Tour de Chalves
Pure powder skiing in the heart of the Chartreuse.
With Arnaud et Aude.
Today the Chartreuse offers us meringue-like powder with its sea of clouds, coated in delicious winter light. Certified vintage over these two thousand metres of exquisite rolling terrain.
The Rochers de Chalves dominate the vast plain of the Terres Froides, and when weather systems from the west come with biting cold, they pile up generous loads of powder, to our great delight!
Armed with our widest pie-server skis, all we have to do is lift our heels to go and gorge ourselves. After a foretaste last week in the middle of the storm, we dive back in, accompanied by a touch of light.
From Mont Saint Martin, this magical loop alternates super-playful tree skiing, contemplative plateaux of nordic vastness and powdery combes at full speed. The direction of the loop is perfectly matched to the sun to get the best out of each descent, with a last treat at sunset.
Several days after the last snowfalls, the trees are still loaded with a shell twisted by the wind on the plateaux.
Leapfrogging from one valley to the next, from the immaculate blue-white to the silvery cotton wool of the frozen valleys, the game goes on and the evening light settles in.
Beyond the infinity of a red-glowing sea of clouds, the sun accompanies us on a last fiery descent.
Photo gallery...