ChrisC
Well-known member
Evasion Mont Blanc is a vast ski domain accessible with a single ski pass, giving one access to:
Evasion Mont Blanc - Les Contamines highlighted in RED
Les Contamines (right) and Hauteluce (left)
OpenSkiMap Topo Map
One always needs the topo map in the Alps to see WTH is really going on: exposure/orientation, lift and piste lengths, gradients, etc.
The day started overcast with flat light but gradually cleared. I stayed overnight in Les Houches, France, just outside Chamonix (a very reasonable lodging base). Mont Blanc massif (Auguille du Midi far left point) in the early morning hours, with the village of Les Houches below:
Taking the Mont Joie Gondola up from Les Contamines village
Looking over to the expert faces/bowls of Mont Joly. Exposure is East / Southeast.
Megeve is on the backside of the mountain.
Looking over to the Auguille du Roselette 2384M. Exposure: North
Making my way to the Mont Joly summit 2525M via Tierces Lift.
Sommet de l’aiguille du Croche 2487 m. Facing Mont Blanc. The light is a bit flat, but the snow is good at nearly 8000 ft!
Eventually skied off the backside to Hauteluce sector. Orientation: South and West. Snow was still good/ok due to the recent top-off, but better higher up on the westward pistes and off-piste areas.
Back on the Les Contamines north-facing aspects - the Bûche Croisée (6p Chairlift)
Visibility began to improve dramatically, so it was time to leave the piste and head over to the backside of Hauteluce. Again, Les Contamines has an almost 360-degree range of exposures, so it is easy to follow the sun progressively throughout the day.
Kept riding two lifts in order to ski the giant Croix piste and zone. Beautiful remote skiing!
Mid-mountain: Ruelle (16p Gondola) and Col du Joly (Quad).
Choton (Platter). Still some sections of unskied snow if you look....
Auguille Croche - backside
Typical Euro/IG Location Sign.
Not Bad: Les Contamines with Mont Blanc in the background.
Finally can see everything well by mid-morning.
Mont Blanc 4,807 m (15,771 ft) makes an appearance!
Trying to reski a few flat light areas from the morning...Now with a proper backdrop!
Would be a great lunch stop, Signal 1900m, but it was time to drive over to St. Gervais/Megeve...
I need to be a relaxed tourist one day.....
www.lescontamines.com
TBC....
- Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc,
- Megève,
- Saint-Nicolas de Véroce,
- Combloux,
- La Giettaz,
- Les Contamines Montjoie and
- Hauteluce
Evasion Mont Blanc - Les Contamines highlighted in RED
Les Contamines (right) and Hauteluce (left)
OpenSkiMap Topo Map
One always needs the topo map in the Alps to see WTH is really going on: exposure/orientation, lift and piste lengths, gradients, etc.
OpenSkiMap.org
Explore downhill, nordic & backcountry skiing worldwide using this interactive map based on open data.
openskimap.org
The day started overcast with flat light but gradually cleared. I stayed overnight in Les Houches, France, just outside Chamonix (a very reasonable lodging base). Mont Blanc massif (Auguille du Midi far left point) in the early morning hours, with the village of Les Houches below:
Taking the Mont Joie Gondola up from Les Contamines village
Looking over to the expert faces/bowls of Mont Joly. Exposure is East / Southeast.
Megeve is on the backside of the mountain.
Looking over to the Auguille du Roselette 2384M. Exposure: North
Making my way to the Mont Joly summit 2525M via Tierces Lift.
Sommet de l’aiguille du Croche 2487 m. Facing Mont Blanc. The light is a bit flat, but the snow is good at nearly 8000 ft!
Eventually skied off the backside to Hauteluce sector. Orientation: South and West. Snow was still good/ok due to the recent top-off, but better higher up on the westward pistes and off-piste areas.
Back on the Les Contamines north-facing aspects - the Bûche Croisée (6p Chairlift)
Visibility began to improve dramatically, so it was time to leave the piste and head over to the backside of Hauteluce. Again, Les Contamines has an almost 360-degree range of exposures, so it is easy to follow the sun progressively throughout the day.
Kept riding two lifts in order to ski the giant Croix piste and zone. Beautiful remote skiing!
Mid-mountain: Ruelle (16p Gondola) and Col du Joly (Quad).
Choton (Platter). Still some sections of unskied snow if you look....
Auguille Croche - backside
Typical Euro/IG Location Sign.
Not Bad: Les Contamines with Mont Blanc in the background.
Finally can see everything well by mid-morning.
Mont Blanc 4,807 m (15,771 ft) makes an appearance!
Trying to reski a few flat light areas from the morning...Now with a proper backdrop!
Would be a great lunch stop, Signal 1900m, but it was time to drive over to St. Gervais/Megeve...
I need to be a relaxed tourist one day.....
La Kouzna - Les Contamines-Montjoie
TBC....
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