It’s no secret that a well-watered spring in Europe resulted in a snow surplus in the high mountains. An exceptional spring for steep skiing: in the Écrins, France, as in the Mont-Blanc massif, daring ski descents were made, both firsts and rare repeats. These include several exceptional descents on the north face of the Aiguille du Midi, above Chamonix, and on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, above Courmayeur.
From mid-May onwards, steep-slope skiers began tackling itineraries that were rarely or never repeated, particularly in the Écrins: the Gravelotte on La Meije by Boris Pivaudran and Charly Brochard on May 19, the northeast face of l’Ailefroide and the north face of Pic Sans Nom by Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean, who, among others, scored two exceptional days: the Plaques route on skis on the north-west face of the Ailefroide on May 26, and, on June 5, a series of