Found a marketing video that matches with the idea that the Arete is not that big a deal for someone not afraid of heights when there is enough snow and the wind isn't blowing. The video by an experienced guide also shows the stair climb that is the route to take the train back to Chamonix. He said people who ski red groomers and have some off-piste experience would do fine skiing the classic route.
Posted March 2020, by Dave Searle (from the UK originally)
Have also found trip report videos that show a very different experience on the Arete. One from a January trip, another later in the season when there were two tracks inside the ropeway, one on each side, but it was slow going at the top because the steeper part of the track was not packed down. In general, the people who go the slowest have crampons on, walk sideways, and have two hands on the rope line. Meanwhile the guide at the rear is walking in a regular manner while holding the rope. Sometimes people have only one pole and the guide is carrying their second pole, so it's easier to keep one hand on the rope line.
@Sbooker : shoot me a PM if you want links to the other videos I've found that I'm keeping for future reference.
I remember doing that some of the time in 2004. The guide in 2004 put me in the front of our line for that descent. There were 24 people on that trip. Vallee Blanche was not part of the original plan but some of us considered it a bucket list item so our travel escort arrange it last minute and spare only one if the two guides she had hired. Surprisingly there was not a big dispute over who wanted to do it most, and our group was mainly intermediate skiers. There were 3 young telemarkers who hired their own guide separately.
