Yes easier on the knees. When hiking I usually take the steep way up and the gradual way down if I have a choice.
Remember we were there in late April, not exactly prime time.
Additionally, we were roped and harnessed together in groups of four or five. My group was all skiers, but snowboarders are permitted on the Vallee Blanche provided they carry poles to assist crossing long, flat areas of the glacier.
Bootpacks in general are set by average size male skiers, which is fortunate for me.
This I do not recall either time I was there. I firmly believe than Jimk had more challenging conditions that I saw due to being so early in the season in terms of snowpack.
This I do not recall either. Surface conditions were 100% powder/packed powder both times. There was maneuvering through the glacial features of Petit Envers in 2004, but moderately pitched so comfortable for most intermediates.
Nice pics Meimei. Now that you mention it, I think there were some people ahead of me backing down sections of the ridge steps. Perhaps this was to help them deal with some of the bigger steps/drops? We were roped together about 5 or 6 feet apart. It worked pretty well, only a couple times did I feel tugged from the front or being pushed from behind. I'm not sure how the folks going backwards managed the roping arrangement? They were way in front of me.@jimk : did you go down the 3-ft snow steps backwards? How far apart were the skiers who were roped together?
From the trip report article:
" . . .
The ridge descent was one of the most memorable and challenging aspects of the day. This narrow, steep boot pack descent is about 200 yards long and takes about 10 strenuous minutes while carrying skis. There is serious exposure (thousands of feet) on both sides of the ridge and some of the steps were three feet tall and icy. The crampons were definitely helpful in aiding footing. The ridge is equipped with a safety rope, which I held onto with one hand as much as possible
. . ."
As a petite skier, going up snow "steps" made by average height folks is hard enough even when someone else is carrying my skis. Have a little experience at Taos (carrying skis on back) and Wolf Creek (not carrying skis). Going down . . . not sure how that would work out. I have always liked rock climbing and climbing trees, so being exposed on a ridge for a short while is not the main issue. Especially with a rope handrail.
Thanks for the details. I've backed down when hiking in rocky terrain at times. Now that I think about it, I remember backing down on the Great Wall on a section with very steep steps and no side walls. Bill was with me for that trip to China and we went to a section of the Great Wall that is reconstructed but not to the extent of the section that is closer to Beijing.
I have only skied with Jimk at Snowbird a couple of times during recent Iron Blosam weeks. That's why I was pushing for him and his son to ski some Verbier off-piste. Jimk could handle that at least as well as I did in 2024.
The best way for me to coax Kylie into doing it is on the morning of doing it. If I try to talk her into it now she’ll find some negative report and talk herself out of it.Bootpacks in general are set by average size male skiers, which is fortunate for me.
This I do not recall either time I was there. I firmly believe than Jimk had more challenging conditions that I saw due to being so early in the season in terms of snowpack.
Jimk:
This I do not recall either. Surface conditions were 100% powder/packed powder both times. There was maneuvering through the glacial features of Petit Envers in 2004, but moderately pitched so comfortable for most intermediates.
Amusingly among our 8 NASJA skiers was one overterrained writer, who wrote up the trip in the LA Times as an "extreme skiing" experience like the Singaporean.
As for the lower part, in 2018 it was especially wide open.
For sbooker and Kylie's reference, here's my 2004 TR with an average snowpack though excellent surface conditions.
Hope you make it down Chris. Putting a TR together but we just wrapped up a great few days. 4 at Serre and 1 at Montgenevre. Plenty of snow. 2 of the days were as good as I’ve had anywhere.
That seems strange in view of the vast majority of tours being on the Classic Route. That's where you will be going (max 8 skiers per guide) unless you specifically request an Envers du Plan alternative (max 4 skiers per guide). Kylie will be fine. The hard parts are on foot, fitness related not the skiing.
I was there about the third week of January last time. In hindsight I suppose it had probably been just opened. That may have had something to do with it.
Odds are strong we will spend at least part of our late March trip in that direction, sbooker and Kylie too I'd guess. One itinerary would be to continue on to Alpe d'Huez, return via the Maurienne. A detour south to Vars - Risoul might be worth considering in a season like this one.
From your trip reports in the last five years, there is no way I would describe you as an "intermediate" skier. Based on my own progression in the last decade, I would say "low advanced." In Europe, I would guess that intermediates only ski on-piste. In the N. American Rockies, the term implies skiing 80% on groomers and 20% in ungroomed terrain only when snow conditions are good. What you were skiing in Japan would scare American intermediates silly, especially those from the northeast.
The reports don't show pictures of my frequent linked recoveries.
Same here but due to no professional instruction my skiing is far from stylish.
Who cares about "stylish"? The reason I've invested in lessons is to be more efficient and have better muscle memory so that I can keep skiing off-piste for another decade or two. Also means I ski longer days because I use less muscle power. At new mountains, I have a lot more freedom to explore. That means I get more out of ski trips for which the travel costs are substantial.
