 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All - my friends and I (party of 4) are in Chamonix until Friday morning and want to do the Valley Blanche. Anyone have any recommendations on any guides or are all good / high quality?
Thank you!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Call the guides office - they are all highly qualified. Do it tomorrow if you can as temps getting warmer. You’ve got it in all time conditions 
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Johnny Baird. https://jonathan-baird.com/
Tamsin Gay. 0044 7845 414943
I’d definitely go with a recommended guide - if Johnny, Tamsin or Ross are booked up, ask them for recommendations. The experience with a random guide from the guide’s office can be very variable.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| snowdave wrote: |
| .....I’d definitely go with a recommended guide.....The experience with a random guide from the guide’s office can be very variable..... |
Think that there could be a whole separate thread on that subject 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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 @Weathercam,
Of course, to be fair it’s the same for the guides. Bookings via the guides office are random punters with unknown experience on a relatively transactional basis.
I did it about 30 yrs ago with an organised group from the guides office. Our group included a lady who had 20weeks skiing experience. Unfortunately, 19 of them were cross country. This only became clear after we’d descended the ridge and skied the first long easy section. The snowboarder was more of a liability tho, when he discovered why he’d been ordered to carry plenty of speed and not punt himself through one section. His foot went through the snowbridge just as the guide screamed “noooooo!” at him.
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Thanks all - turns out it’s early in the season for skiing the Valley Blanche which means only very advanced skiers are recommended for the VB. We would only be able to ski in a couple months later in the season so looks like I have to come back :/
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@TheCommish, there's plenty of other great alternatives if you want a nice day out with a guide. Gros Rognon from Argentiere (maybe an hours skinning up the mountain, then spectacular views and easy skiing with a guide), or even just a day lapping the skin track up to the Rachasses and down the back of the Grands Montets.
Not as "tick list" as the VB, but in some ways more beautiful and remote, with less faffing around.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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We're hoping at the end of this month and would like to do the Valley Blanche too but not sure if we have enough experience. Have 6 weeks worth of skiing experience but not much off piste.
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@skiinglegs, I don't think that is enough. But why don't you get some more tuition and if you are fit and sporty you might progress over the next few seasons.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| skiinglegs wrote: |
| We're hoping at the end of this month and would like to do the Valley Blanche too but not sure if we have enough experience. Have 6 weeks worth of skiing experience but not much off piste. |
No, very much no.
How much experience to do the Valley blanche? Ski 3000m (vertical) of black run, Being able to ski it 500m (vertical) non stop without being tired/winded. How fit? Being able to walk 1000m vertical in a day (up and down) with a backpack and not feeling like you need a week in bed to recover.
This is a minimum, good weather and a resonably early start. Any less and you are trying to become a statistic and more worring asking my firnds to come rescue you in a dangerous place.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| skiinglegs wrote: |
| We're hoping at the end of this month and would like to do the Valley Blanche too but not sure if we have enough experience. Have 6 weeks worth of skiing experience but not much off piste. |
I did the VB a few years ago with a group of 6 friends - 2 of whom had only 2 weeks of skiing experience. Their technique was rough but what they lacked in finesse they made up for in gutsyness and determination. They each managed ok, with no issues or difficulties - mind, we had only a couple of inches of fresh snow, so that helped a lot.
On a prior occasion I skied it with Mrs B. There was a French lady in the group who snow ploughed the lot, sometimes in tears (of terror) as she traversed above gaping crevasses that the guide advised us not to fall into!
6 weeks of skiing could well be enough experience, though it all comes down to the conditions on the day.
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[quote="Bergmeister"]
| skiinglegs wrote: |
6 weeks of skiing could well be enough experience, though it all comes down to the conditions on the day. |
If you are trying to kill somone. This year especially. The salle a manger has wide open crevases. When I last skied it there were 2 points that you had to ski a narrow bridge. 1m wide 3m long doesen't sound hard, but if you screw up youfall 100m+
Friends in PGHM, Security Civile etc are fed up with rescuing people who have no business being where they are. At least if they are uninjured and just tired or refusing to go on they can be classed as an idiot not a rescue and be charged €10,000+
Twice this winter I have seen people all for a rescue, expecting a helicopter ride. Both were non injury cases, one couldn't ski any further because of blisters, but could walk fine, the other had crashed and snapped skis. Both were early afternoon and were told - Walk home!
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You know it makes sense.
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Idris,
Hence my use of the word, "could."
I can only base my comments on my experience of my 2 trips down the VB. On each occasion skiers with very limited experience completed the run without any issues.
That's not to say they could complete the run on all occasions.
It's one thing saying people "have no business being where they are" - but there are no checks in place to ask punters if they can actually ski. So the guiding companies are lumbered with folk who overestimate their abilities and think they can ski, regardless of whether or not that is the case. By the time they click into their skis at the bottom of the ridge it's rather late...
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