~ Tuesday 14th February 2012
In winter the Dixence valley is cold and remote, with the road open only as far as Pralong. High above is the excellent ski peak of le Métailler, a classic day tour involving a "bit of everything". It's a long, tiring 1600m climb on steep ground, needing stable snow, to reach the col before the summit ridge. After slogging all the way up there it was a surprise to find a team of helmet cam guys leaping off the large cornice!
Reaching the summit needs an easy but exposed scramble. Rather than retracing steps we made a steep descent northwards to the Glacier de Métail. The glacier is tiny now, something of a last chance to see...but it leads to a brilliant descent, continuously steep and interesting all the way back to Pralong.
