If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
"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 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
Make your will now, if the ValleBlanche is open you definately need a guide,
sheer madness to try without. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
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 |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
"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 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
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 |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
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. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
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. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Valle Blanche
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 |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Valle Blanche | Snorer | European Ski Resorts | 0 | August 27th 03 03:22 PM |