Chamonix with the Aiguille du Midi upper left and Mont Blanc in the center. Taken from La Brevent, a beautiful ski area on the sunny side of the valley.
The Grandes Jorasses from the Aiguille du Midi
A hut near the summit of Mount Blanc
The top of La Brevent where the Tram dock is.
The West Face of the Dru, an unforgettable site.
The top of the Aiguille du Midi with a tram on its way up
On our way to check out a couloir, Nate hits the brakes to avoid getting squashed by two base jumpers in wingsuits. This is the beginning of our very first run in Cham, and bang, two guys huck off a cliff right in front of us. Pretty wild.
Nate Gardner dropping into a chute on La Brevent
On the other side of the valley is Grand Montet ski area.
A good view of the exit from the Vallee Blanche, with the ski track below the Montenvers train (where the glacier used to end).
Closer up view of the exit off the Mer de Glace/Vallee Blanche
Grand Montets with the Aiguille Verte and the Dru above, and Argentiere to the left.
Corri Runes
Nate Gardner
Flegere, connected to La Brevent, is another beautiful open bowls and couloirs ski area.
Nate and Corri ducking ropes with the Grand Jorasses beyond
The painfully slow walking route down from the Aiguille du Midi.
So one of our main concerns was whether or not to hire a guide for the ski down the Vallee Blanche. Although I had not been down before I had been wanting to ski this run for 10 years and felt like I had a 3D map of the range in my head due to obsession. So our consensus was based on the conditions of the mountain. If there was fresh snow, yes. We wouldn't do it on a cloudy day either way. But we ended up with perfect spring conditions: high pressure for days before, days ahead, stable snow, lots of ski tracks that showed the obvious routes. Nate had a friend that was in town who lent us gear so we had crampons, axes, rope, beacons, shovels, etc. Corri and Nate had climbing harnesses, I fashioned one out of belts made by Patagucci and made leg loops connected to my pack waistbelt. Frowned upon I'm sure but better than nothing.
And quite steep! That's 9,000 feet to town below.
Nate Gardner and Corri Runes starting off down the Vallee Blanche. Only 8,500 feet and 24 kilometers left to go.
Under Mont Blanc du Tacul and the Gervascutti Couloir
The routes did end up being very obvious in these conditions. We took the classic, wide route down which is what I'd recommend for first timers like us. It's incredible being under the Mont Blanc du Tacul. Next time I'd like to take the highest, steepest route on the Vallee Blanche, and on the Couloir de Cosmiques side.
Although it's a long, long, long way down. I wonder if I paced myself, if I could ski it non-stop and have time to do another lap. It took us probably 4 hours of skiing, with no prolonged breaks.
A hut half-way down the route
And another hut further down
On the Mer de Glace with the wind on our backs
Flegere across the Valley
Going up to the Aiguille again
People rapelling into the Couloir de Cosmique
La Brevent and Flegere above town, big mountains that manage to look small from so high up
The Matterhorn
The Walker Spur on the Grand Jorasses, and the Dent du Geant (Giant's Tooth) far right
Punta Helbronner, where the Italian tram comes up and you can ski down the Vallee Blanche from Italy into France, or take the gondolas over and up to the Aiguille du Midi
Skiers coming into France from Italy
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