Vallée Blanche on ski

by Scott Wakefield

Following two courses at Glenmore Lodge I hoped I was up to a standard that I could ski Vallée Blanche in early March during an ice climbing trip with friends from Buxton Mountain Rescue Team.

Our planned day to ski Vallée Blanche was a white out and Fleur Fouque, our guide, recommended that we wait for a better day as the biggest draw for the route is the view. Only, when our day finally came, there was over a metre of fresh snow at the top of the route. This was really going to be a baptism of fire with 25km skiing back to Chamonix.

I've been down the snow arête at Aiguille du Midi plenty of other times in the summer but never with skis on my back. Fleur was ready to ski in no time and dropped off the south side of the arête to wait for us. It was steep and moguled but I managed to make that first 300m without falling. After that we got into some untracked powder which put all previous instruction to the test. I made it down with some good turns under my belt and a huge smile on my face.

Nearing the end of the Mer du Glace
Photo ny Scott Wakefield

I asked Fleur where the footage of Sam Favret was filmed skiing in the crevasses not expecting to ski it myself. Fleur had other ideas. It was amazing!

After some boot packing and a rest at Buvette des Mottets we skied the "James Bond route" back to Chamonix in time to take skis off and jump on the bus back to the carpark where Fleur offered to take me down another route, Pré du Rocher.

From Plan de l'Aiguille you traverse northwards for about a kilometre or 2 and then head straight down what is initially a pleasant slope but gradually gets steeper and steeper. By the time I hit the moguls my legs where jel1y and I was really struggling. But again I made it down and was astonished that people ski that kind of steepness all the time.

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