La Tournette 2351m (Day 1)

La Tournette is one of the 8 Ultras in France. An Ultra is a mountain which has a prominence of over 1500m.
It started like any Alpine mountain, with a long 1st gear drive up a steep rocky road. I decided the road was getting too dangerous so i parked next to an area of cliff that had collapsed above the road with a huge boulder precariously protruding from the cliff.

I started walking the rest of the way but after a few minutes, i realised id forgotten the map. I was really pissed of by this and I'm sure everyone on this side of the mountain could hear me screaming profanities.

I'd wasted too much time so i just drove up instead. The road wasn't even that bad and i'd just had my rear springs replaced anyway. I parked in the empty car park and started walking.

The first path was steep and winding up an open grassy hill. Soon turning into an even steeper rocky path but plateauing out eventually after a 2 hour slog.

There's my little car at the bottom.

At the end of this section of path there was little refuge hut, which was locked. I had a look under rocks for a key. Thought id found it but it was just a tea bag.

From here was overlooking a huge snowy plateau. Half in shade from the mountain. There was also another larger refuge hut and a disused cable car going up to it.
You can see a small part of the mountain to the left.

I walked out onto the snow, which turned out to be solid ice. The sun was still rising and half the valley was in shade.

I was unsure where to go at this point because the snow covered any signs of a path but i could see footprints so followed them. I put on my £3 Chinese crampons and walked across the ice sheet towards a rocky outcrop. At the edge of the rocky outcrop there was a huge steep ice sheet going up the side of the mountain, this was the way up. My photos were unable to capture the sheer steepness of this ice.

The crampons were near enough useless. Every few steps i started sliding down into the valley. My mate said if you're crampons cost the same as a bacon butty, then they may as well be an actual bacon butty. The ice sheet lead down to some rocks into the middle. I really didnt want to slide into that.

I looked if there was another way. I thought i might be able to climb across the bottom of the cliff and up past the ice sheet.

I went back across the rocky outcrop then up a steep grassy bank that lead up to the bottom of the cliff. Everywhere was steep. I was crawling up this grassy bank. The grass was all flattened aswell, like combed hair, making it very slippy. I think the weight of the snow must have pushed it down.

I reached the bottom of the cliff and actually managed to climb quite far across. Every so often i was wondering how easy it would be to get back. I'd got to a point where it was too dangerous, too difficult, if i tried it there was no chance i could get back and if that just lead to another ice sheet, i'd be stuck (Turns out there was more ice). So i had to carefully navigate all the way back again.

Now i was getting quite annoyed, i'd just wasted another hour and a lot of energy. The sign said it was three hours to the top. I later discovered the three hours was the 'tourist top'. Which wasn't actually the top of the mountain. A mountain had never stopped me like this before. I think i should have come later in the year when there's less snow, or bought some steak butty crampons.

Disappointed, I had started to walk back. But by this time the sun had rose high and illuminated most of the valley. I noticed the ice sheet had softened up so i could wedge my foot in it. I thought id have one more go. I missed out the rocky outcrop bit and just climbed straight up the steep ice sheet.
This thing was honestly steep. I was crawling up, jamming my feet and fingers into the ice so i didn't fall down.  I kept thinking this is dangerous, what am i doing, what if i cant get down. But the determination to get to the top kept me going.

Wish id taken a a better photo to show the magnitude of this steepness but i was too busy trying not to die.

After about half an hour, I'd got to the top of the ice sheet and there was another grassy slope. At the top of that, there was a small ridge with another ice sheet going down, ending at the top of a cliff. I thought if i fall down that then im gonna make a mess at the bottom. Unfortunately the ice has defeated me this time but at least i tried.

I climbed onto a small rocky precipice to see the view. Then i noticed another path! Back down near the refuge going up a south facing slope with no snow. I've already been climbing for four hours and it's gonna take me at least two to get back, so i'll have to do that tomorrow.

As i turned to go back, i saw four kitted out climbers with steak butty crampons and ice axes. They looked at me in amazement wondering where i'd come from.

This made it a lot easier to get back though because i could just walk in their footprints. As i got out of range of rocks and cliffs, i jus buttskied the rest of the way.

Also seen this guy on the way back. He was very receptive to the rustling of a biscuit wrapper and allowed me to take some photos.