The Grand Jorasses is one of the most iconic and recognisable big north faces of the Alps and is on every mountaineer's wish list. When it comes to skiing though, it is a different story.
This face doesn't get much attention from the skiing crowd as it offers very little lines to choose from due to its very steep face plastered with ice. There is however one skiable line on this vast face, ‘The Shroud’.
This steep hanging slope of ice sometimes gets a good coating of sticky spring snow but due to its location it more often than not gets overlooked. It was first descended by Jérôme Ruby and Sam Beaugey on snowboards in 1995 and had yet to see a second descent. That was until Jean-Yves "Blutch" Fredriksen, Charles Dubouloz and Yann Borgnet headed up last week to claim the second descent.
Heading up to the Leschaux refuge the team had to first climb the several pitches of hard mixed climbing that brings you to the steep exposed slope. After this they then scaled the slope in great snow before making turns back down its 55°+ slope and abseiling back over the climbing pitches.
This descent is the icing on the cake for a memorable year of rare ski descents in the Mont Blanc Massif.
