Vallee Blanche

A snowHead

This is something that has been on my " to do " list for some time. It looks like that I will have the opportunity to attempt it at the end of next January 2007 conditions permitting. It will be from the Courmayeur end so avoiding the infamous ridge walk on the Chamonix side.

Has any done this route? - there are several routes depending on difficulty of terrain, I believe.

A snowHead

Yes I have.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Assuming you seek a little more enlightenment than previously offered... the VB is a tolerably easy run for an intermediate skier and gives some great scenery. Best to take a guide...

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David Murdoch, Yes, I will be in a group with a local guide. In previous years when I wanted to go at about that time of year, it was closed - was this just the Chamonix side because of the bad conditions, or is the Courmayeur route always possible to do or do the same weather condiions also prevent an attempt from that side?.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

hibernia,

I've only seen it from the Italian side and can only guess how high you can stay and which route you can enter. There appears to be a big enough face to navigate before you get down onto the glacier
If the VB is shut it is mostly likley because of bad weather or not enough snow...which is going to be the same from whatever starting point. The VB classic route is really a path though the most stunning scernery so if this is ok, then do so. If you want a bit more then drop in higher and do Gros Rognon etc etc, you'll probably have to go from the arrete or do some walking. If this is your first time then the path is spectacular. Take you own snack and drink as the hut will be crowded on a nice day and its a crime not to make an effort with the camera.
Whilst in Courmayeur it is a good idea to do the Helbonner side, the skiing will be harder than the classic VB

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hibernia, if you do a search of the forum, you'll find lots of useful prior info. I've done the (relatively) easy route from the French side. ISTR that skanky had done the Italian run at least once, and there were others.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

hibernia, when DG was still posting stuff about skiing, he started an excellent thread called "the best time to ski the vallee blanche is..." there was a link to an article on ifyouski, which I found very helpful.

After all it is free

hibernia, I've skinned up to Helbronner from the Midi cable car, and then skied back to Chamonix. It's a great route snowHead

You'll have some nice turns down to the glacier, and (at that time of year), you should be able to get right the way to Cham of the snow gods co-operate.

You do need a guide. IMHO it's probably a nicer route that the normal VB as you get to do more turns snowHead

When we did it (April), the snow had a layer of sand in it - which was a very red colour. Skiing down the glacier was in cloud - so goggles (which had red lenses) were required. With the bad light, and lot's of visble rock it all looked very weird Shocked

JT, he's already said he's doing the Helbronner side - so the Classic and Gros Rognon routes are not really relevant, are they?

hibernia, I've done it once from the Italian side, although not the very top bit as we skinned up so that side after getting in on the French side. Whether it is open or not depends on how late in Jan you do it. Last year I was there about 20th Jan and it was still not "open". It was being skied, but the arrete on the French side was still not equipped and the guides were very reluctant to taken punters up - although they were expecting it "any day now". I believe this was a bit later than it normally opens though. I have done it in the first weekend in Feb when it was fully open.

The date at which they can open the VB is mainly dependent on how early the ice-bridges over the cravasses form. The route we took down from Helbronner was pretty much directly down to the pinch point where most routes converge. Pretty simple skiing, a bit steeper and much less tracked than the routes I've taken on the French side, but absolutely great views across the valley, with streams of ant-like dots making their way down the main routes. It seemed to be significantly less crevassed than the routes I've taken on the French side, so I would expect it to be safe to ski earlier than the French side (although it was late in the season so that may have been deceptive), but there is still the crevasse field at the junction to cross. I would think you'd be fine, but SZK would probably have more in depth info.

(Edit: FYI, ski and I are not the same person Laughing

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hibernia, I did VB with my daughter at February half term a couple of years ago. The cablecar up is "interesting" as the cabins get progressively smaller as you get higher. The view from the top was amazing.

Unlike (as I understand it) the start from the Chamonix side, there are no difficulties getting to the start of the route. The skiing is not particularly difficult and even I could do it as an everlasting "intermediate". A guide is essentail.

From what I heard at the time, VB does not open early so you may be lucky if it is open at the end of January.

There is a stiff climb in ski boots at the end of the way down. I found it really helpful to have a rucksack (with lunch etc) to which I could strap my skis. We then skied down to Chamonix. It was very bumpy and rather icy - almost more difficult than VB, but again this is not always open.

VB is an experience you shouldn't miss if you have the opportunity.

We went to Courmayer with Mark Warner, not that I am particularly recommending them, but they did offer the possibility of an off-piste lesson earlier in the week which was helpful and was also with the same guide as we did the VB with so he had a good idea of what we might or might not be able to do.

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I did it on my second ever trip from the Chamonix side.. I wasn't good enough to enjoy it and being on a board found the long flats really hard.. Was lucky enough to have some powder on the first section before the huge mogul field.. Got some fantastic pictures.. Dont go near the place without a guide unless you know it really well..
Stunning scenery and my first experience of the effects of alltitude.. hoping to do it again this Jan

snow reports

GrahamN,

I don't know how much lee-way the poster has on his trip. It might that they want to aviod the arrete or it might be because they are staying in Courmayuer. And it may depend where you can cross over onto the main glacier route. I would have thought it relatively easy to get onto the top plateau and then you can review it from there. You can see tracks staying high to the north but there aren't many and it probably isn't the main route. I suppose it depends how much of the path you want to take in. Personally I'd cross over where the 3 glaciers converge or go from the arrette and do other stuff. I also suggested the the run down from Helbronner to the Italain valley is worth doing.

hibernia, laundryman's right, I have done it, but it was quite a while ago. The route can be open right up until the morning of your departure as it's also dependant on cloud & wind as well as snow conditions. There's a saying in the area about the ridge, that if it's good on one side, it's poor on the other, but generally I'd have thought both sides will be closed if one is. Everyone else has pretty much said what I would. We had a long walk dwon to Chamonix from the hut, so be prepared for that (it's a relatively easy track to walk though).

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I've only done the northern route from the Italian start point (keeping far right) and that one has some quite steep bits and skirts some big cravasses (one of our group dropped a stick and it rolled down into one).
The Helbronner side is more exciting and steeper but gets lots of sun so can get crusty or slushy. You go ahead and a bit left from the top of the lift. It involves going down a VERY long steel staircase near the top (unless there is plenty of snow and you are a real expert). Or you can go a bit right and over the edge, then traverse back and ski down under the top lift, which is VERY steep at the top.

A snowHead

That part on Helbronner under the lift is very dangerous. It should only be attempted by pretty good skiers. We had a look last year, but there was no way I was even going close to it so we ended up climbing down the stairs and going from there. When we got back to Cham we dropped our skis in to get a bit of fresh wax. The man in the shop said how he had lost 3 friends in that bit over right which was our plan from the start Shocked

I can guarantee that they were all better skiers than me too.

This bit is 3 long steep colouirs which are not connected ... bit of a traverse between them. The entry to the last one is supposed to be not very obvious at all and if you pick the wrong entry point, you end up in bandit territory very quickly. The only way out is back up.

As you are walking away from the top lift to join with stairs, you can climb down there and there is a pretty steep coloir that will lead you to the bottom of the steps. I chickened out of doing this one too while watching some others who were far better than me go down very gingerly.

A snowHead

Didn't realise there was more than one route from the Italian side. We went across the ski runs and round a large "bowl" shaped area in waist deep snow with a crust on top.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Skanky ... these routes that I described are all down to the bottom of the Helbronner lifts (just before Courmayer town) on the Italian side.

As for the Vallee Blanche, I think your have to skin a bit from the topmost lift at Helbronner and it will join in with the VB from where you can ski down to Chamonix.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

smolo, right, gotcha. The problem with skim reading.

I've heard of quite a few deaths on those slopes, over the years. If you look at the mountain from the valley, there's a large triangular shaped cliff-face halfway down (from memory). Apparently one person went off that. Quite a few years now. It's easy to forget just how far up Helbronner is when you look at it from the valley.

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When I've skied Helbronner the snow has never been good enough to ski below the first lift station (icy crust early and ultra slushy later - and probably rocks too near the bottom).
As for the Valee Blanche, my memory is we walked and pushed bit to get over to the right but didn't actually need to skin (didn't have skins with us anyway).

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

thanks everyone for replying and in such detail, I have just skim read the replies, and will read them a bit later when I have the time and perhaps with some follow up questions.

Also, thanks for the useful links to prior threads on this subject. All now saved to my favourites. More anon ....

snowHead

Just in case t's not been posted already:

http://www.guidecourmayeur.com/public/inglese/default.asp?Lingua=english

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skanky, I notice on your site they go on a lot about "freeride camp". Do they just mean off-piste skiing?
Similarly on the piste map for a place I'll be skiing in February, there is an area shaded and marked "freeride area". What the hell does that mean?

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snowball, my reading is that by "freeride" they mean off-piste (see the details). What the difference is between that and single descent I'm not sure.
As for the free-ride area, maybe it's a sort of "controlled" off-piste area - e.g. off-piste within the resort? I don't know tbh.

brian

snowball, if it's up a valley in Switzerland and begins with "Z" then I think it means that there's a lift served, patrolled area that's left unpisted.

skanky, I guess so: must be the new "in" word. The Italians don't generally do off-piste - perhaps they'll go for "freeride".
brian, that's the one - thanks

You know it makes sense.

All this chat - here and in the SCGB forum - about the Valle Blanche is making me hanker to do it. I wonder if there's a chance of SVBB (snowheads vallee blanche bash)? wink

On recent form, I think January may be too early. to count on.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

achilles,

I'm always interested in Chamonix so I'd consider it but I wouldn't want to go down the path.... and you just have to miss out the hut and do the couliours that drop onto the Mer de Glace..

I'm trying to rig a trip so I come back through Chamonix late Jan.... so if anyone is about..
P.S I'll be coming from Engelberg.... so if anyone is there as well..???

A snowHead

achilles, JT, You must do it. The path is easily do-able if a little scary and after that the scenery and the skiing can be quite breathtaking. If I could find my pics I'd post them Smile

A snowHead

JT, the path is a shocker if you are scared of heights but much easier than it used to be as they have cut it into the side of the ridge a bit rather than just going along the top.. i have a great photo of the 'drop' if frosty is around can i mail it to you for you to post it due to my technical buffoonery ?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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richjp, you may well be right i am using my huge experience of doing it all of once and being told it was along the top a few years ago Shocked

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Near the bottom of the glacier, after the long very flat section, you have a choice of (first) iron stairs leading to a a sort of passenger lift thingy and then a train downto Chamonix (the lift is used in summer by tourists to walk onto the glacier. When first built it reached the ice but is now a long way above). Alternatively (further down) you take off your skis and walk up a path to get out of the valley, then ski down a long, fast, winding road ending on a nursery slope near the railway. Often now the bottom of the road doesn't have snow all the way.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

CANV CANVINGTON, halfhand, I think you have misread the thread. My discription of the path applies to the classc VB route because apart from near the top there is no skiing more skating.. .....not the walk down the arrete which you can ski if there aren't too many in front. Make sure you go down the right side tho'... If a group of us were in Chamonix I would only be interested in one of the variants, ie Grand Enver or Envers du Plan, an alltime favourite route, which can bypass the hut into the FO gulleys. The path ( classic route) is good for scenery, not the skiing and should be done the once only IMV

After all it is free

The word path seems to be being used to mean three different things.

hibernia, If decide to do the run make it on a "Blue Bird" day. The run is more about the scenery than than the piste. Don't do it until you've skiied the area for two to three days to acclimate yourself to the altitude. The steps going into the tube during rush hour are much more dangerous. Very Happy

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of course we look tired we came straight down the middle!.
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2 bounces and you'll be back in the pub
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Help!!

Vallee Blanche

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