Last Monday I ran into the most spectacular view I ever saw from a groomed
cross country ski trail -- in France near Grenoble. I was skating on a
trail I didn't even know existed when I started out that morning, and it's
not on any ski trail map I've seen.

What are some other spectacular cross country ski views in the world?

I drove down to Grenoble, then west up into the Vercors plateau to Autrans,
site of the 1964 Winter Olympics XC ski courses. My goal was to take on the
challenge of skating up the long climb there, from Autrans up to Geve.

When I got to the base ski center, I was lucky to find there was still snow
holding on this late in the season -- but the main "foyer de ski" building
was locked. I looked inside and saw a note that all the trails were open up
at Geve, so I drove to there. But the buildings were closed there too, so
there was no place for me to purchase a "badge" for skiing or get a trail
map.

But the trails were beautifully groomed, so I just started skating, and soon
found a map sign at one of the intersections. It showed a connector trail
going off to La Sure, which I never heard of, but it looked like it might
make a nice out-and-back warmup before taking on my challenge. Turned out
there was already a good climb on this connector, and then some down -- and
I found that La Sure was a lift-served alpine downhill ski area -- with
trails beautifully groomed from the weekend. Nobody was skiing on the wide
trail, so instead of heading back to Geve and Autrans, I thought I'd try
skating up the alpine downhill trail -- which soon led to playing with Peter
Hoffman's "switchback" idea. I skated up all the way to the top of two
lifts (taking some rest stops).

Up there I found there was also a cross country trail that came to the same
place, also beautifully groomed, so I started skating north on it, and soon
it made a downhill turn, where I stepped five meters off the trail to the
top of a sheer cliff -- with a giant view northwest out over the river
valleys and plains of France. (but that's not the view I'm talking about).
Further down this trail I found a turn-off that would take be back to
Geve -- but I thought that before my planned challenge, I would test myself
climbing back up this _narrow_ trail, which took me back to the top of the
lifts.

But next I noticed that the skating trail continued on behind the lift and
further south -- to who knows where? It was a perfect sunny day, so I
started skating. (I did have a hiking topo map of the Vercors plateau, but
it didn't show which routes were ski trails.) After a few km, I reached a
little side-loop with a wonderful viewpoint over the interior of the
Vercors. I liked this better than the views I've found in most North
American XC ski areas, because I could see villages and farms, not just lots
of trees and snow. (but that's not the view I'm talking about).

The beautiful grooming continued, so I kept skating generally south, with
occasional signs for "Moliere". Then there it was -- a view across the
whole French Alps, north to Mont Blanc, east to the Ecrins group and further
south, with the great mountain groups in between, the Chartreuse and the
Belledonne chain prominent, also major peaks in the Beaufortain and Lauziere
and Vanoise ranges. At this "Moliere" viewpoint there's a "table of
observation" there that shows the names of the major peaks. I've never seen
a view from a groomed cross country ski trail that comes close to that
spectacular. But I'll be glad for suggestions -- and more excuses to
travel.

Then I kept skiing down a hill to a refuge hut (that might be serving food
on weekends), and finally reached the end of the grooming. But there was
still another trail heading back north but lower. And though it wasn't up
on the ridge, it had pretty rocks right alongside it. Then a steep climb up
to that same Vercors interior viewpoint, and from there I backtracked on the
high ridge trail to the top of the Sure lifts. Down the narrow
cross-country trail, with another visit to the cliff-top view. Then I found
there was also a "high" connector trail between Sure and Geve, which
traversed around the upper rim of the northern Vercors -- another pretty
route where I could then look back across to where I'd been. And back to
Geve.

What a great day of spring-time skiing.
France may not have the quantity of trails in Norway. But it's got enough
special quality places. In addition to Geve - Sure - Moliere, there's the
fun trails of La Feclaz, and the gentle but big-mountain-surrounded valley
of Bessans. the wine, the food, the sunshine. The 1992 Olympic courses of
Les Saisies with some spectacular peaks close by, and the Jura with its
famous long route and race. Did I mention the sunshine, the food, and the
wine? Now that I've made the obligatory pilgrimage to Norway, France is the
place I'm going back to.

Ken

P.S. Actually my skiing for the day wasn't over. From Geve I skied all the
way down to Autrans, and along the way took the challenge of the two steep
climbs of the "Variante de Coupe du Monde" trail. Even though that note at
Autrans said something about closed trails, the snow down low was
beautifully groomed. So finally I was able to try my originally planned
challenge: the long climb from Autrans to Geve. And except to take my skis
off to cross one paved road, I actually skated the whole way up without
stopping to rest. Hope I get to try it again sometime.