To the top of Les Grand Montets!

The exciting exit from high Cable Car at Les Grand Montets .

Well just for a change this is Graeme doing the typing so this could be 2 or 3 days out of date by the time you receive it - 2 finger typing is my specialty!!!!

Today was spent at Chamonix or more specifically Les Grand Montets, only this time we went all the way to the top (3275m), and what a sight it was! You know you are high when most of the Mont Blanc massive is below you except for Mont Blanc itself. Desending from the cable car was an experience, a flight of very slippery metal stairs led us down to the saddle below the Gondola station where it was skis on and a sideslip down a very icy wind blown slope for 50m and then fantastic snow and a 1300m vertical drop ski to the mid station of the cable car. If you skied to the base it would be over 2000m vertical drop to the valley floor - that's quite a ski run. Over 3 times the vertical of Treble Cone in one run!

2/ Oops!!

After lunch we headed back up and as Andy dropped into her first turn a "snow snake" leapt out of the snow grabbed her and sent her straight down the slope into a metal sign announcing the imminent cliffs!!! A couple of British lads raced to her rescue and after seeing she was OK, burst out laughing!!! They couldn't quite work out how it all happened but fortunately no harm was done apart from a cracker bruise which should blacken beautifully over the next few days and a bent sign post!!!!

After skiing over 4000 vertical metres and who knows how many kms, in just over 3 hours we (Graeme) decided to call it a day and head back into Chamonix and see how many full length fur coats we could spot. Chamonix is a beautiful and relatively unspoilt town considering its popularity as a tourist/outdoor mecca for at least a couple of hundred years - Wanaka could learn some leasons.

3/ Serious Saucisson!!

It appears that there will be a lot of alot of saucisson (sausage) eaten over Christmas! This is one of many magasins (shops) which are bursting with regional produce.
Watching the alpenglow over Mont Blanc & the Aiguille du Midi as the sun set was truely breathtaking - can't wait to take the cable car up the Aiguille du Midi - hopefully tomorrow (Christmas Eve) if the weather holds - what a way to spend Christmas!