Looking for something fairly specific in terms of a guide recommendation and wondered if anyone could help. My partner and I will be in Chamonix over Easter weekend (and a couple of days after) and are interested in targeting the Couloir Chevalier (understand it is relatively kind as 50+ degree slopes go...). We'd like to hire a guide to do this and perhaps some other off-piste adventures during our stay.
I have recently been getting into steeper skiing (40-45 degree slopes) in both the US and the Alps and am keen to progress, but this would be at the upper limit of what I've skied so far.
My partner's a pretty gung-ho, ski-down-anything person but I'm a lot more cautious/conservative/nervous in my skiing so am looking specifically for a recommendation for someone who is not bothered by or, ideally, is happy to work with the latter, as my skiing has tended to deteriorate in the past when faced with an impatient or pushy guide.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Personal recommendations, these are all Brits (well, Scotts to be precise) based in Chamonix, they are top level skiers as well as full guides and they are all very personable and definitely not pushy. They are likely to be booked up, but you can give it a shot, they may be able to pass you on to someone else.
If I were you I'd not get too fixated on a route. In Chamonix you ski where the conditions dictate. Hopefully by easter a lot of stuff will be in condition, but you can never guarantee anything. By all means ask them to take you to some steep stuff, Im sure they'll oblige, but don't be too disappointed if they advise against the Chevalier. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "relatively kind"? I've not skied it, but a narrow 50 degree couloir is a narrow 50 degree couloir, there's not much that's "kind" about that I gather it is not as dangerous as some, in that if you fall consequences are not always fatal, but frankly a 350m couloir in one of the highest parts of the Alps is perhaps not the best place to try a 50 degree slope for the first time. Speaking from experience there is a very big difference between 40-45 degrees and 50 degrees. If I were you I'd look at some of the stuff on the Brevent first, there are plenty of steep slopes there, many with good safe runouts and easy access too, so if the worst happens help can be had very quickly.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hallo, fair point, didn't mean it to sound as if I was going to throw all my toys out of the pram if that particular couloir wasn't on offer!
Thanks muchly for the recommendations (both guides and terrain). Any others still appreciated as I know people are likely to be super-busy over Easter weekend.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I gather it is not as dangerous as some, in that if you fall consequences are not always fatal, but frankly a 350m couloir in one of the highest parts of the Alps is perhaps not the best place to try a 50 degree slope for the first time. Speaking from experience there is a very big difference between 40-45 degrees and 50 degrees. If I were you I'd look at some of the stuff on the Brevent first, there are plenty of steep slopes there, many with good safe runouts and easy access too, so if the worst happens help can be had very quickly.
