We yesterday caught the train/bus from Les Arcs to Chamonix. The girls and I checked out the town and bought groceries in the afternoon. We had a good Indian dinner at Annapurna in town. Recommended for anyone that likes Indian food.
Today the girls caught the train up the valley to check out the glacier. Given the day was predicted to be warm and clear I opted to ski at Brevent/Flegere. I’m writing this draft having just finished my lunch at a little snack hut with tables and south facing sun chairs. I’m bathed in warm sunshine, am wearing no gloves or hat and have an incredible view of Mount Blanc across the valley. Just wow. So far easily my best solo ski day of my life. (I say solo but I skied for a couple of hours this morning with two nice Irish gents. Their names were apparently Michael and Sean. If they had said one was a Paddy I would have know they were having fun at my expense. I’m still not certain).
The area is probably as steep on average as any ski areas that I’ve attended with perhaps the exception of Snowbird. The difference between the two hills aside from that is stark as we are above the tree line here and facing direct south.
They obviously have to groom the red graded trails with a winch cat. The black runs seem to be roughly the same gradient but are either partly groomed or not groomed. Plenty of punters clearly shocked that the nice manicured run suddenly becomes a bump run.
I’m no great skier but I’m finding that I have to skid turn some areas on the red groomers. They really are quite steep in places. There is obviously a tonne of serious off piste terrain for good skiers.
Anyway I’m going to ski now. The south west facing slopes off the sides of the marked runs have softened and are really nice to ski. I expect that will be the case all afternoon. Incidentally I paid 62 euro for a day pass. I’d happily pay that for a lift to the top to check out the view - without skiing.
I’m now back at our digs. The afternoon was really nice as I expected. I saw some sky divers (if that’s the correct term) run off the side of the cliff and parachute into town. Impressive.
I’m booked with the Companie Des Guides tomorrow. I asked to do the Vallee Blanche. They asked my level and I described myself as intermediate. They recommended that I not do it as the arete is very sketchy and crampons would be needed. (I have zero experience with crampons). They also said snow cover was still thin in places - something about crevasses. So they’ll take me somewhere else tomorrow. I’ve got to be at the office at 8.30am with a Mont Blanc unlimited pass and they take the group in their van to the most suitable area (which could be Courmayeur). I hope the day is as good as today.
Some pics from today.
This winch anchor was above a red graded groomer.
Anyone care to advise what those series of metal posts are? It appeared there was a line of about a dozen. I could vaguely make out a wire between some.
The whole area was in the sun.
By the afternoon the areas to the side of the pistes were much nicer to ski on than the marked runs themselves.
A damn nice place to have lunch. Mont Blanc is apparently frequently shrouded in cloud.
A few places with small slides. Obviously the south facing slopes got to much sun?
The big mountain finally cleared of cloud.
Entertaining to watch.
Some nice scenery and old buildings in town too. We’re staying in a renovated apartment that was built in 1904.
Today the girls caught the train up the valley to check out the glacier. Given the day was predicted to be warm and clear I opted to ski at Brevent/Flegere. I’m writing this draft having just finished my lunch at a little snack hut with tables and south facing sun chairs. I’m bathed in warm sunshine, am wearing no gloves or hat and have an incredible view of Mount Blanc across the valley. Just wow. So far easily my best solo ski day of my life. (I say solo but I skied for a couple of hours this morning with two nice Irish gents. Their names were apparently Michael and Sean. If they had said one was a Paddy I would have know they were having fun at my expense. I’m still not certain).
The area is probably as steep on average as any ski areas that I’ve attended with perhaps the exception of Snowbird. The difference between the two hills aside from that is stark as we are above the tree line here and facing direct south.
They obviously have to groom the red graded trails with a winch cat. The black runs seem to be roughly the same gradient but are either partly groomed or not groomed. Plenty of punters clearly shocked that the nice manicured run suddenly becomes a bump run.
I’m no great skier but I’m finding that I have to skid turn some areas on the red groomers. They really are quite steep in places. There is obviously a tonne of serious off piste terrain for good skiers.
Anyway I’m going to ski now. The south west facing slopes off the sides of the marked runs have softened and are really nice to ski. I expect that will be the case all afternoon. Incidentally I paid 62 euro for a day pass. I’d happily pay that for a lift to the top to check out the view - without skiing.
I’m now back at our digs. The afternoon was really nice as I expected. I saw some sky divers (if that’s the correct term) run off the side of the cliff and parachute into town. Impressive.
I’m booked with the Companie Des Guides tomorrow. I asked to do the Vallee Blanche. They asked my level and I described myself as intermediate. They recommended that I not do it as the arete is very sketchy and crampons would be needed. (I have zero experience with crampons). They also said snow cover was still thin in places - something about crevasses. So they’ll take me somewhere else tomorrow. I’ve got to be at the office at 8.30am with a Mont Blanc unlimited pass and they take the group in their van to the most suitable area (which could be Courmayeur). I hope the day is as good as today.
Some pics from today.
This winch anchor was above a red graded groomer.
Anyone care to advise what those series of metal posts are? It appeared there was a line of about a dozen. I could vaguely make out a wire between some.
The whole area was in the sun.
By the afternoon the areas to the side of the pistes were much nicer to ski on than the marked runs themselves.
A damn nice place to have lunch. Mont Blanc is apparently frequently shrouded in cloud.
A few places with small slides. Obviously the south facing slopes got to much sun?
The big mountain finally cleared of cloud.
Entertaining to watch.
Some nice scenery and old buildings in town too. We’re staying in a renovated apartment that was built in 1904.
