Inspiring snow conditions on our great ski journey from Courmayeur to Chamonix today.  Really impressive snow cover in a lot of the Vallee Blanche with some fun skiing along the way.  There was lots of windblown snow coming over from the Southern Italian side and streaming down the Combe Vierge and normal route.  It was a lot sunnier and calmer on the French side!

Some teams skinned up to the Col d’Entreves which was pretty bracing in the wind and had plenty of ‘sastrugi’ to negotiate.  Others parties were skiing in both the Combe Vierge, Combe Noir and Italian right hand exit on the Geant Icefall as well as skinning up towards the Col Capucin from the Periades Glacier.  There were also some good looking tracks on the fine couloirs coming back down in to the Vallee Blanche well below the Salle à Manger.

Windy & chilly but scenic ski touring sortie in the Combe de la Vierge. East Face of Mont Blanc du Tacual beyond.

Plenty of tracks also on the Toule Glacier also although less from today.  Good news from the Col de Toule is that the access staircase has been improved and now makes the wonky old ladder obsolete.  We won’t miss that!

On the French side of the Vallee Blanche, teams had skied all variation including lots of tracks in the Vrai VB as well as the steeper Grand Envers including the direct finish to the lower glacier via the steep couloir below the Requin Hut.

There was impressively good snow cover on much of the VB route especially the broad couloir running to the skiers left of the Geant Icefall and the traverse of the Salle a Manger passed easily today also.  The lower glacier had good cover all the way to the snout and boot up to the Buvette.

Great snow cover even on the lower section of the Vallee Blanche. Late Jan 2018. Les Drus above.

Teams skiing the Pas de Chèvre commented on the rockfall hazard from the moraine and said it was well worth avoiding until the moraine is plastered with snow again…possibly next winter!  The cover was great on the lower glacier but it was in hard, almost icy condition in places due to the rain crust.

The James Bond track descent had good snow cover from the Buvette to the pistes of Planards although there are numerous avalanche debris tracks to negotiate.  These generally pass easily though as a ledge has been cut through some and skier tracks through the others.

Great to be back in the VB!

Jan 2018 Chamonix Off Piste & Ski Mountain Skills team near the end of the Vallee Blanche. Grands Charmoz North Face beyond.

Places still available on our April course for Chamonix Off Piste & ski Mountain Skills