Finally, another dream come true! According to everyone who’s done it, this is a superb descent, and I really have nothing more to add. The ascent goes smoothly; we set off at 6 a.m. from the car in sneakers, and soon the rock-hard snow forces us to perform some interesting acrobatics, but we have to put on our boots at a spot that’s easy to spot on the way down! On the plateau, we find our landmark, as well as another group of ski mountaineers heading up, led by Michele, one of Jacopo’s course mates. As soon as we enter the couloir, a Patagonian wind takes every opportunity to bother us, but—as Michele rightly suggested—we can’t stop until we’ve reached the pass. On the Savoy side, conditions are better, so we can wait for Marcello without suffering too much. The descent is magnificent and a lot of fun, on excellent snow. The only downside—not the fault of the trip—is that one of my skis broke for no apparent reason near the end of the couloir (but they’ll replace it under warranty with a better one)