Vallee Blanche

redzerdrog

has anyone here ever skied this run? if so how difficult is it really?

I am going to chamonix in jan and i was there a few times before but not in about 3 years, the vallee blanche is something i have wanted to do and now i am going back again I am thinking this might be my chance.

I have read various reports online and some people say it quite easy but i think they skied it around march and the run was well tracked at that stage of the year. Would it be that much more difficult in january?

The other thing is i have a shocking fear of heights, would this be a problem?
also i havent skied in 3 years and kinda worried i wont as strong a skiier that i was

Mitch Buchannon

redzerdrog wrote: »

has anyone here ever skied this run? if so how difficult is it really?

I am going to chamonix in jan and i was there a few times before but not in about 3 years, the vallee blanche is something i have wanted to do and now i am going back again I am thinking this might be my chance.

I have read various reports online and some people say it quite easy but i think they skied it around march and the run was well tracked at that stage of the year. Would it be that much more difficult in january?

The other thing is i have a shocking fear of heights, would this be a problem?
also i havent skied in 3 years and kinda worried i wont as strong a skiier that i was

I've done it and its not too bad. Its not super technical or anything, its just that its on a glacier and thats where the real danger is.

I did it in March too and it was pretty well tracked at that stage. If your doing it I would advise on getting a guide. One of the lads I know is living there for the past 7 ish years and he brought a gang of us down. You do need some extra gear to do it but that can be rented in Cham.

If you can ski already (I know its been 3 years) and you want to do it you could maybe book to do it near the end of your holiday so you'll have your "ski legs" back.

I posted a few pics of it in another thread that Ive linked below. There is heaps of other info on Chamonix in this fourm so all you'll have to do is a quick search for that.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055144048&page=7

loobylou

If you've a fear of heights definitely go with a guide. He will rope you down the worst bit which is right at the start. Its a long arrete, quite narrow with a heartstopping drop on each side. Theres so much traffic on it though that theres a 1-2foot trench of compacted snow to walk on, so its safe enough.
After that the skiing is technically straightforward but very long.
Spectacular scenery, great (mountaineering) history all around you, again, see guide.
Definitely well worth doing!

enda1

I've always wanted to do this run!

Skied twice in Chamonix but neither time got the chance.
Good luck and enjoy it if you get to do it.

redzerdrog

thanks for the replys

there is a group of about 12 going on the trip so hoping i can get 2 or 3 of them to do it with me and we will certainly get a guide as that seems the best way to go about it.

Fingers crossed i can rope them into doing it:)

a148pro

do not do this without a guide it'd be far too dangerous, risk of crevasses etc

otherwise its actually a pretty easy ski. if you're afraid of heights you will be spooked by the cable car up, its one of if not the highest cable car in the world and stops on an impossible pinnacle, you then walk a bridge to the next part of the station and the hike down from the top is buttock clenching. there's basically a sheer drop to the left all the way down to the valley (9000 vertical feet according to Murray Ball in the clip below) and a steep black slope angled drop to the right. but your guide will minimum rope you up if not give you crampons and there's a track with a rope fence on either side. you just have to slog down for about 10 or 15 minutes to where the slope is gentle, then its basically blue slope angled off piste all the way back to Chamonix.

alternatively you could take this route down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUvvjYP5aZY

or maybe this one - if you do make it up, have a look over the bridge and consider the level of balls required to abseil into this and ski down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuurkKSX-w&feature=related

pgibbo

I did this with a guide and it was the best day of skiing that I have ever had. Everyone of us that did it felt the same. The hardest part was the hike across at the top with the skis on your back. After that it was a relatively easy but very enjoyable day of skiing. It does get hairy in spots with crevasses and the likes. I wouldn't risk it without a guide.

Just remebered, the walk up the steps at the end to the train station is a PIG!

Great memories of that day. :cool: