 Poster: A snowHead
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Where's best to hire a guide from to do the Vallee Blanche?
Also, what is the The Arête like in ski boots - I know my alpine boots have no grip whatsoever
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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http://www.chamonix-guides.com
The arrete is fine in ski boots. The snow is invariably soft and deep, and there's a rope to grab as you step down to the start of the run.
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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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GordonFreeman, I'm trying to persuade the Mrs to have a go this weekend too.
I'll just follow you lot for free 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Official guide from the Bureaux des Guides was who we used, and very good he was too. The arret was tricky, had I known I would have put crampons on. I suspect it varies however, we may just have been there on a bad day. I'm sure our Chamonix locals will be better informed than I
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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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I wear crampons everytime. I'll be free at the weekend if anyone's about, i'm no guide but am happy skiing with friends that can ski and have been on the glacier before., weather permitting.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's true that the snow up there must occasionally re-freeze, but it's been fine on the three times I've skied the Vallee Blanche. There's no way I'd want to be stepping down there on frozen snow, and you'd want the run itself to be soft because it's so vast and gentle. Crusty snow would be best avoided.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, I don't recall ever seeing the guides using crampons to get down the arrete. In conditions dodgy enough to require them I'd be surprised if they'd lead typical client groups down there. What's the point in using crampons if the snow's soft?
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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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David Goldsmith, The way i see it you can't be too careful. The kind of clients often sliding around like untrained puppies on the ends of their guides ropes is alarming, the difference with crampons is huge, i can practically run down the arrete with them, so can easily get out of the way of 'Client YoYo.'
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David Goldsmith, Also, you've probably always worn a harness but how many times have you been pulled out of a crevasse? (Waiting for the SMUT) 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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David Goldsmith, our guide had crampons on, and also roped us together to walk down the arrete. I don't know if we skiied it in typical conditions that day but I certainly wouldn't do it again without crampons.
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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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And just to clarify, I'm not
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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
| ... the difference with crampons is huge, i can practically run down the arrete with them ... |
with skis on your shoulder, rolling a beer barrel or large cheese?
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You know it makes sense.
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BGA, interesting. I've done it in January, March and May and never been roped to the guide. We walked down the rope independently. Maybe they've tightened up the procedures (last time was at least 15 years ago).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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David Goldsmith, SMALLZOOKEEPER, guides nearly always wear crampons. I also always wear them, but I would not like to be on the ridge with two hundred others wearing them for the first time!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'm hopefully joining an ESF group to do this next week, depending on weather. ESF were the cheapest I could find and I need to join a group as I'm the only one from our little party that is up for it...
I really hope I get to do it, but it was pretty sobering reading earlier about the boarder who died on it, while out with a guided group... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith, may have been a tricky day. There was one point where we had to jump down about 4' because the step that had been there had collapsed. Also I remember reaching the bottom and there were three people in tears.
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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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BGA, That's a shame. The Arrete is the hardest part of the classic VB, unless you can't ski. It can also ruin the day for many good skiers that suffer from vertigo or have problems for with this kind of exposure. It's a shame and a blessing as it does reduce numbers.
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Shock Horror....once again David Goldsmith comes out with outdated carp based on what he was doing 15 years ago and clearly zero current information.
I've been down probably half a doz times in the last 10 years (Feb, March, April, May). In that time I've never seen a guide with clients without crampons, and every group is roped to their guide. Clients are very rarely given crampons. The conditions I've encountered varied from moderately packed soft snow to quite hard packed crust, but never proper ice (or at least not that was not avoidable). I've never had crampons, would always have felt safer with them, but footing is not normally a problem as long as you are careful, and the rope-rail alongside is very reassuring. My more recent trips have always been in touring boots though, but most clients of course are in ordinary ski boots - and the guides don't seem to lose an undue number on the arrete .
GordonFreeman, I always use www.guides-du-montblanc.com/uk/index_uk.html, the independent guides office (situated on the Rue des Moulins). Probably mainly because they were the first guides I used in Cham, but I've always found them a lot more friendly and personable than the main guides' office. Looks like their website is dead at the moment though. Both of those offices put together ad hoc groups from anyone who signs up, but that's pretty much always the classic route only. You can of course hire a private guide if you want to do something a bit more interesting (and have the people to split the cost with and/or are feeling particularly flush).
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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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GrahamN, The Rue des Moulins crew have had major problems since the fire a couple of winters ago. They're still busy but i believe they are working out of the Maison des Guides for the moment.
As for guides, i'd push,
www.chamex.com
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| GrahamN wrote: |
| Shock Horror....once again David Goldsmith comes out with outdated carp ... |
What's outdated about it? You get roped to the guide (now), you don't need crampons. Big deal!
It's a pitch of steepish soft snow - nature doesn't change - with a big rope to grab onto. It's not the north face of the Eiger.
It should be stressed that the Vallee Blanche is a very skiable run for any good intermediate skier with experience of skiing soft snow.
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The last time I did it with a guide (a few years ago so it may be outdated carp ) he said that he thought crampons are more trouble than they are worth if the clients haven't used them before. I'd tend to agree.
The first time I did it I was in normal ski boots, no crampons, no rope. Frankly, if the arrete is equipped, I'd be happy doing it that way in future
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| Quote: |
Shock Horror....once again David Goldsmith comes out with outdated carp based on what he was doing 15 years ago and clearly zero current information.
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A little harsh?
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The Arrete is the hardest part of the classic VB, unless you can't ski. It can also ruin the day for many good skiers that suffer from vertigo or have problems for with this kind of exposure
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100% correct, and at that time I would have counted myself in that number (I wasn't one of the one's crying though ). My vertigo/fear of exposed ridges has since improved as I've done more and more of that sort of skiing, but it is certainly worth being aware that if you do suffer from vertigo then you at least need to tell the guide before walking the arrete
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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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David Goldsmith,
Can't believe you've never seen a guide with crampons on the arrete....!!! it all depends on the day tho'
Having said that, the arrete is ok as long as they have cut the ridge..... you don't need the rope either and you don't need to be roped up....
it isn't that bad...but it might depend how confident you are in your ski boots.. or rather how the guides perceive you to be..............
A fall to the south will likely cause a stir and you might go quite a way...a fall to the North ..which is against the cut in the ridge anyway, is goodbye Vienna...
If you can ski a bit, take one of the variants as the VB classic is mostly a path.... ... fantastic scenery all around but the path will be the anti-climax......IMV
Oh, and take your own food, have a picnic... and then do the FO couloirs onto the Mer de Glace... I'd take SZK up on his offer...
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 3-03-08 19:18; edited 1 time in total
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JT, A fall North and you'll end up at Footworks where we can assess whether your boots did indeed need crampons. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER,
indeedy..........
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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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we used a guide via evolution 2 - sebastian- he was great- and telemerked the VB whilst we skied- Mrs Ed couldn't recommend him highly enough- and to this day gets slightlty giddy if ever his name is mentioned!
www.chamonixguiding.com
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I went with an Evo2 guide last year who was very good as well. In those conditions the arrete was crowded but not particlarly frightening with a well cut path. Though the only way you could fall was north.
The classic route may not be a massive challenge but on a good day for scenic beauty it should not dissapoint.
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You know it makes sense.
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edsilva, I did a crevasse rescue course with Seb about a month ago. He's an awesome guy, would highly recommend him.
GordonFreeman, as edsilva, says, www.chamonixguiding.com; it's his own website where he keeps a blog of all his skiing.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I would recommend not using the Rue Des Moulins Guides office, trading as AIGMB. They took a booking from me some weeks in advance and failed to deliver the goods, as in "The conditions are perfect and we have no guide for you". Waste of time and money.
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