Pointe de la Lune: Gran Paradiso first ski descent by Rémy Lécluse and Glen Plake

If the snow doesn't fall, head out and search for it. This is exactly what American Glen Plake and the French Mountain Guide Rémy Lécluse decided to do and so they travelled from Chamonix to Gran Paradiso in Italy where on 19 November they made the first ski descent of the SE couloir of Pointe de la Lune (Punta Ceresole) on Cresta Gastaldi.

The two expert veterans of extreme skiing spent a night at the Ivrea bivy, then set off at 7:00am the next morning, reached the start of the gully at 8:30 and topped out at 9:30, ready for the 600m descent which they graded 40-45°/50°, 5.2/E3.

Commenting on chamonixinsider.com Plake stated "The big slope above the cliff was especially beautiful. That’s where we found that special ambiance that you only get from steep skiing." Check out chamonixinsider.com for the full report and more photos.