Grand Bec NW Face

Last Sunday I went for a little wander up to the bottom of the NW face on the Grand Bec. The face is possibly the most obvious in the Courchevel/Bozel valley, you see it from everywhere as soon as you start to drive up from Moutiers.

First skied by the legendary Daniel Chauchefoin the face has only seen a handful of descents over the years, and is rarely in condition, needing good snow cover over 2 rocky sections.

The line starts up the couloir on the left then sneaks through rocks rightwards to the big hanging snowfield in the middle of the face, and leaves the top of this via a narrow gully onto the top slope, finishing left of the main summit:



Keen to get a good look at the lower section of face I skinned & climbed right up to where the 'fun' begins. Definitely not in skiable condition, and as the sun was hitting the face above and starting to send down rocks and ice I shelved the idea of climbing it for a recce...maybe next winter...