier areas of Grand DĂ©sert to the 3336-metre-high Rosablanche. On the following 1600-metre descent to Siviez, nobody needs to worry about (un)tracked slopes. Because there is more than enough powder snow for everyone up here for most of the winter.
Descent 1
First, you take the lifts to the highest point of the ski area, Mont Fort (3,328 m). From the entrance behind the stairs, ski down the steep southern slope to above the lake (Lac du Petit Mont Fort) at around 2,800 m.
Ascent
Here you put on your skins and ascend first to the south-east, then to the east to Col de Momin (3,015 m). From there, follow the glacier to the summit of the Rosablanche
.
Departure 2
On the descent, keep to the skiers-right glacier (orographic right) to the west past Petit Mont Calme. From there, continue either via Lac du Grand DĂ©sert or via Grands Plans and P 2.480 to La Gouille (P 2.316) and then along the eastern shore of Lac de Cleuson to the dam wall. To the right of the wall, take the path east of the Printse back to the lifts to Siviez (1,733 m).
Information
Difficulty: ****
Special dangers: Glacial crevasses
Altitude start/finish: 3,328 m | 1.733 m
Altitude difference: ascent 440 m, descent 2000 m
Exposure: S, W, N
Maps: Swisstopo LK 1:25'000 sheet 1326 Rosablanche, Swisstopo ski touring map LK 1:50'000 sheet 283S Arolla, Freeridemap Verbier
How to get there: Public transport: SBB to Martigny, Saint-Bernard Express to Le Châble, post bus or cable car to Verbier. Private transport: cantonal road Martigny - Verbier
Contact: Televerbier SA, phone 027 775 25 11, www.televerbier.ch, Verbier/Bagnes Tourisme, 1936 Verbier, phone 027 775 38 88, www.verbier.ch
Tip: This tour is possible for snowboarders, but less suitable due to the flat sections along Lac de Cleuson.
This tour is from the book "Die schönsten Freeridetouren der Schweizer Alpen", which is available here.
