That Very Special Place....Gornergrat Switzerland

"My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me"
- Winston S. Churchill

So, at about the time I stopped chronicling my travel adventures, I decided to embark on one of life's biggest adventures.  I decided to ask my long time girlfriend to marry me.  I mention this because I surprised her with "the question" after doing a long training hike from Zermatt to Gornergrat Switzerland.  For those of you not familiar with Gornergrat, it is the most amazing places on earth!  People travel from all over the world to visit Zermatt because of the Matterhorn mountain.  What they don't realize is that the view from Gornergrat of Monta Rosa (second highest alp) and her glaciers is a million times more spectacular than the Matterhorn alone.  I couldn't think of a better place to ask her to marry me.

Panoramic from the restaurant at the top of the Gornergrat cog train.  Unfortunately, from this perspective you can't see all of Monta Rosa put a good representation none the less!

Probably 1/3 of the full vista from Gornergrat.  Missing Monta Rosa to the left and the rest of the glaciers to the right

The central part of the vista.  This is close to the place where she said "yes"!

This past week was the first time that we have travelled back to that place since she said "yes".  What made it even more special was that we were able to do so with our two kids!  My not-so-secret agenda here is to instil in them the same love for the mountains as I have....fingers crossed it's working!

The third part of the vista including the Matterhorn itself.  If views like this can't inspire the children to love the mountains I don't know what will

The trip up from the village of Zermatt to Gornergrat is a very easy 35 minute cog train ride from the centre of town (assuming you're not walking).  Once at the top, you have the option to walk all the way back down or walk part way down and reconnect with the cog train.  What caught me by surprise was how dumbfounded my daughter was with snow.  I realized that she had not experienced snow before. Watching her carefully slip and slide her way down the slope was the cutest and funniest thing I've seen in a while.

My plan might be working!  Looks like she's taking it all in. 

We decided to take a short walk down to the next cog train station.  The views along the route of the Matterhorn and glaciers are spectacular.  Although it's a major tourist destination, Gornergrat is one location that I never hesitate to spend the money to experience.  I still hope to climb Monta Rosa one day, maybe we'll get to do it as a family!

This picture was snapped from the window of the cog train on the way back down.  It's one impressive piece of rock!

Nine expats and the Tour De Cervin (Matterhorn), Switzerland

One of the best things about being an expat is the expat community.  You take a bunch of adventurous people from all over the world, you pull them out of their comfort zone, you throw them into a foreign environment and you stand back and wait for the magic to happen.  In our experience, the "magic" was the formation of some incredibly strong personal relationship.  However, one of the worst things about being an expat is that the community is incredibly dynamic.  The close friends that you make are an constantly moving on to the next assignment.

What was so special about this summer was a large group of us who had originally met in Basel and subsequently have moved all around the world, decided to reunite in Switzerland to complete the Tour de Cervin.  This is a multi-day trek that tours the mighty Matterhorn mountain.  It also shares a number of day's with the trekkers "Haute Route" from Chamonix to Zermatt. In other words, it's a bucket list item for any avid hiker!

Given that we are all based around the world, coordinating the logistics for this trip was no small feat.  In fact, after finding a suggested itinerary on the internet, most of us left the planning to a very few.  It turns out, this meant for some pretty epic days of trekking.

Had we not taken a wrong turn we wouldn't have seen the valley from this perspective.  The weather was beautiful and the group was in high spirits so it was the best day of any to make such a mistake!

Our itinerary was a planned 6 days of trekking from Arolla (in Switzerland) to Zermatt.  The plan was to gradually work our way into the most demanding of days after a relatively light day one.  Unfortunately, a wrong turn (very difficult to do) only steps from our starting hotel led us on a 4 hour detour, with 500 meters of climbing only to realize that we needed to double back and start again.  What should have been a relatively light day one turned into almost a 10 hour trek!

Up the valley in the middle of the picture is Arolla where we started the trip.  This photo was taken early on day two as we climbed out of the valley on our way west towards the barrage to Moiry.  Turns out this was one of the days that we covered two days of trekking in one!

 Day two was always going to be a long day and the weather was predicting thunderstorms in the afternoon.  For this reason we left early in the morning with a quick climb out of the valley.  The plan was to get to the Moiry dam by noon and up and over the other pass before the weather turned bad.  In the end, the trek to the dam took us longer.  We didn't finish lunch until 2 (still no rain) and decided to push through.  A very rapid descent through the pass allowed us to catch the 4 pm cable car down into Zinal.  Within seconds of stepping onto the gondola the promised thunderstorms and heavy rain broke out leaving us eternally grateful for the ride down.

Nearing the Col de Torrent (1st pass of day 2). The central valley in the distance is where we started this entire trip on Day 1 (Arolla) 

 Every day on the trip consisted of at least one major climb (often two) as well as a descent.  Sometimes there were pleasant undulating walks in between although these were few and far between.  The colour contrast between the blue sky, white snow, grey rock and green forests was striking!

The snow line this year was around 2500 metres above sea level.  This made for some interesting trekking as most of the walk is above that (certainly the passes are!).  To be safe, booking the trip for the middle/end of July would guarantee snow free passes!

 We found out the hard way that this season was about 3 weeks behind in it's snow melt. Usually by early July the passes would be clear of snow.  This year, we encountered a lot of deep, wet snow that made for quite challenging descents.  Not only were the paths completely covered leaving us to guess the way down, but the steep descents often offered some pretty treacherous traverses!

Turns out the "season" was approx 3 weeks behind because of a very cold and wet May.  It meant that all of the mountain passes continued to be covered in deep snow.  The made for both difficult and at times treacherous accents/descents!  There was no hope for finding the trail markings so we just ended up bombing straight down the snow runs

 Once dropping below 2600 metres the trails were extremely well marked, very clean and easy to follow.  On day two we had some incredible views both up and down the valley as we traversed towards the Weisshorn hotel.

Trekking in Switzerland is a special experience.  The Swiss believe that everybody is entitled to enjoy the mountains and therefore make them incredibly accessible (busses to almost every town) and incredibly well signed/marked.  Here is an example of the white and red markers that identify the trail

Walking from Zinal to Gruben.  This was a relatively straightforward but long day.  A quick ascent from Zinal (to above the tree line) then a long traverse towards hotel Weisshorn for lunch.  Afternoon was the climb through the Meidpass to Gruben

The afternoon trek to the summit was demanding and the most treacherous of the trip.  The descent down towards Gruben was quite exposed and very steep.  After a few hairy moments just below the pass, it opened up to some quite nice bowl walking.

Our experience was that the west side of the mountain always had much less snow.  As you descended towards the east, the snow pack was much deeper.  This is an example from the Meidpass looking East

Day three was a long demanding walk from Zinal to Gruben.  It involved a climb through the Meidpass which we had been told would likely be covered in snow.

A view from the pass down towards Gruben.  This was the most treacherous descent of the trip. 

Day four offered us the greatest exposure to "mountain weather".  The conditions really did turn on a dime a number of times throughout the day.  We started in beautiful sun and clear skies.  About 1.5 hrs into the climb the clouds dropped and we got light rain.

It then cleared again only to really close in as we approached the height of the pass.  This is when a full summer storm came through with high winds, near zero visibility and bitter cold. Fortunately, everybody in the group was well prepared.

A view from the Augstbordpass looking back towards Gruben. We had been caught in a summer storm ascending to the pass.  Full alpine attire was needed including beanie and gloves.  Finding the trail up was difficult due to snow pack and poor visibility.  The trail down was not possible so just bombed down the snow

 We had learned from a fellow trekker who had done the route the day before in the opposite direction that there were some very treacherous traverses on the way down to St. Niklaus.  As a consequence the group decided to change course and head to Embd.

Our descent towards Gruben.  Very deep snow allowed us to bum-slide much of the steeper descent

Fortunately, we had some footprints to follow on the way down from the pass as finding the trail markers was impossible.  It was not a difficult descent, in fact, we made good time by bum-sliding much of the steep terrain.

Our slow descent towards St. Niklaus.  We ended up deviating from the plan here based on some local knowledge stating that snow slides had left quite treacherous traverses towards St. Niklaus.  We went towards Embd instead

The walk out to Embd was lovely and very different from anything that we had experienced so far on the trail.  It was a steep descent beside a heavily flowing stream exposing great vistas across down the valley.

A nice gradual descent towards Embd.  Still quite a long hike but didn't experience any difficulties.  Took the cable car down and then hiked back up to Grachen for the night

We did decided to take a cable car down from Embd and then walk back up the 750 metres of altitude into Grachen.  The cable car experience was unique in that the cabin angle matched that of the cable (heavy slope).  I had never been in a cable car like that before!

Pic of the Matterhorn taken in Zermatt.  Unfortunately, I ended my trek in Grachen (beautiful ski village just up the valley from St. Niklaus) and took the train into Zermatt (time constraints).  Some of the group continued up to the Europahutte and absolutely LOVED IT!

Grachen is an awesome swiss mountain village that caters to the trekking and skiing community.  I would have liked to spend more time in the town but unfortunately, needed to leave early in the morning to catch a bus and train to Zermatt in time to meet the family.  All in all, the Tour de Cervin exceed my high expectations!  Not only was the trekking excellent but experiencing it with a group of such close friends made it that much more enjoyable!  We're already planning our next big trip....

Selfie for prosperity.  This was taken just below the pass on day 4.  The group was caught in a summer storm just before reaching the pass.  Fortunately, it was short lived, we had the appropriate gear and there was some shelter from rocks at the pass.  Otherwise, it would have been a very uncomfortable (and potentially dangerous) experience.

Old Man and the River - Chinook fishing in British Columbia, Canada

"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual sees of occasions for hope" - John Buchan

British Columbia Canada is a magical place.  It's where the Pacific Ocean meets the North American Continent.  Where a subduction zones has created the Coastal and Rocky Mountains and where the mighty Chinook salmon make their annual pilgrimage inland to spawn.  It's for these reasons that I set my sights on Bella Coola, BC in June of this year for a little R&R with my brother.

Now, Bella Coola is not the easiest place to access.  A short flight from Vancouver international airport on a relatively small propeller plane always makes for an interesting adventure.  This time, we had epic views of the Coastal mountains and their glaciers as we descended into the Bella Coola valley.

Photo taken out of the window of the small prop plane from Vancouver international to Bella Coola.  You haven't experienced flying until you've done this trip!

The Bella Coola river boast some of the best river salmon fishing in the world.  That said, fishing for Chinook is not like Pinks or other, it's simply a matter of throwing your line into the calmer water and waiting!  The hope is the fish will bite the hook, spring the line and then you'll have one hell of a fight to get the beast to shore.

River Chinook Salmon Fishing can really try your patients.  It's simply a matter of "putting time on the river" as the locals say.  Needless to say, we managed to hit a small run coming through!
 

The fish didn't seem to be running on our first day there.  After about 8 hours on the river we left empty handed.  The locals believe in a correlation between the moon, the tides and the quality of fishing.  If this was true, then the next day was predicted to be a great day of fishing.

My first fish of the trip.  You simply can't beat fresh salmon

It really is incredible the difference a day can make.  I'm not sure whether it was the moon, tides or other but day two was fantastic.  We were averaging catching a fish an hour which makes for a pretty exciting day.

That's more like it!  Definitely one of my fishing highlights!  Wish I'd spent more time cleaning it off before this picture was taken

Tails of our great day on the river spread quickly.  The following day the number of anglers in our spot had swelled.  A few small fish were caught but nothing like the dream day we had experienced the day before.  Around noon, we packed up our gear and made west towards the airport in Anaheim Lake.

Where there are fish, there are usually bears. This guy didn't really seem bothered by our presence!

 Fishing is an interesting past time.  We spent hours waiting for the rare opportunity to catch a fish.  In the downtime, we talked about everything from politics to movies, past experiences to future ambitions.  Nothing can replace the quality time on the river.  In addition, it's an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with the potential of bringing home delicious dinner.  We left the river with our limit of 2 fish (~45 pounds of fresh BC salmon!)  I haven't calculated what that's worth in the supermarket but based on the epic time that we had together, it's priceless!

Even if there weren't giant salmon in the rivers, the stunning scenery would be worth the trip

Hopefully, I'll get a chance to come back to the Bella Coola valley (maybe in the early fall) to try my luck for another species of Salmon.  Isn't that the secret....a perpetual series of occasions for hope!

The Mightiest of Metamorphoses - The Life Change called Kids!

"Having a baby dragged me, kicking and screaming, from the world of self-absorption" - Paul Reiser

Sometimes, life just happens. You're going about your daily routine, work, adventure, blog....work, adventure, blog....and then it hits you. You're having a baby. When standing on the precipice, nobody can explain exactly what the implications are but you understand they're going to be big! Well, my hiatus from documented adventures can be explained by not one, but two, additions to the family. 

The two little monkeys.  Certainly life's most rewarding adventure yet!

That's right, just when we'd finally normalized after the first life change, we thought it was time to "re-up" for the second tour. I'm not going to turn this into yet another "Therapeutic dump for parents" blog but I did want to explain why the number and frequency of travel adventures had come to an abrupt end. Trust me, nobody felt it more than me! 

They say life's biggest irony is when you're own genes stare back at you.  I'm pretty sure she's mine!

That said, I'm back! Not only am I back to adventuring but I have a weekend at home sans famille so I actually have the time AND energy to inconvenience a few billion electrons with this post! Read on.....

Standing on the REAL roof of Europe - Climbing Mt. Elbrus (5642m)

When a country is described by Winston Churchill as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." who wouldn't feel compelled to experience Russia for themselves? Well, after a colleague of mine told me that he was interested in climbing Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in continental Europe, it seemed like a great excuse to check Russia off the list of my recently visited countries.

To be completely honest, I really had no idea what to expect. I had not done a lot of research on Mt. Elbrus apart from knowing that it is one of the 7 summits as the highest summit in Europe (5642m). It wasn't until the day before leaving that I read of the dangers of underestimating this mountain. Although listed as a trekking summit (ie, not requiring technical climbing experience) it does boast some of highest annual fatality statistics amongst the big mountains. Unfortunately, the cause is more often than not, ill preparedness and under estimation of how demanding this climb can be, particularly if the weather turns nasty. I also didn't really appreciate how close it was to the Georgian border, (approximately 5 kilometres) in a region that is still highly militarized after the brief conflict a few years ago over Ossetia. All of this created a complex backdrop for the incredible experience that was to be.

A panoramic view of Elbrus on the left and the Caucasus mountains on the right from Base Camp

Elbrus is a relatively easy mountain to access. A quick flight to Moscow, then to Mineralnye Vody, followed by a 3 hour drive into the mountains and we were already at Cheget, a small ski village in the Caucasus mountains. The town itself was limited in its offering focusing primarily on a few restaurants/bars and a local tourist market. This would be our base in the valley before heading up to "the barrel huts" or our effective base camp on Mt. Elbrus. 

The weather was tremendous for our first acclimatization hike on Mt. Cheget.  This gave us our first glimpse of the Caucasus mountains

The itinerary consisted of an acclimatization hike up Mt Cheget which was unfortunately cut short by a newly erected military outpost preventing access to the border region. However, from here, we got our first glimpses of Mt. Elbrus which stands alone on the opposite side of the valley.

Once we got some elevation from town we were able to see Mt. Elbrus for the first time.  Unfortunately, some clouds on the top prevented an uninterrupted view but these did eventually come

Our second acclimatization hike was two days later after we had already settled into the barrel huts.  These simple accommodations provided protection from the elements (and that's about it!) while preparing for our summit attempt. 

The barrel huts, our home away from home, with both summits of Mt. Elbrus in the background.  The summit on the left is the highest of the two by approximately 40 metres

We couldn't have been luckier with the weather on our first day on the mountain.  We were treated to a cloudless sky, warm sun and absolutely no wind.  Not only did this offer uninterrupted views of the summit but also of the rows of jagged peaks stretching deep into Georgia.  Now, I've been fortunate to see the stars from many different parts of the world but I will never forget the display of shooting stars that I witnessed that first night on Elbrus.

As the sun set on our first day at Base camp we were treated by a cloud inversion beautiful reflections off of the surrounding mountains.  

Unfortunately, it seem like this is where our luck was going to end for the weather then turned quite nasty on the mountain.  As the clouds rolled in, so did the lightening, thunder, wind and snow.  As a consequence, our first summit attempt was aborted after we had already woken at 2:30 am for our alpine start.  The outlook for the second attempt was almost as grim with quite heavy cloud still at the barrels.  However, the group decided to push on and see whether we could at least get to the saddle, resigned to the fact that a summit attempt was unlikely.

Depending on whether you stay at the barrel huts or camp out a higher elevation, the standard route up Elbrus is pretty much the same.  It's a straight push up from base camp to the top of the rocks, another tough uphill to the traverse, a long slog across the traverse to the saddle, then another straight shot up from the saddle to the summit.  On Elbrus, the accent can be supported by a snow cat ride up to the top of the rocks (approx 4700m) which adds an interesting element to the trip.  There is nothing quite like boarding a snow cat in the pitch darkness and traveling up into the unknown with wind and snow blustering around.  The anxiety and anticipation of not knowing where you are going and what you have gotten yourself into was really quite intoxicating.

I was super envious of the people who were able to camp out at higher elevations.  Not only did they get spectacular views but they also were able to avoid the snow cat ride because their summit ascent was more manageable

For the next 6 hours we pushed our way up.  My only regret about the trip was that we missed the sunrise on the mountain because of thick cloud and swirling snow.  To our amazement, just as we were approaching the saddle and feeling like all would be for not, the clouds dropped and the sun came out.  It's incredible how sunlight can raise the spirit and drive optimism.  The trip became so much easier with the promise of actually having a view from the summit.  The only real exposure on the trip is towards the top of the ascent from the summit.  Here a fall would be certainly fatal.  The guides have installed a fixed rope to support climbers whose legs are now quite exhausted from the steep push up from the saddle.  Fortunately, our group passed through here without incident.

The route is well marked along the way acknowledging the navigational difficulties in poor conditions.  At this point, (toward the end of the traverse) the clouds had dropped but hadn't yet broken up.  Fortunately, by the time we had arrived at the summit some of the surrounding peaks were visible

Members of our group pushing up from the saddle.  The clouds below are what remained of the storm we climbed through

The view from the summit is spectacular!  People often ask why I chose to spend my vacation time suffering through difficult conditions, exhaustion and danger and I can only explain by saying "trust me, the feeling that you get when standing on top of a summit is so rewarding, it makes it all worth while".  The truth is, this exhilaration, this emotional high, can't be gotten in any other way.  

Our group at the summit.  Representing many different nationalities and backgrounds all members of our team successfully made the summit of Mt. Elbrus at around 11:00 am

I have to say, the trip to the summit of Mt. Elbrus was rewarding in so many ways; the Russian culture, the military interceptions, the people, the food, the weather, the summit, the vodka.  This is a part of the world that i would love to visit again.  Have I unravelled the enigma which is Russia?...Not at all!  Do I know now why Russia is referred to as an enigma?....absolutely!

August 17th, 2013.  Jamie Slater on the Summit of Mt. Elbrus - 5642m

Exploring my Ancestral Roots, Malta 2013

Marcus Garvey once wrote "A people without the knowledge of their past, origin and culture is like a tree without roots" so, when your Dad mentions that he's booking a trip to Malta, the birthplace of his mother, who wouldn't want to join for a weekend?  Appreciating that Malta is just a stone throw away from Basel the decision was a pretty easy one.  Just wished I had checked out the flight and ferry logistics before deciding not to make a long weekend out of it.

One of the hundreds of churches that dotted the island of Gozo.  Without knowing for sure, my guess is there are more churches on Gozo per capita than anywhere else in the world

Upon arrival, we realized that the place my father had rented was actually on Gozo the smaller neighbouring island just off the main island of Malta. With these travel details it meant we essentially only had one full day on Saturday on the island.  It was decided that we would spend the day walking around visiting the coast, a few small towns and then the major citadel of the island.   Fortunately for us, a January visit means that the mid-day temperatures, when the sun was out, were around the low twenties.  This made for perfect weather to be walking around on this typically sweltering island, at least for the morning.

We got lucky and the sun was out for most of the day on Saturday, an extreme departure from what we had when we arrived and departed.  I was particularly surprised with how green the island was.  I had been to Malta about 10 years earlier (in June) and remembered it being nothing but brown and hot.  It was nice to get a different perspective.  On both visits, the local people were extremely friendly and hospitable.  We longed for nothing while on the island including rides to the ferry, friendly banter and the polite exchange of political ideals.

One of the many vistas that we had along the walk.  From here we walked down to the coast past the salt flats.  Incredible to see that these ancient practices are still in use today

We ate lunch at a beautiful seaside restaurant.  The food was tremendous.  It seems that one of the few "crops" that has found success on Gozo is rabbit and so it was quite common to see it on the menu.  The public transport was extremely efficient on both islands meaning that car ownership was more of luxury than a necessity.
 

This was the small marina/coastal town where we had lunch.  Unfortunately, the sun disappeared and there was a strong wind making it quite chilly.  It would be nice to come back in the hot summer and take better advantage of this place.  There were incredible sea cliffs just to the left of this photo.  Would have made for a heroic walk if the weather had cooperated

The highlight was the citadel and the sheer number of churches.  I guess if you're going to fortify an island and make it the final defence for your religion, you need to keep those symbols everywhere.  The views from atop the citadel walls were really stunning and gave a good overview of what the island was made of.

I was surprised to see how green everything was.  I guess at this time of year this is not unusual.  Land is extreme valuable on Gozo and every piece of it is owned by a family, often passed down through bloodlines

I can't help it.  See a canon, must take a picture.  On a clear day you could pretty much see water on all sides from up here.  Gozo is not a very large island

A view over the capital city of Gozo from the Citadel walls at sunset.  From here it was possible to count well over 12 different churches

All in all, I'm happy we made the trip.  Not only did it offer a little reprieve from the Swiss winter but it was also great to spend some time with family.  I only wish we had a few more days to explore the main island and also learn of the history that brought my great grandfather to be stationed here during the Boer War.  There's always next time.

Returning to the Scene of the Crime, Chamonix Jan 2013

I spent the bulk of Spring/Summer 2012 training for the ascent of Mont Blanc (see earlier posts) and January 2013 was the first chance that I had to return to Chamonix France after the big ascent.  A group of friends were spending their holidays skiing around Chamonix and I decided to join them for a weekend.  It was surreal to be standing in the village, looking up at the summit of the massif and thinking that it had only been a few months earlier that I was standing on the top.  It seemed like a lifetime ago.

After leaving Basel at 5:00 am on Saturday morning, a friend and I arrived in Chamonix promptly at 8:30 am just in time to catch one of the first lifts up.  This was the first time in many years of skiing that I witnessed somebody get seriously injured getting onto the first "walk on" Gondola.  He was carrying a number of pairs of skis and slipped while entering the gondola, falling against the ski edges with his cheek.  This caused a deep laceration from his orbital bone down to his jaw bone that pretty much allowed us to see the inside of his mouth, from outside.  It was probably the shortest ski vacation anybody has ever had as he hadn't even had the opportunity to put on his skis yet.  Needless to say, shaving must have been a real problem for him for the next few weeks.

I love this shot.  Looking straight across the valley at Mont Blanc.  Essentially, the Gouter ridge route, which is the ascent route that we followed climbs up the profile from right to left to the summit (third peak from the right)

Chamonix seems to be a pretty lucky place for me and we were fortunate (again!) to have perfect weather for the entire weekend.  We started skiing at Brevent which gave us unimpeded views of Mont Blanc.  Part of the magic of skiing is being outdoors and taking in the energy from the surrounding mountains.  There is nowhere else that I find this more exhilarating that in Chamonix.

For those who have never visited Chamonix it is a special place in both summer and winter.  It is one of the few villages in the world where I feel "out-extremed"or not "hard core".  It seems like everybody in this place, certainly all residents, are only here for one reason....The mountains!  Locals don't even bother with the ski resorts, they just head out into the vast terrain that is so easily accessible in Chamonix and spend their days tracking it out.

This photo was taken looking down from the top lift as an example of the limitless terrain that Chamonix offers if you have the local knowledge

Unfortunately, the only way to take advantage of this is to spend a season or two here skiing with the locals to acquire the knowledge.  This is certainly a dream but one which will likely have to wait a while.

Another shot back towards Mont Blanc.  You can see that we had a busy day on the slopes 

I love this shot?  The village of Chamonix can be seen in the valley and across the valley is the Mont Blanc massif being basted in afternoon sunlight.  Incredible

Taken from a little further down the valley, similar photo but showing that even in the resort there is lots of off piste terrain to be explored

We spent the second day skiing the Grands Montets, another resort in the Chamonix valley.  This resort is known for it's steeper terrain and afternoon sun.  Fortunately, I was skiing with another Canadian today who was preparing for a run down the "Vallee Blanche" (see earlier post) so we didn't fool around.  It was a day of aggressive top to bottom skiing.  This resort is on the same side of the valley as Mont Blanc and therefore, from the top, offers a very different perspective on the Massif.

One of the disadvantages to the Grands Montets is that it remains in shadow for much of the morning.  This keeps the snow cold and hard which is great for aggressive skiing.  That said, we were all happy when the sun finally lifted over the mountains!

The view from one of the top lifts at Grands Montets.  The glacier that you see in the valley is the Vallee Blanche glacier or "Mer de Glace".  From here you can clearly see the summit of Mont Blanc in the background.

As the expression goes "you never forget your first" and I believe that I will never forget Mont Blanc and the experience of climbing it.  As such, I have no doubt that Chamonix will always be a special place for me, one that I hope to return to many more times for both skiing and climbing!