As a kid, I can remember watching Warren Miller films of extreme skiers dropping in from the Eguille de Midi (Mont Blanc, Chamonix France) and skiing the Vallee Blanche. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that one day, I would be doing the same. But hey, that's what Expat Adventures in Switzerland is all about!
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| This was the view the met us when we pulled up to our hotel. Just to the left of the peak is the section that we would need to walk down before starting to ski. As you can see, one slip and it's a long fall to the bottom. Yup, it's the same photo used as my blog background |
In February 2011, 5 friends and I decided to hire a back country ski guide to lead us down the Vallee Blanche ("white valley" or "sea of ice"). This trip has long been reputed as one of the most scenic and exhilarating off piste ski experiences in the world. Sounds like something to check off the bucket list.
We travelled to Chamonix from Basel by car and checked into our quaint accommodations. The food, beer and hospitality was tremendous.
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| The setting sun just offered such a warm light to the mountain |
We spent the first day getting the legs in shape for what promised to be one of the toughest workouts in a long time. One of the local ski areas provided us with some good off piste practice. People were keen to see how their equipment (aka nerves/bowels) would hold up when faced with similar terrain to what we were expecting the following day.
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| Nothing like running a few bumps to get the blood flowing |
We met the guide(s) promptly at the Eguille de Midi gondola station (famous for having the longest single expanse of any gondola in the world). We then proceeded to fit our crampons, test our avalanche transmitters and load our backpacks with the necessary back country equipment. The beauty of the Vallee Blanche is that you need to descend a very exposed ridge line from the top of the gondola station to the starting point. One wrong step in either direction and it's a long fall to the valley below. Needless to say, we insisted on roping up for the traverse and tried (in vain) not to think about it.
We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was an almost cloudless sky and all of the famous alps were in plain view (Matterhorn, Eiger etc....). After surviving the steep descent to the starting point it was time to strap on the boards and rip it up.
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| People snaking their way down from the Eguille de Midi Gondola Station to the starting point. Unfortunately, doesn't do justice to how exposed this traverse is. |
Our guide has been skiing the Vallee Blanche since he was a little boy and in an effort to find us powder, decided to try a new route that he'd never taken before. Back country skiing at the best of times can be intense, but this was over the top. We found ourselves descending chutes, crossing snow bridges, avoiding crevasses and traversing dangerously above exposed cliffs....it was GREAT!
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| We descended the steep pitch on the right of this picture. When we arrived for lunch the other guides were discussing who was the "crazy one" to bring their group down such an extreme line |
We enjoyed a well earned meal at a restaurant overlooking the "Mer de Glace" glacier.
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| Taken from the restaurant terrace, this photo to show the size/scale of where we were skiing. The small dots are other skiers descending via the different routes. The glacier on the left is the Mer de Glace |
A few intense slopes after lunch and we were already climbing our way out of the valley...another expat Switzerland Adventure already behind us.
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| Just about to start the first descent after lunch. The guide's actual words were "you really don't want to fall here". Nothing like getting into somebody's head right before the big match! |
Having now successfully skied down a part of Mont Blanc, I think it is only appropriate to try and climb it. A group of us are looking to tackle this challenge in August 2011. Hopefully we can make it work! Stay tuned.
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