Valle Blanche

Going the first weekend in April. Has anyone skiied it recently? Can
anyone report conditons?

I'll be going with 2 other advanced skiiers and we are planning on
just following the tracks or a group down rather than getting a guide.
How much would it cost to join a guided group from the Courmayeur
side?

Thanks,

James

"james" wrote in message
om...
Going the first weekend in April. Has anyone skiied it recently? Can
anyone report conditons?

I'll be going with 2 other advanced skiiers and we are planning on
just following the tracks or a group down rather than getting a guide.

Follow the tracks to where? Down which crevasse? Get a guide, it's not
worth the risk.


Bill

Make your will now, if the ValleBlanche is open you definately need a guide,
sheer madness to try without.

Bill Seddon wrote:
"james" wrote in message
om...

Going the first weekend in April. Has anyone skiied it recently? Can
anyone report conditons?

I'll be going with 2 other advanced skiiers and we are planning on
just following the tracks or a group down rather than getting a guide.


Follow the tracks to where? Down which crevasse? Get a guide, it's not
worth the risk.

Couple of bits of information that may prove useful.

http://www.pistehors.com/comments/234_0_1_0_C/

http://www.pistehors.com/resorts/nor...ee_blanche.htm

"james" wrote in message
om...
Going the first weekend in April. Has anyone skiied it recently? Can
anyone report conditons?


I skied it last Wednesday, right in the middle of the heat wave, so very
crowded, and very icy up top. There are plenty of crevasses even on the
"piste"

I'll be going with 2 other advanced skiiers and we are planning on
just following the tracks or a group down rather than getting a guide.

Don't! Last week while we were having lunch, we were following live on our
guide's radio the rescue of someone who was being helicoptered to Sallanches
hospital after falling into a crevasse on the standard route.

BTW, our guide took us on a wonderful non-standard route (Petit Envers),
away from the crowds and skiing on snow bridges across awesome crevasses.
There were plenty of tracks that we could have mistakenly followed...

Get a guide!!


How much would it cost to join a guided group from the Courmayeur
side?

Thanks,

James

james wrote:

Going the first weekend in April. Has anyone skiied it recently? Can
anyone report conditons?

I'll be going with 2 other advanced skiiers and we are planning on
just following the tracks or a group down rather than getting a guide.
How much would it cost to join a guided group from the Courmayeur
side?

Thanks,

James
First off, if you are doing it without a guide make sure you know how to
do a crevasse rescue and carry ropes, and ice axe each and some climbing
gear such as ice screws (and wear climbing harnesses). If you are happy
to take the risk and it's a clear day you could easily follow tracks,
but it is not a good idea.

Second, if you and your mates are advanced skiers you are wasting your
time on the tourist route. OK, the scenary is amazing but the skiing is
not hard and it may well be very busy at the bottlenecks.

So, my advice is to save up and hire a guide and get him or her to take
you to the good stuff, such as the Envers du Plan or Vrai Vallee
Blanche. Both these start at the same place as the main run, but take in
some much better skiing and will be far less busy. Believe me I've done
the normal route 3 times and I'm not doing it again, I'm hiring a guide
and I'm doing the fun stuff next time

(Abairsty) wrote in message ...
Make your will now, if the ValleBlanche is open you definately need a guide,
sheer madness to try without.


OK, so we shouldnt ski it without a guide. We wont. How much can we
expect to pay for one?

Thanks for everyone's help.

James

On 23 Mar 2004 05:07:31 -0800, (james) wrote:

(Abairsty) wrote in message ...
Make your will now, if the ValleBlanche is open you definately need a guide,
sheer madness to try without.


OK, so we shouldnt ski it without a guide. We wont. How much can we
expect to pay for one?

Normal rate is 300 Eu per day. Sometimes the Bureaux de Guides may be
able to put together a group of up to six to share costs.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Sounds like the price went up since we went about 5 years ago.

It is still a bargain at 50 Eu. When we went, the price also included the
lift besides the guide.

One of our party took a few dumps in the powder at the top and started
having heart palpitations. The guide called-in a helicopter and he was
flown out. The ironic thing is that the guide collects the fee at the end
of the tour and our "rescuee" never even had the chance to pay the fee (or
for the rescue).


"Ace" wrote in message
...
On 23 Mar 2004 05:07:31 -0800, (james) wrote:

(Abairsty) wrote in message
...
Make your will now, if the ValleBlanche is open you definately need a
guide,
sheer madness to try without.


OK, so we shouldnt ski it without a guide. We wont. How much can we
expect to pay for one?

Normal rate is 300 Eu per day. Sometimes the Bureaux de Guides may be
able to put together a group of up to six to share costs.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the
Ski Club.

I have done the normal route and would agree that for good skiers it's not
challenging terrain, but the scenery and atmosphere will still make it an
amazing day. We used a guide, even though I have done lots of mountaineering
and off-piste skiing in other places without guides, because when you are
skiing unlike with cliffs and trees etc it really is very difficult to see
small crevasses from above. Skiing while roped is the only solution, but is
quite tricky and certainly takes most of the pleasure out of the descent.

Another superb run which is worth doing is the Pas de Chevre, from the
Grands Montets down to the Mer de Glace.

"Steve Haigh" wrote in message
...
james wrote:

Going the first weekend in April. Has anyone skiied it recently? Can
anyone report conditons?

I'll be going with 2 other advanced skiiers and we are planning on
just following the tracks or a group down rather than getting a guide.
How much would it cost to join a guided group from the Courmayeur
side?

Thanks,
So, my advice is to save up and hire a guide and get him or her to take
you to the good stuff, such as the Envers du Plan or Vrai Vallee
Blanche. Both these start at the same place as the main run, but take in
some much better skiing and will be far less busy. Believe me I've done
the normal route 3 times and I'm not doing it again, I'm hiring a guide
and I'm doing the fun stuff next time