Vallee Blanche - Part 1

An early start this morning, with our french guide, Christof picking us up at Le Refuge at 7.30am for our first ski tour adventure of the week - The Vallee Blanche.

Along the way we picked up the perennially young Stewart Poon. Stewart, is a former guest of Te Wanaka Lodge and a regular visitor to Wanaka for heliskiing each year. We had met up with Stewart in Hong Kong, on our way to Europe. He went out of his way to show us a special day in his buzzing home town. He is such a delightful man and we thoroughly enjoy his company.

Stewart had been heliskiing with friends in Italy the week previously and he had organised to meet us in Chamonix before continuing his heli-ski extravaganza in Switzerland. He confessed to us that he had already skiied the Vallee Blanche 2 days before, from the Italian side, as part of his heliskiing trip. But he was happy to go again with us.

We had asked Christof if we could do some ski touring and see a bit more of the Glace de Mer, rather than merely skiing the traditional route down the glacier. Stewart, although a very strong skier, had never used skins or touring skis before, so it was a new experience for him. Unlike his first trip, we left from Chamonix on the hair-raising telepherique to the Aiguille du Midi (3812m) and walked down the infamous snow arret. This part of the trip is probably best described by http://www.pistehors.com/ :

"Before you put your skis on, there is the famous arête from the cable car
station which needs to be negotiated. Judging by the number of deaths this is
probably the most dangerous section of the route, especially for those who will
follow the voie normale. People fall off this ridge and die each and every year.
On one side you basically end up somewhere near Chamonix 2000 meters below.
Although both faces have been skied it is around 40 degrees pitch so once you
slide it is goodnight Vienna."

1/ The busy "VB" Arret!

But to be honest, it was not that bad. Even for me, who really hates tracks with big exposures. Compared to the conditions when we visited the Aiguille du Midi on Christmas Eve, a good track had been cut into the north face of the arret and roped on both sides. Travelling down this route was much easier. There was only one breathtaking cliff on your left, rather than on both sides when you climb down on the ridge line. We were also ensconsced in a big queue of people who, like us were off to enjoy their Vallee Blanche adventure.

There is no question that the scenery on the Vallee Blanche is breathtaking! But the number of people is quite daunting. And today was a quiet day, according to both Christof and Stewart! The Vallee Blanche is not the solitary mountain experience that we usually enjoy when ski touring at Mt Cook - that's for sure!

Stewart coped well for his first time on touring skis! We joked that he had now begun his mountaineering career!! He responded, that at 60' something years of age he may have left his run a bit late!! But he did say that he enjoyed being able to have a good look around. With heliskiing, the mountain scenery tends to pass by in a blur of speed!

2/ Stewart the "mountaineer!"

Our itinery took us to the southern edge of the glacier rim for a lunch stop on the Col d'Entreves at 3527m. We were spoiled with a cloudless sky but more importantly there was no wind - a rare event at this altitude. You could see the Matterhorn to the east and the Courmayeur Ski Resort stretched out far below us.

3/ A little Choagh waiting for lunch!!

A flock of the pretty little Choagh watched and waited for the humans to depart their high altitude home. Through experience they have learnt that humans are messy eaters and there is sure to be plenty of crumbs and leftovers to enjoy. What a contrast to our our bolshy NZ Kea's whose general modus operandii is to take a daring swoop at a sandwich or launch an attack on an unprotected ruck sack!

After lunch, with no other person behind or in front of us, we began our long run home down the Glace de Mer! Christof even found us some pockets of nice powder in which to leave our tracks. No mean feat as it has not snowed in Chamonix for nearly 10 days now.

For the run home...see Part 2!!

4/ Looking back up the Glace de Mer to Aiguille du Midi

Vallee Blanche - Part 3

1/ Stewart very happy that he can "ski to Chamonix". (Or so he thought!)

And finally, by late afternoon, we had just about filled our memory cards and were heading to the end of the glacier. There are many things about the Vallee Blanche that are not included in the glossy marketing brochures! But one of the things that unfit skiers must find daunting is the climb out of the Glace de Mer at the end of the trip.

Before "global warming", the glacier was much higher and skiers could just bounce out of the glacier, over a ridge and then ski down through the forest to Chamonix on the valley floor. Alternatively they could take the chairlift up to the Montenver Furnicular railway and catch a train back to the village. Now the glacier has shrunk so much, it is a steep 40 minute climb up an unformed track to reach the ridge or the chairlift and train station.

For those skiers who have already found the day already extremely challenging, this climb, carrying their skis, would almost break them. Certainly I passed two girls sobbing quietly as they hauled themselves up the icy track on wobbly legs. Graeme was also convinced that the man gasping for air in front of him, was going to collapse of heart failure!

Stewart, while a fit older man (his age is rarely revealed- suffice to say he is well more than another decade older than Graeme), did not enjoy this climb the first time he did it, 2 days ago. Somehow on the way down the glacier, Christof's comments about "skiing to Chamonix" were lost in translation. Stewart thought that Christof had an alternative route that meant he did not have to make this horrendous climb again!!

2/ The fairly challenging climb out from the Glace de Mer

Alas, this was not the case. I have another photo of Stewart which I've refrained from publishing. Stewart's joyful demeanour evaporated when Christof revealed that the climb was still necessary. Seeing the look of sheer horror on Stewart's face, Christof was, however, kind enough to carry his skis for him.

3/ All is forgiven about the expression "Ski to Chamonix" - Christof, Stewart & I.

In the true French tradition, a bouvette, selling beers and soft drinks awaited us on the ridge as we completed the climb. With breathtaking views to the mountains and back up the glacier, it was an ideal place to stop and rest in the warm late afternoon sun.

Only the ski down to Chamonix remained. This of course was another challenge, as the snow was thin or non existant in places. Narrow turns at high speed and the ability to take hairpin corners, steeply banked with scraped snow were essential skills! Somehow we all managed to make it down in one piece!

4/ The fairly "agricultural" run home!!

It was a challenging end to a spectacular day and we'd like to think that even Stewart enjoyed his second Vallee Blanche expedition in 3 days. Although he did admit that he might have a quiet day in Chamonix tomorrow. I wish we could say the same! We're off to Italy with Christof for 3 days ski touring! Phew!!

Vallee Blanche - Part 2

1/ No, do not adjust your computer - they are not flying saucers!

The truly amazing thing about the Vallee Blanche is the amount of infrastructure. Two huge cable cars deliver skiers, climbers and tourists to both sides of the mountain (Italy and France). A furnicular railway and a chairlift meets you at the bottom. And strung between the two sides of the glacier is another cable car. It's incredible!

Because the capsules of the cable car traversing the glacier are so high, you don't see the cable. They look like UFO's hovering in the sky! The engineering required for all these mechanical wonders is truly unbelievable!!

2/ Admiring our tracks - the furthest left.

Christof has a good nose for the snow! Even though the glacier was riddled with thousands of ski tracks he managed to find a couple of patches of old powder snow where we could leave our own mark. We didn't let him down. 4 nice sets of parallel tracks!!

Our route took us down the far skier's right of the glacier, avoiding the traditional route and crowds of people. It is not a popular route as there are some very steep sections where the risk of injury from a fall is increased by some big crevasses waiting at the bottom of the slope! Christof, the master of understatement, suggested that this was not a good place to fall! He said something about "Bon nuit, Vienna!"

3/ Christof, our funny french guide - a master of the understatement!!

It was a long trip down the glacier! So many photo opportunities! It was difficult not to stop every five minutes to take a picture. We kept thinking how lucky we were with the weather!!

4/ Looking down the glacier