UKH

Any suggestions for Alpine areas with lots of snowy (rather than rocky) ascents, around PD, and a good campsite? We were planning to go to Saas fee but are diverting due to the "Euro issue". So far suggestions include the Ecrins or Aosta (ish). Trying to avoid Cham.
Cheers guys,
H

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

Ailefroide would seem to fit your bill. Plenty snowy peaks above Glacier Blanc at PDish, including Montagne des Agnaux and the Barre Voie Normale (or Dome de Neige). Also Pelvoux Traverse ...

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

Whatever do you mean by Euro issue??, Saas is in Switzerland and uses the Franc. It fits your plans exactly and the campsites are good. Explain.

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

The Swiss Franc exchange rate is now ruinous. £1 = SFR 1.48 this morning. This makes Switzerland very expensive. Euroland, however, is delightfully cheap for Brits, with 1.38 now to £1. Not so very long ago it was 1.05.

If you go the Ecrins and want snow, go early in the season.

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

Another vote for the Ecrins!

http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Books-Maps-DVDs/Foreign-Climbing-Guid...

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

NW Italy is pretty good, in the valleys heading up to the Swiss border to the east of Aosta. Depending on which valley you choose, you can get to Castor, the Monte Rosa massif, etc.

I stayed in the Gressonney valley at the Margherita campsite a couple of years ago, it's a nice place.

The biggest disadvantage if driving from the UK is the distance to get there! The Ecrins would also be good, but definitely not as much snow.

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

Another one for the Ecrins! Masses to be going at. However, as has already been mentioned - go early if you want lots of snow.

Some suggestions (these encompass both sides of the massif - some would be illogical were you staying at Ailefroide; others would be if you were based in la Berarde):

Tete des Fetoules
Domes de Monetier
The Ecrins
Agneaux
Roche Faurio
Neige Cordier
Grande Ruine
Ailefroide orientale (nice early season, a miserable flog late season)
Rouies
Pic Coolidge (from either side)
Rateau

And, last but not least, and in a league of its own regarding majesty (compared to the above): the traverse of Pelvoux.

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

You're really not going to beat the Saas Fee and nearby areas for long snowy easy routes. I would say it is worth the euro thing, especially if you go by car, and take loads of food with you (only supplement with fresh stuff) and avoid using lifts; the approaches up through the forests really are part of doing classic alpine routes anyway.

In reply to Robert Durran:

I'm fairly sure that all the lifts in Saas Fee are free in summer, providing you stay at a campsite or a hotel, pay the tourist tax and get the "citizens' passport": http://www.saas-fee.ch/en/page.cfm/buergerpass

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

Snow around PD means Saas. (Festi ridge or even the normal route on Dom is the best route of this kind I know. Normal route to Nordend is great for avoiding the crowds). Go camping, stock up on food, or think about starting multi day hut trips from the Italian side. Won´t save you money at the Swiss huts, but accomodation in the valley will be cheaper.

CB

In reply to David Rose:

After the shock ending of the Euro-CHF peg Sterling recovered quickly against the CHF, so the exchange rate is currently about the same as last summer. Fill the car with food and fuel on the drive down, avoid lifts. Yes, Euro land looks cheap to the British at the moment, but Switzerland isn't "ruinous"!

In reply to cb294:


Be very wary of the the PD grade on the Festigrat. I got pretty worried soloing it with one axe on a section of hard, brittle ice, especially when a guide and client above me looked like they were about to come unstuck and I had to scuttle to the side to get out of their fall line. Great way up a great mountain though.

In reply to Robert Durran:
I agree, two axes for Festi ridge, unless you have perfect nevee. I also think the grade is PD+, but as usual conditions are more important than grade.

CB

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

Well it has the same problem as Sass (i.e. you need a mortgage for a cup of coffee, it being also in Switzerland), but the Bernina area is delightful, has generally better weather than further West, has a small but bijou Alpine range with high quality routes of the sort of grade you are looking for. It also has excellent high valley walking for rest/partial rest days, not very crowded, generally good paths and charming high valleys.

Some of the routes you might want to think about :

Piz Palu (traverse or East Ridge)
Bellavista
Piz Boval
Piz Morteratsch

In reply to cb294:


Just avoid staying in huts if possible. They are very expensive in Switzerland (though much cheaper in Italy).

In reply to Simon4:

The Bernina area is delightful..........

And quick access to Italy for stocking up on cheap food,eating pizza etc.

Yep I'm in agreement with Graham F and others

Assuming: Sass Fee with free uplift, camping in Sass Grund, importing French food & wine, Swiss Apricots and modest hut use + following other advice on this thread - then you can live pretty cheaply in S/F

Staying in Zermatt & nearby huts, paying for uplift & local food/drink...would be a very differnt matter!

have fun / stay safe

Pete

In reply to PeterBlackler:


Yep.

I'll also add that buying basic food & alcohol in the co-op in Saas Grund wasn't particularly expensive at all when I was there last autumn. I even got a couple of extra cases of weissbeer to bring home (it worked out at 70p a can.) It's only when you go into a bar or restaurant that the prices rocket.

In reply to PeterBlackler:

If you cook for yourself the huts are fine as well. I use the Austrian Alpine Club card and it is cheaper again. Agreed the Coop in town is good.

In reply to heathergotrumbled:

I found Saas Grund to be okay price wise. It's deffo cheaper than Saas Fee! The Roby wasn't too bad for beer and food price wise.

In reply to PeterBlackler:

The campsite on the left a km or so before Tasch is surprisingly cheap and very pleasant.

There is an Aldi (or similar) in Visp (on the right heading east) where you can resupply pretty cheaply including big bottles of very cheap beer. At least there was a few years ago.

In reply to tjhare1:


This is in principle true, but don't go too early unless you intend to be ski-mountaineering.

Which is very good and worthwhile and in May the area is very good for that, but probably not what the OP had in mind.

I did manage to climb the North couloir of Les Bans in mid June some years ago, but that is probably out of the grade range wanted. The normal route on Les Bans is supposed to be good though, as is your suggestion of Pic Coolidge.

In reply to Simon4:

Yes - the touring is fantastic! I'd say that for the OP's intended purpose late June would be good.

Whilst the normal route on les Bans is both interesting and excellent, I don't think it fits the "...snowy (rather than rocky)..." criterion. It is also, I would say, relatively complex for its grade.

RE the financial situation: quite a good compromise, which is not frowned upon in the Ecrins, is to sleep in huts but eat your own food. If you're AAC/AC/CAF o.e. this usually means a hut night costs ~10€, or ~5€ if you're CAF and <25. At the suggested time of year the huts won't yet be busy (except w/e) - you should get a god night's sleep!

Have fun!