![](../../../../z/i/spacer.gif) |
The Dome de Neige (4015m) is the skiable summit connected with the Barre des Ecrins, highest peak
in France outside the Mont Blanc massif. "Classique des classiques" for French ski mountaineering.
It's in the interior of the Ecrins national park. I approached it from the southeast where the road was closed at
Ailefroide. |
![](../../../../z/i/spacer.gif) |
![](../i/th/a/Barre_des_Ecrins_Dome_de_Neige_200x149.jpg) |
![](../../../../z/i/spacer.gif) |
![](../../../../z/i/spacer.gif) |
scroll down for more photos
![](../i/ss/a/lower_Glacier_Blanc_800x546.jpg)
climbing below the icefall on the
Glacier Blanc in the morning -- next step is to go around it on the right.
![](../i/ss/a/Mont_Pelvoux_800x573.jpg)
Mont Pelvoux to the south
![](../i/ss/a/SE_down_to_Refuge_Glacier_Blanc_785x600.jpg)
looking back down alongside the
icefall to the Refuge Glacier Blanc
![](../i/ss/a/Dome_across_wide_glacier_800x582.jpg)
the Barre des Ecrins and Dome de
Neige seen across the Glacier Blanc
![](../i/ss/a/Barre_des_Ecrins_Dome_de_Neige_800x594.jpg)
Barre des Ecrins is the higher icy-rock summit
to left. Dome de Neige is the snowy shoulder to the right.
(In this photo, the normal ski climbing route would start to right
of a line drawn down from Dome, then diagonal up and left to just underneath the
higher ice+rock Barre summit, then finish by traversing right nearly horizontally to
the Dome.)
![](../i/ss/a/Refuge_des_Ecrins_800x592.jpg)
Refuge des Ecrins
(higher in altitude and closer to the Dome de Neige than the Refuge Glacier
Blanc)
![](../i/ss/a/looking_up_N_face_route_800x600.jpg)
looking up the north face -- two
skiers already high on the route
![](../i/ss/a/skiers_near_summit_Dome_de_Neige_800x600.jpg)
nearing the top section of the route -- the traverse to the snow dome on
the right
-- with two other skiers already returning from the Dome, about to make
their main ski descent
![](../i/ss/a/skiers_descending_lower_mountain_800x600.jpg)
descending through the middle of the
lower north face
|