 Poster: A snowHead
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Ok that last post was a wind up.
Really what I want to know is the door to door time for an amble down the Valle Blanche probably Rognon variant. to see if it is doable with the feeding of our youngest- who basically needs a lunchtime feed at one in the afternoon. The last time we did it we were back by lunchtime (but obviously this is for me just a vague concept that extends from about 11am until about 5pm and to tell the truth I have no idea when we started - other than it was 'early' and when we got back to Cham 'lunchtime- Pizza Vallerio- obviously). Will be staying in Chamonix itself near the Brevant Cable car. Mrs Ed will not rush but not dawldle either.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Personally I would think it is easily doable but you would need to have your own guide and discuss it with them in advance. The actual skiing time when I did itwas farily short and mostof the time was spent admiring views looking into crevasses having a chat etc., they spin it out to make a day of it and you are still down by about 3pm after a decent lunch.
The main thing would be not having to wait for ever on the arrette and to get back up to the train if you can't ski to the bottom.
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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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If you are really going next week i'd be surprised if the guides were bringing people down at it at the moment. Guides don't usually bring clients down this early in the season as the crevasses aren't usually that well filled in at this stage.
Anyway in answer to the original question for average competant skier e.g. someone who's good on reds & ok on blacks i'd say the actual skiing time is about an hour and a half. However it'll take the best part of an hour to get up the midi, 45 mins minimum. If you're lucky you'll probably be on a bin up by 9.30. Add onto that half an hour for site seeing at the top. Then depending on how scaredy your group are anywhere between 5 mins to half an hour to get down the arrete & put your skis on. I'd guess anywhere between half an hour to an hour & half for breaks & rests. Half an hour to climb up to the trainstation in montenvers or half an hours hike to the ski back down to Les Plagnards. Half an hour on the train back to cham or about another another hour to ski back if you're of average competency.
So to add it all up from a 9.00 AM bin to cham you're looking at 1.30 to 3.00 back in cham. If you're quick you could be back by 11.00-11.30 though that involves generally not stopping for more than 5 mins at any particular stage. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yeah I agree. When it's just us & the guide, we don't hang around too much, got the first bin up, down before noon, lunch in town & had time to go up to Le Tour to do Posettes in the afternoon. Going with friends and lots of view stops, pics, time at the midi etc, it goes on till 3 or 4. Ask the guide, I would have thought if you were organised and got the first bin up you could be back down at 1 and still had time to enjoy it. A bit early at the mo though.
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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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Those estimated sound about right. First time I did it (one late Feb IIRC) we did the Petit Envers, got something like 8:45 up, down before 1pm, about an hour down in the valley, then up to Argentiere to do the Pas de Chevre and get train down about 4pm. Not too much standing around watching the view, but not too rushed either. Biggest imponderable will be how slow the queue is getting down the arrete - I've normally not been able to do it in less than 45 mins, just waiting for the person in front to move. If it's doable at all this early in the season, it's probably not equipped, so there will be no-one there, no queue, but you'll need crampons/ice-axe for stability.
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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, Guides won't take punters unless the ropes are up. Fastest way down the arrete is to ski it  Either that or get your own crampons.
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frank4short, umm, not true, I don't think, re the ropes.
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Yeah it depends on both client and guide, but generally I think it's not a problem, they just rope you up and lend you crampons.
Whether *you* want to do it without the ropes is another question of course. Currently though, the ropes aren't up and it is déconseillé as there hasn't really been enough snow to fill the crevasses, so if you are talking about next week I doubt it will be possible. If you fancy an off-piste morning I'd consider maybe a guide for a day at Brevent/Flegere - you might even be able to feed the baby & then carry on in the afternoon.
Having said that there's quite a bit forecast this week so it might still happen.
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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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frank4short, what under a new name and firebug said. I got on a trip a few years ago in Jan before it was equipped (through the AIGMB), rented crampons for the day, but in the end we didn't go up because the wind was too strong. But if the cravesses are not adequately filled in I'd take that as a pretty strong contra-indication.
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How about i rephrase what i said earlier. Upon occasion a guide will take clients down the vallee blanche prior to the ropes being erected on the arrete. However they will only do this with max 2-3 clients. Generally speaking they'll only do this if they know at least one of the party. As frankly the arrete is a bit sketchy without the ropes if you're not used to winter climbing or alpinism.
This is quite different to the high season ropes are up groups of up to 12 intermediate skiers with 2 guides doing the vallee blanche. That was what i meant when i said they won't take punters down before the ropes go up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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frank4short, fair doos.
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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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I think we would have a guide for the 2 of us. I have crampons and have done a fair bit of of winter climbing. Mrs Ed - has done the arrete before but that was her only experience of crampons. THe attractiveness of the guide might take her mind off the terror if tehre were no ropes.
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