Morzine: Col Du Fornet

Picture 1

This is a nice run in to the Vallee de la Manche. Head up the Le Fornet express chairlift; at the top there is an obvious col (the Col Du Fornet!) to your right, and a bootpack/traverse track starting beside the obligatory warning sign.

Ski/walk to the Col. This picture (1) shows the entire face, with the routes option (i) in black and option (ii) in red.

Option (i) - simply ski down from the Col, with some small couloirs and steeper slopes on your left above you. This route seems pretty popular, and not particularly steep.

Option (ii) - at the Col, on your left may be a bootpack. Climb up until you are above the level of the horzontal red line at the top of the picture (you will be above a small rock band). Put the skis on and traverse until about 100-50 feet from the ridge. Now, ski straight down parallel to the ridge (picture 2), hanging a sharp left ABOVE the level of the tracks from option (i) that you will see below you. This will bring you out on to a nice face (picture 3) above some farm buildings. Ski down to the farm buildings. Keep on skiing, and you will enter a narrow-ish valley above the treeline. On the far side lower down will be an obvious traverse; at some point you have to get on it. Once on the traverse simply follow the track down onto the road, and get the bus at L'Erigne.

Picture 2

Picture 3

Note, the bus runs once per hour, check the times; I think it is about 40 minutes past the hour.....

Early in the season, there is a wide snow covered track down the valley, this will take you to the Nyon telepherique (see video 1).

Difficulty; easy - nothing harder than low 30 degrees at the top, little exposure apart from (ii) top traverse.

Video1

Disclaimer: This blog is not responsible for any problems you may encounter from using this guide...it is indicative only. If you are unsure hire a UIAGM guide...they will probably be able to show you far better stuff anyway!