Our first Vallée Blanche of 2009
Descending the arête - Chamonix in the background
The weather was beautiful… Cold, crisp, and clear… The snow – simply divine.
For those that have not yet heard about the Vallée Blanche… It is an amazing 18 kilometre off-piste route down the Mer du Glace glacier. Over snow bridges, around crevasses, down fantastic fields of powder snow….
The scenery is incredible, but it can be a very dangerous place. Every year, it claims the lives of a number of people. Thus, it is essential to take a guide. Those who don’t can die if they stray from the route, or stop in unsuitable places (such as on snow bridges or underneath seracs), or fall in crevasses… Some of the crevasses can be over 50 metres deep.
Skiers heading down the Vallée
We took the Classique route
Mountains, glaciers, crevasses.. and skiers
Helen and Nigel having lunch on the glacier
The snow conditions were so good that we were able to ski all the way back to Chamonix…. (normally, the route finishes at the Montenvers station)
Looking down on Chamonix
