Looking at the NE summit of Mont de l'Etoile

I'm half way along the short ridge from the SW summit, looking at my goal for the day, the true, NE summit of Mont de l'Etoile (3370m). I see only wind patterns, but no obvious tracks by previous mountaineers that might suggest a safe route. It's clear that I have to be careful. If I get too close to the crest on the left, I might break through a cornice and that would be bad. Real bad. The sheer slopes right below it are too steep for the snow to take hold, so falling would mean bouncing off steep rocks until I would finally come to a halt near the edge of the Glacier de Vouasson, a few hundred meters below. To avoid that, I must stay well away from the crest. But I don't want to go too far to the right either, for as the slope gets steeper, doing a quick self arrest will get harder. 11 March 2014.