It’s a feat to link together two very rare ski descents. On Friday May 10, French Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean skied two summits in a row, the north-east face of Ailefroide, and the north face of Pic Sans Nom, in the Écrins massif, France. Extreme steep skiing, and a sequence that leaves you speechless. Here’s how they did it.
Even without a rope, they’re a rope party, used to sharing great days out in the mountains. This winter, Nicolas Jean and Benjamin Védrines climbed the Agneaux on five different routes. This spring is exceptionally snowy above 2800 meters in the Écrins, and the duo wanted to make the most of it. Above the Glacier Noir, there were a few clues: as early as May 4, steep skiers opened the ball by skiing the north-west couloir of the Pic Sans Nom, then the Coup de Sabre, and the more