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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Courmayer, Italian Alps






Sarah skiing in the Italian Alps.




Monte Bianco (Mount Blanc)



From Chamonix there is a tunnel that goes through Mont Blanc for 17 kilometers and pops out at the La Palud tram station in Courmayer, Italy. Courmayer was an upper-scale ski town compared to Chamonix. Very charming, and the vertical relief on Mont Blanc was more impressive. The groomers were super-wide, like football fields, so I got a kick out of carving turns that took up the entire width.



Nate Gardner



At the top of Courmayer there are two tiny, old trams




In the middle is La Palud, and Punta Helbronner; the Italian version of the Vallee Blanche doable with a ski ticket from Courmayer.














A hut on a ridge of Monte Bianco


The vertical relief of Monte Bianco on the Italian side is especially mind-blowing







The top tram (max capacity like 5), leads to exceptional backcountry skiing opportunities.
The ski down from the top of Courmayer to the bottom is a long one and we were among the last to do it after the  mountain closed. It was the last run of the trip and I didn't want it to end. I tried to pack in as many turns as I could, going sideways to avoid shaving speed, and just kept turning and turning, down the long way to the bottom.







Last ones down!



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