Vanoise: Pointe de la Réchasse
Posted by Sam Harrison on August 20, 2013 at 13:36.
alpine mountaineering alps pralognan sunrise vanoise
After a quick wander up the Rocher de Villeneuve on the day we arrived, and a rainy forest bimble the following day, we finally set off in earnest for our first Alpine adventure on the Tuesday afternoon. The goal was Pointe de la Réchassee from the Col de la Vanoise refuge, a route offering a small amount of glacial travel and a long but not too difficult rocky ridge to a summit offering fantastic views out over the extensive Glacier de la Vanoise, all at the grade of "Facile". I've just completed writing a detailed route description on Camp to Camp, and that can be seen here.
As a rule, camping and bivvying is not permitted in the Vanoise National Park, with the exception that some refuges may permit it outside upon payment of an "hors sac" fee of around €3.50 to cover use of facilities at the refuge. Unfortunately, the Col de la Vanoise refuge isn't one of the refuges that does permit it, but fortunately being Alpine Club members and being under 25 meant that it was only €7 to stay in the refuge itself. This was quite welcome as it meant we didn't have to drag heavy bivvy gear up with us as well, just a sleeping bag liner instead.
Regardless of the relatively lighter bags, it was still hard work ascending the 1100m to the refuge. We were rewarded with lovely views back down the valley and dramatic views of the highest peak in the area, La Grande Casse, capped by isolated low-lying cumulus clouds. The clouds didn't extend as far as our peak, and that allowed us to have a good look at the route we were to take the next morning. From the description it wasn't all too clear which way our route would actually take us, but we felt confident all would become clear in the morning.
As we were catering for ourselves, we were placed in the "Refuge d'Hiver" (the winter refuge), a portacabin-like building that serves as a refuge out of the summer season when it isn't guarded. We had quite a peaceful night after the group of Russian's we were sharing it with eventually quietened down, and I felt quite awake and rearing to go when we awoke at 3.30am. After a cereal bar and a couple of swigs of water, we were on our way, following cairns across the moraines of the Glacer de la Réchasse on what we thought must have been the correct route.
How wrong we were: The cairns eventually disappeared and as the sun rose we realised that we far too far left on the morraines - the trail of cairns we had followed must have either been for an older version of the route (when the glacier took a different shape), or perhaps a different route entirely. We lost time crossing a snow patch to the bottom of a set of rocky bands, before regaining the main route and ascending the bands to the Glacier de la Réchasse. We'd given ourselves plenty of time, and indeed there were still a good number of people still behind us on the route.
After crossing the glacier, we gained the long summit ridge by a rocky step (around the left of the ridge) that was a little bit tricky. It was then easy scrambling along the initially narrow ridge, giving us plenty of time to admire the view over La Grande Casse to our left and the Glacier de la Vanoise to our right. We spotted a piton half-way along (at a little notch) which was used by a guide and two clients to ascend onto the ridge, in doing so overtaking us. I wouldn't recommend this ascent, as it is the start of the ridge that this would miss out that offers the best scrambling and hence the most fun. After a bite to eat on the summit we descended back to the notch and decided using the piton to abseil would be a much better proposition than down-climbing the tricky step up onto the ridge.
We followed the correct route down to the refuge, which was as simple as could be in the daylight. It is cairned well all the way, though what threw us off must have been a snow patch covering where the path splits in two at the very start of the route - we forked left up a valley, whilst the actual route trends right up a grassy nose.
After a coffee (lemonade on Lorna's part) at the refuge, we descended on the GR55, passing through the picturesque but crowded Lac des Vaches.
As a rule, camping and bivvying is not permitted in the Vanoise National Park, with the exception that some refuges may permit it outside upon payment of an "hors sac" fee of around €3.50 to cover use of facilities at the refuge. Unfortunately, the Col de la Vanoise refuge isn't one of the refuges that does permit it, but fortunately being Alpine Club members and being under 25 meant that it was only €7 to stay in the refuge itself. This was quite welcome as it meant we didn't have to drag heavy bivvy gear up with us as well, just a sleeping bag liner instead.
Regardless of the relatively lighter bags, it was still hard work ascending the 1100m to the refuge. We were rewarded with lovely views back down the valley and dramatic views of the highest peak in the area, La Grande Casse, capped by isolated low-lying cumulus clouds. The clouds didn't extend as far as our peak, and that allowed us to have a good look at the route we were to take the next morning. From the description it wasn't all too clear which way our route would actually take us, but we felt confident all would become clear in the morning.
La Grande Casse and Refuge du Col de la Vanoise
Pointe de la Réchasse (left) and its voie normale (via the grassy nose and rocky bands)
As we were catering for ourselves, we were placed in the "Refuge d'Hiver" (the winter refuge), a portacabin-like building that serves as a refuge out of the summer season when it isn't guarded. We had quite a peaceful night after the group of Russian's we were sharing it with eventually quietened down, and I felt quite awake and rearing to go when we awoke at 3.30am. After a cereal bar and a couple of swigs of water, we were on our way, following cairns across the moraines of the Glacer de la Réchasse on what we thought must have been the correct route.
How wrong we were: The cairns eventually disappeared and as the sun rose we realised that we far too far left on the morraines - the trail of cairns we had followed must have either been for an older version of the route (when the glacier took a different shape), or perhaps a different route entirely. We lost time crossing a snow patch to the bottom of a set of rocky bands, before regaining the main route and ascending the bands to the Glacier de la Réchasse. We'd given ourselves plenty of time, and indeed there were still a good number of people still behind us on the route.
Arriving at the Glacier de la Réchasse
After crossing the glacier, we gained the long summit ridge by a rocky step (around the left of the ridge) that was a little bit tricky. It was then easy scrambling along the initially narrow ridge, giving us plenty of time to admire the view over La Grande Casse to our left and the Glacier de la Vanoise to our right. We spotted a piton half-way along (at a little notch) which was used by a guide and two clients to ascend onto the ridge, in doing so overtaking us. I wouldn't recommend this ascent, as it is the start of the ridge that this would miss out that offers the best scrambling and hence the most fun. After a bite to eat on the summit we descended back to the notch and decided using the piton to abseil would be a much better proposition than down-climbing the tricky step up onto the ridge.
The beginning part of the long ridge up to the summit
Impressive views over La Grande Casse
We followed the correct route down to the refuge, which was as simple as could be in the daylight. It is cairned well all the way, though what threw us off must have been a snow patch covering where the path splits in two at the very start of the route - we forked left up a valley, whilst the actual route trends right up a grassy nose.
After a coffee (lemonade on Lorna's part) at the refuge, we descended on the GR55, passing through the picturesque but crowded Lac des Vaches.
Stepping stones over Lac des Vaches