Chamonix, France — Learning, Training, Aiming High... (Part I.)

June 7, 2023 | Chamonix, France • Several years ago we were looking at the EBC trail, and W-trek in Patagonia, and some other multi-day hikes in Alps. But "somehow" with the world freezing in time for almost two years, our goals declined in scope corespondingly with our physical states ... :oP

Vallee Blanche, a massive glacier under Mont Blanc, is mostly famous for its off-piste skiing. When planning our trip we asked our tour-guides about the possibility of skiing, but it was already too late in the season, and skiing would be not only dangerous, but probably impossible.

We went for the second best thing, that a non-climber can do here, cross the Valley Blanche, while reaching some of the smaller peaks on the way.

We landed in Chamonix campsite called "Mer de Glace", filled ourselves on fondue and raclette in a local restaurant and slept in the car. In the morning we got ourselves a little refresher on rope work, harnesses and other monkeying on a local rock wall, and headed 2200 meters (7,000 feet) higher in a cable car to Aiguille du Midi to start the adventure...

#valleeblanche #chamonix #frenchalps