To summarize skiing conditions in Chamonix the last 4 weeks: A few seriously snow-loading storms with up to one week high pressures in-between, allowed for a lot of powder skiing off the lifts as well as a good start of the ski touring season.

The general snow cover is better then ever and we especially enjoy all the skiing on the lower half of the mountains down to the valley floor, exploring new variations that are seldom skiable but now full of fluffy snow on a thick base.

However, we must admit that the camera came out almost exclusively on sunny days…enjoy the result!

January Skiing 2012

Weather and Snow Report

First week of 2012 it was still snowing almost every day with good melting temperatures in-between the storms. Often the dumps started with rain in lower altitudes and strong winds up high. Getting to ski all the favorite shutes down to the valley floor that were never skiable last winter added lots of interesting options also for the snowy days.

A sunny period in mid-January got us started on the ski touring training… Fun skiing in not so high altitude, such as ski touring in the Aiguilles Rouges and from Brevent and Le Tour, offered the most and best snow.

During 20-21 Jan, again it fell enormous amounts of snow, and most of the Chamonix lifts remained closed for 2 days. Until blue skies opened up the full potential of the high mountains, the tree skiing on Grands Montets and Brevent was the saviour that delivered plenty of face shots. Topping this with some moderate snow falls and cold temperatures during the last days of Jan, the snow was finally perfect (and in perfect amounts) for powder skiing on big, open slopes.

The out-look for February: it looks cold!

More Info…

- Chamonix off-piste skiing in December 2011
- Guided off-piste skiing in Chamonix
- Guided ski touring in Chamonix

As 2012 has just arrived we are excited and confident that 2012 will be a BIG winter in the Alps. We aim to produce a monthly ski report capturing the recent conditions and happy moments through out the winter, so stay tuned!

This was our December 2011. The pre-season skiing took place mostly in Chamonix, but also a short visit to St Anton. Enjoy and be inspired if you missed it, remember if you were here…

December Skiing 2011

…and get out there if you now if you can, the party is still going on! New Years Day will be another clear powder day that cannot be missed, no matter how late you go to bed.

Happy New Year from Mountain Spirit Guides Team!

More at…
- Guided off-piste skiing in Chamonix
- Facebook: MountainSpiritGuides
- Vimeo: Skiing and climbing short movies

Ten years ago we visited the Lyngen Alps for the first time, and since then we have been back most years. We like it for many reasons; the quality of skiing, the solitude, silence and absence of lifts and helicopters, the views, the fishing, the exotic food… The excellent quality of life is enhanced by the cleanliness and absence of air pollution as we know it in central Europe. In fact Lyngen and Northern Norway has become our favourite spring-skiing destination.

I’ve told you about ski touring above the Arctic Circle before, but every year we explore more of the terrain and refine our ski touring trips to Lyngen so that we can offer the best experience for all level of skiers with the most convenient set-up for skiing and comfort.

Inspiration For You!

In 2011 we spent 3 weeks ski touring on the Lyngen peninsula. Some beautiful shots and teasing ski clips captures well the everyday life up there.

First film is from the last week of March. Arriving just after a heavy storm and with lots of cold snow falling during the week. Luckily the weather is ever changing and very local up there. Being at the right place at the right time, we often arrived on a summit in time for the clouds clearing and skied down with open views to the sea and the surrounding islands. Snow conditions were nothing but deep, cold powder!

The 2 first weeks of April conditions gradually turned into spring snow on the south facing slopes while remaining powdery on the north faces. With the mild sun conquering the harsh winter, it is like a long lost friend coming back to share the joy of skiing the smooth, creamy corn snow.
It is always special to finish a run straight by the sea, take your boots off, and cool your feet in the sea. Some even claim that there is a rule stating that if you make your last turn by the open water you are going in for an obligatory swim…

Video to come…

Meanwhile see the Best of Lyngen 2011 photo gallery.

House/Lodge versus Sailboat

For 2011 and 2012 we have decided to lodge in houses on the Lyngen peninsula, rather then sailing around on a yacht. This is to be able to maximize the good skiing we get as well as for the comfort and value for money. Staying on a sailboat is of course an adventure in it self, but from a skiing point of view it is less convenient.

With the boat you can only start skinning from the harbours, thus only those mountains straight behind the harbours are suitable. Landing with the dingy from the boat elsewhere is often not possible due to wind and weaves. Since the skiing options are limited and there are now many boats around in Lyngen, it can also get a bit busy from time to time on those peaks.

Staying in a house or a lodge and driving around the roads (covering all coast line and some in-land) we have seemingly unlimited options of peaks to ski. It also gives us more flexibility to adapt to the current weather and snow conditions, which is important since the weather is extremely local. Knowing the place well, we have never skipped a day of skiing because of the weather conditions, which means that for example 2011 we have had good skiing 6 days a week for 3 consecutive weeks.

Other advantages with the house/lodge are that you have way more comfort, private space and possibilities to dry your things every day after skiing. We still get fresh fish from the local fishermen and the same magic views on our days out as well as from the terrace.

Trips coming up!

As on all our programs we mainly take bookings from private groups, but for the trips to Lyngen the prices drops considerably with the group size (up to 6 persons), and it is a great opportunity to meet other like-minded skiers. This adventurous week offers possibilities for private space and time (staying in a spacious house) and you will not be very limited by the abilities of other members your group (as on for example a Mt Blanc week). Ideal is of course to have similar skiing abilities and touring experience, especially if you do not know each other, but even if you don’t everyone is guaranteed a good challenge and an unforgettable week.

Therefore we will put dates out on the website (at Guided ski touring Lyngen) for groups to join, and announce when we have spare places in groups also on MountainSpiritGuide’s facebook page and Mountain_Guides twitter.

Ski and sail trips to Lyngena will also be arranged in the future, but only for private groups and we will need your request up to 1 year in advance.

Above the hills in southern Turkey

From there, the Rock Trip Autumn 2011 went on to Finale Ligure where the focus changed to sport climbing and pushing the grades. Reaching end of October, a natural continuation was to head southeast to Kalymnos, Greece, (taking a cheap flight from Milano) to test our limits and stay on the perfect climate border (where swimming in the sea is still enjoyable and climbing in both sun and shade possible). To combine this trip with another becoming-world-famous limestone climbing destination, we continued (2 weeks later) further east by boat and bus to the hills above Antalya in Southern Turkey. Here the rock climbing season is just starting and will continue through out the winter.

Stocking up for our buss ride in Bodrum

So far our search for the highest quality of rock (and of life in general) has been a mix of holiday and work. We have met so many friendly and inspiring people and had so much good food…as always the road is by far more important then the final destination. However, to highlight a place that I have not written about before, I’ll drop a few lines about at the sport climbing in Geyikbayiri, before we take off to finish this years sun-beach-rock trip with a month in Thailand.

I particularly liked the combination of travelling from Greece to Turkey, getting two equally great climbing destinations of slightly different characters into one holiday and without flying in-between.

Getting to Geyikbayiri from Kalymnos

Early morning sun on orange limestone

No need to pre-book – just go! 2h ferry from Kos to Bodrum, 9h over-night bus ride to Antalya, a final 30min taxi, and 50€ per person later, we have crossed the boarder from west to east and find our selves in a Muslim country where English is of little help once away from the big tourist traps. The scenery and culture is different and in Geyikbayiri most people still live traditional lives unconcerned by tourists and climbers.

We instantly conclude that this place provide great competition to Kalymnos; From 6a to 8a the climbing is equally spectacular, Turkish food beats the already good Greek, but therefore the sea is 30min drive away. Tough choice!

It comes down to personal preferences: Oso or Raki, Souvlaki or Kebeb, snapper or trout, sea or forest, climbing on big tufa formations or more compact colonette structures… Ola Hillberg has made and detailed comparison between Kalymnos and Turkey (unfortunately in Swedish) at: Grekland vs Turkiet – Jämn Match

Life in Geyikbayiri…

Roadside lunch restaurant 10min from the crag

…is cheap and peaceful, even though there are way more climbers in the valley now then 5 years ago. At least two more camps have opened after the original two camps (JoSiTo and Climbers Garden), as well as numerous guesthouses. It is hard for the locals to compete with the original camps run by foreign climbers when it comes to attracting climbers. Knowing our way of traveling and typical life style, they have already created a dream set-up, providing exactly what climbers want (i.e the option to camp and cook, wifi, available cars, easy booking via internet etc.) and marketed it well. All this, the locals can only try to copy and market as second-generation options.

However the locals can provide some expert traditional cooking, competitive prices, equal hospitality and a genuine cultural experience. If they make the effort to get to know their customers, people in Geyikbayiri may in the future be living from tourism like the people on Kalymnos. But unfortunately they missed the train when Geiykbayiri got marked on the climber’s map.

JoSiTo and Trebenna Camp next door on the same day

“Our last day in JoSiTo coinciding with the Turkish holiday week, the campsite overflowed with people. Having one tent after the other pitched more or less on top of ours, it was very strange to see the neighbouring camp completely empty!? Wondering if this dude next door has poisonous snakes in his garden or served cockroaches, we went over for dinner to check it out. Food was excellent, camp was nice, shower and toilet facilities less well made than at JoSiTo, but ok. Our conclusion was that people (not even the Turks) just don’t know about it.“

Geyikbayiri Alabalik - soo much to taste!

The food in the camps is good, but the food at the local trout farm is amazing! I especially appreciate restaurants with not too many choices on the menu. I like when we sit down and local meze specialities with freshly baked break and salad is simply served. Then they ask you if you want the fish oven baked or grilled, which is the only choice you have to make. Like this you’ll get the best they have to offer and Turkish-speaking waiters only is not a problem.

The Sport Climbing in Geyikbayiri

Shady climbs in Trebenna

In early November we still have to hide in the shade during most parts of the day for climbing. In this valley the sectors consist of one long continuous south face and one long northwest face, as well as some smaller sectors and caves of varying aspects. This means that you can always get good climbing in sun or shade, but the dream would be to be able to climb on both sides of the valley so that you get the full potential of this valley and so that people spread out all over the place. This is possible a bit later in the year, around Christmas, and you can enjoy the big south face during the winter months.

The routes are long and well bolted. Tufas and colonettes make esthetical lines up the steeper orange rock and offer three-dimensional and athletic climbing. For technical and balancy climbing there are beautiful vertical lines on grey limestone with sharp crimps and pockets.

Sarkit for sun and Trebenna for shade

The best thing with Geyikbayiri is that you can focus all your time and energy on climbing (and eating)! There is nothing else to worry about, no logistics or other diverting attractions…It is you and the rock, and the people sharing your experience.

More Info…

- More practical info about the trip and the climbing at UKClimbing.com.
- Mountain Spirit Guides can organize Rock Climbing Trips and Courses to all the destinations mentioned above for private groups.
- Guide book: A Rock Climbing Guide to Antalya by Ozturk Kayikci (4th edition 2011)

Cordier Pillar on Grand Charmoz, Aug 2009.

This 650m high granite pillar is a big Chamonix alpine rock classic on the most left one of the highest peaks in the group called Les Aiguilles de Chamonix. Grand Charmoz (3445m) is one of those prominent peaks that you look up at from the valley every day and dream to stand on top of…

Around pitch #9 back in 2009.

The route follows cracks and dihedrals on this huge pillar, which is divided in two parts by a large terrace two thirds up. From these ledges it is possible to reach the Nantillon glacier and descend on foot. However, the Nantillon glacier, between Grand Charmoz and Blatiere, has huge serracs hanging off its top, which makes the approach and descent quite dangerous at times.

After 3 pitches of sandy and loose rock the climbing was clean and solid, Sep 2011.

We first attempted the Cordier Pillar on the Grand Charmoz in the end of August 2009, starting from the first lift to Plan des Aiguilles. I then noted for our records:

“Stiff grades, in fact most pitches felt like challenging pitches of 5-6a, not much simul climbing terrain. The route finding was not obvious but protection always good.

Starting climbing late, at least we got to climb most of it in the sun, Sep 2011

Clouds caught up on us, started the rappelling about 6 pitches away from the summit. Rocks were tumbling down from every one of the surrounding peaks and the Nantillons glacier did not allow us a safe descent off the terraces, so we chose to rappel the bottom part too. Backed up every single belay with new prusiks. Descending the glacier rive-droite to the moraine, then walking all the way down to Chamonix. A very long day. At 9pm the Pizza-man in Cham Sud couldn’t work fast enough!”

The most unpleasant pitch, coming up on the terrace of moving blocs...

Two years later in mid September we finished off the route and finally got to stand on the summit of Grand Charmoz. With the first lift at 8.10 in the morning and the night being pitch dark at 9pm there was not much time to waste. This time we left sleeping bags, food and beer by the Plan des Aiguilles cable car to have a good nights sleep after the climb instead of walking down to the valley.

Plenty of nice lines on the upper part, here in an alternative crack too far right...

Apporach was quick (1h40) and the Nantillons glacer quiet. However the first few pitches of the route was looser then I remebered and very sandy. Higher up before reaching the big ledges, marks from falling blocks were frequent and the smell of gun powder still thick in the air from recent activity. The reason for all the sand became clear when reaching the moon-landscape of loose blocks on the terraces between the lower and the upper pillar.

Comfortable on the off-with pitch with two big cams.

The upper parts on solid yellow and red granite was really enjoyable. To start with we climbed too far right (like many other parities before us). Still following nice hand cracks and dihedrals, so we didn’t mind. The various off-route and original lines comes together one pitch below the famous off-width pitch anyway. Like all big classics there must be an off-width pitch up high to humble and put some respect into modern climbers. But well equipped with two #4 camalots we had nothing to fear.

From there a quick simul climb to the top. Being sunny and warm we felt like we had all the time in the world sitting on the top, soaking in the views of the Mt Blanc massif. From here we’re looking down on most other peaks we’ve climbed here, as well as up on Mt Blanc.

To summarize we did 14 belays on the whole route and the climbing took almost 7 hours. Mostly we climbed in long (50m) pitches and on some easier sections with a running belay. The line is homogenous, direct, and mainly high quality rock even though exposed to rock fall in a few places.

Great views of Aig Vert, Grepon and Mt Blanc from the summit of Pilier Cordier.

The summit ridge of Grand Charmoz continues south, and another rappel route is offered in the guide book after traversing behind the highest summit. As that route would bring us down to the terrace closer to the glacier and then have us traversing in the loose blocks to reach the rappels of the bottom part, we decided to go back exactly the same way as we came instead. This did not pose too much problem when starting off with some really short rappels.

Last light and almost back down on the glacier

No major rope-jams, but as always rappelling is laborious and time-consuming. The last rays of sun fell on us, but the expected full moon was screened from us by Grand Charmoz and Grepon. So the darkness was thick around us during the last few rappels and the walk back to the mid-station.

More Info

- In times of increasing temperatures and melting of permafrost, one should research conditions before attempting any alpine climbs in the Mt Blanc massif.
- Guided alpine rock climbing in Chamonix
- More photos in our Alpine Rock Climbing Album on Facebook.

Linus climbing Jum-Jum, 6c, at Vettekullen

Walking over the flat valley floors in Bohuslän, south-west Sweden, you look at gentle hills and the wide horizon of a landscape shaped by the big glaciers. Forest and cattle fields rest on ancient bedrock of solid granite. At first glance, these hills don’t seem very interesting to alpine rock climbers, but when taking a closer look the area is full of smooth vertical walls with clean splitters that makes it itch in the fingers of any crack climber.

Eva on Masken, 6c+, at Glageberget

In fact trad-climbing areas like this are very rare in Europe. Those continuous finger or hand cracks you occasionally come across in the Alps (after 2h approach and 5 pitches of slab climbing) are lined up on 50-100m high walls, often rising off a lawn with playing children, a pick-nicking family or a few casual-looking cows. Here and there we spot a colorful climber about to send a magic line.

This is our second visit and we have still only seen a fraction of what Bohuslän has to offer. Therefore again we find our selves at a new crag every day, climbing only 3-star classics marked on the tick-list we’ve got from local experts. However the list of must-do climbs only seams to grow, no matter how many lines we send… You find an official tick list at 8a.nu under Search Tick List -> Bohuslän.

Jonas on Slimline, 7a, at Välseröd.

It is easy to drive around and even change crag during the day. Approaches are short and flat. The trad-crags are more or less clean of bolts (including anchors). Therefore climbing is a bit more time consuming then at well arranged sport-climbing sites. This doesn’t matter so much when you are on vacation though, and the Swedish summerdays are long. After climbing there are both lakes and the sea to dive into…

Basically life is easy and cragging is tuff in Bohuslän! However climbing is safe and all classic routes are easy to protect. Just make sure you are well equipped to defend your self against mosquitos and tics!

Even spoiled people used to climbing in Yosemite, Gritsone or Chamonix call Bohuslän a world-class place for single-pitch trad-cragging. Probably not because of one crag, but the assembly of crags within a small area. And for the high quality crack lines in all grades – from your first trad lead to some of the hardest trad routes in the world.

Climbing Trip Info

Where: At the west coast of Sweden, after 2.5 hour’s drive from Oslo and 1 hour from Gothenburg, you are in the heart of Bohuslän, which is actually a department. Towns within this area are Dingle and Munkedal.

After-climb on Linus porch!

Guide book: Klätterguide Bohuslän by Joakim Hermanson/Bohuslän klätterklubb.
This 2002 guide book describes approximately 1000 routes on 95 crags. Loads of new routes have been done since that! All grades are found, from 3 to 9 (Swedish grades), with the highest concentration at grades 5 to 7.
There is also a net-guide to all climbing areas in Sweden where you find most of the crags in Bohuslän.
Grading:
The Swedish grading system uses the same numbers as the Norwegian and the UIAA scale, but is slightly different. Becoming standard prctice is to give bolted routes French sport climbing grades and Swedish grades for the trad routes (even when in the same area).

Hand jamming at Galgeberget

Be very careful to not violate any access rules when climbing in Bohuslän. It is a very sensitive issue and especially when parking your car.

Accommodation: You either rent a summer cottage from a local family or camp.
Most campers gather at Klättertorpet,
or at Bohusläns’ Climbing Clubs’ Hut.

Best time: May till October. Local weather forecast at smhi.se.

Trad Climbing Courses: Mountain Spirit Guides organizes climbing trips to Bohuslän for private groups. The goal is to make you progress in trad- and crack-climbing. We don’t yet have a program on our website so please contact us if interested.

More photos: In our Trad Climbing Trips Facebook gallery.

Climbing movie from Bohuslän: An adrenaline teaser for those looking for excitement…

Rock climbing - As fun as it gets...

Kalymnos the Sport Climbing Paradise

According the site 8a.nu, Kalymnos is currently (2011) the most popular climbing crag in the world! After 6 days of non-stop climbing on Kalymnos I can tell you why. The easy access to exceptional natural rock formations, equipped by the safety standards of an indoor gym, makes it is so easy to get a lot of top-quality rock climbing done in a stunning environment.

Approaches are well arranged and relatively short, the world class routes are lined up next to each other, and they are all very safely bolted. This means that you can efficiently feed your self one amazing line after the other, and have exhausted your biceps well in time for the afternoon sun on the beach.

Masouri village from the 3 caves on Telendos, with Jonas in the roof.

The list of advantages of Kalymnos as a sport climbing resort can be made much longer;
- the flights are cheap from many cities in Europe (directly to Kos)
- if you have an interest in good food you will eat very well
- accommodation in studios are cheap and practical
- you don’t need a car (a scooter takes you anywhere on the island)
- hang out for climbers is centered and it is easy to find climbing partners for singles
- it is suitable to bring small kids to many of the crags
- the rock dries super quickly, and notably there are rain-proof crags as well as tufa climbs also in the lower grades (from 6a and up)
- perfect destination for rock climbing perfection for all levels
…

The fishing village Rina - take off for Deep Water Soloing

Kalymnos Before 2000

The main business on Kalymnos was earlier the fishing and selling of sea sponges. The business died because of a combination of over-fishing, environmental groups lobbying against it, and the replacement of the product by cheap chemical alternatives. The complementing economic activities consisted of agriculture, fishing, and some summer tourism (July-Aug), but over all Kalymnos was in a time of economic stagnation before the climbers invaded the island.

After the initial routes put up by Italian climbers, Kalymnos municipality in collaboration with Aris Theodoropoulos started to develop and promote climbing on Kalymnos on a bigger scale.

Sustainable and Responsible Tourism by Climbers?

In general climbers are well aware of and concerned about the environmental impact and sustainability of their activity. We seek to justify our traveling around the world in our hunt for the most beautiful cliffs and mountains, by doing our best to minimize our negative impact on nature and supporting the local communities and tradesmen.

The team having morning coffee in Masouri.

Climbers based tourist economy
It is clear that the climbers have become a very important part of the tourism on Kalymnos, increasing the season from 2 months to almost year-round. The locals have been quick and cleverly adapted their business to this new form of tourism. They have help to develop the crags by lodging experienced route builders and even sponsored them with bolts. This positive reaction have made it possible for the locals to stay in charge of the development and profit from the “new wave”.

As a visitor on Kalymnos I happily spent my money feeling that I was contributing to the local community (and not to some big charter corporation exploiting the locals as underpaid hotel cleaners). However the climbers are so far very centered in Masouri, even though you find as good (or better) accommodation and restaurants in other smaller villages.

Floriane following the border-line of Grande Grotta

Even though popular sport climbing destinations tend to be short lived, changing with the newest discovery in fashion, Kalymnos has such a large potential for further development and the quality of the crags are so high that climbers will likely keep on coming for a long time. When the early developed sectors get too polished the crowds will spread all over the island and it’s satellite island Telendos.

Environmental impact
Environmental concerns are in general not high priority in Greece, and environmental activists have most likely been absent during the ‘sportification’ of the cliffs and caves on Kalymnos. Apart from climbers interests, the development of Kalymnos as a climbing resort by the local authorities is strictly economic.

However, climbers have helped to increase the environmental awareness on the island by organizing cleaning days of the beaches and demonstrated the importance of a clean place for attracting visitors. After the first clean up of Masouri beach this has become a yearly event. Other villages should profit from the motivation among climbers and organize the same; Barbecue & Beach cleaning – who wouldn’t come!?!

Ideas how to reuse your rubbish (since possibilities for recycling are limited) and other ways to make (and keep) Kalymnos clean are shared by climbers for climbers at Reducing our negative impact on the environment by ClimbKalymnos.com

On top of reducing waste and water consumption we must not forget that we are intruding on a very sensitive ecosystem that has previously been completely protected from human activity (isolated micro-ecologies established in caves and on cliffs). Maybe the impact of the intense traffic of climbers ought to be further investigated by experts, to ensure that the biodiversity is not harmed.

Maria trusting the tufa...

With the opening of new sectors one of the tasks is to “clean” the place from loose blocks and too fragile stalactites, as well as bushes, lichens and mousse covering the holds. This process is completed by the actual climbing during the first years of repetitions of the routes.

Other then possibly killing your belayer, braking of a tufa formed during millions of years makes you feel like you broke the nose of the Great Sphinx of Giza. At the same time it is preferred that people enjoy this exceptional places that would not have been visited by otherwise. By starting the debate and involving ecologists in the development of crags on Kalymnos, we can avoid doing the same mistakes that are now venturing the access to many climbing sites in central Europe.

The local authorities have after all proved to be protective of their natural heritage by having limited the number of routes in Grande Grotta above Masouri. Regarding preservation of the biodiversity there might be initiatives that I do not know about, we’d be happy for all comments enlightening this subject…

Wolfgang in full-body contact with the tufas

More…

- All other useful information, from the history of Kalymonos to upcoming climbing events and new routes, at climbkalymnos.com
- More photos in our Facebook album Sport Climbing on Kalymnos
- Mountain Spirit Guides offer rock climbing courses at various destinations.

Great blue ice on Stella Artice, Jan 2011.

Taking Ice Climbing To The Next Level And Getting Hooked

Jan and first half of Feb 2011 – locally referred to as the Great Powder Depression that will be spoken about for years in Chamonix – opened up to us the opportunity to focus more then usual on the ice climbing. In times when the great ski lines are patched with rock and ice or skied out harder then a piste, the ice falls and ice gullies come out into view both practically and mentally.

I am happy to report that the winter is back to normal i the Alps and that the après-ski bragging is once again about those great runs and endless face shots. But even so we are still making regular visits to the Cogne Valley to climb ice falls – we got hooked on this sport!

By the 2nd belay of Candelabro Del Coyote

After getting over the first struggles encountered by novice ice climbers or getting back into shape after years of mostly skiing and little ice climbing, you actually long to have the axes back in your hands. I personally found the ice climbing more satisfying in terms of movements, flow, climbing speed and possible challenges once reaching the more advanced level of an accomplished ice climber.

At grade 5 the icefalls contain longer sections of vertical ice that demand a certain amount of technique and endurance. I have come to realize what my friend Hanna-Kajsa meant when she suggested that there is a fine line between ice climbing being fun and not fun at all. Too easy is not very exhilarating, then there is a narrow grey zone where the climbing is interesting and you have lots of fun, but you can quickly climb yourself out of your comfort zone and into a terrifying and desperate position.

Choosing the right ice falls are not always evident, since the difficulties varies by the hour depending on the temperatures, amounts of ice, and the number of people that have climbed before you. Knowing about the current conditions significantly increase your chances of a good day out (as always). Lyckily we are not too far away from one of the ice climbing Mekkas in the Alps…a great place to take your ice climbing to the next level.

Cogne – The Get Away Ice Paradise

Plenty of hooks and perfect ice on Tuborg, Jan 2011.

Cogne is a peaceful place in the end of the valley stretching south-east from Aosta towards Grand Paradiso in Italy. From the town Cogne, a smaller valley stretches to the south; Valnontey, and if you drive 3 km further in the Cogne valley to the village of Lillaz you have Valeille as well, parallel to Valnontey. These two valleys are lined with long, thick ice falls on both their east and west sides. The old villages around here are genuinely Italian with beautiful stone houses, cozy bars and restaurants, and friendly people. The atmosphere is calm even though the visiting climbers are many – a nice contrast to the stress and noise in busy ski resorts. Life is simply good and the climbing is magic!

There are enough ice falls in Cogne for weeks of climbing. This winter we have climbed about 10 well formed ice falls of grades 3-5, but there are many more. Most ice falls are climbed frequently, which allows for a lot of hooking, which generally makes it a lot easier then if you are making the first marks on the ice.

2nd pitch on Stella Artice

Valeille

Right by the village of Lillaz you find Cascata de Lillaz that offers a beautiful and long intinerary for the novice ice climber, starting deep in the river gorge and finishing on the upper sunny slopes.
In the main valley the ice falls of 100-600m are lined up as in a beauty contest. On the shady west side of Valeille (rive droite) we highly recommend E Tutto Relativo (4, 200m) and Stella Artice (5,180m). Alongside these you also find the longest ice fall in Cogne, Cold Couloir (4+, 600m) as well as some mixed routes.
On the sunny side (rive gauche) we climbed two great classics of grade 4+/5, Tuborg and Candelabro del Coyote that were well formed all the way up in January (the upper pitches are apparently not in good conditions every year).

The approaches are relatively comfortable (15-45 min on foot) and all ice falls are in good view when walking in along the valley floor.

Topping out on Monday Money, high up in Valnontey.

Valnontey

The well formed ice falls (this year) we found pretty far into the valley (around 1h30 approach on foot, but much faster with skis). A nice one on the sunny side is Erfaulet (5, 140m), hidden in the shade of a narrow gully.
On the more shady west facing walls there is plenty of room for many climbers, for example on Mur de Patri (4/4+, 250m). Even a bit further into Valnontey on this side is of course the queen of Cogne; Repentance Super (5+/6 220m) that we did not get a chance to climb yet, since there was always rope-teams ahead of us on this popular master piece. Luckily there is a worthy alternative just next to it, Monday Money (4, 180m), offering the same great views but a bit easier climbing.

The Season In Cogne

We have been visiting Cogne this year from beginning of Dec till end of Feb, finding that not all ice falls were formed to start with and that the last few weeks the ice has become rotten on the sunny sides.
Current Conditions: In general the ice is still good on the west facing walls but often becomes very soft in the afternoons when the upper pitches get the sun.

Repentance Super still looking good end of Feb 2011.

Practical Info

Accommodation
With 1h30 drive from Chamonix we found it nice to stay for the night and treat ourself with a mini vacation of 2 days sometimes.
- Hotel La Barme in Valnontey became the favorite. Friendly staff and often full of climbers enjoying the plentiful dinner after a successful day of ice climbing.

Other activities
There is 80km of cross country tracks going through the woods and the bottom of the valley floors. Really well maintained and beautiful surroundings.

Guiding
- Contact Mountain Spirit Guides for guiding or ice climbing courses.
- More photos in our Facebook ice climbing gallery.

Yannick showing how it is done climbing ice falls

A Beginners Perspective

The question is: Is ice climbing fun? Or should anyone that is not a hard core alpinist or grew up in northers Scanidinavia stay away from this sport?

Even though I was already an accomplished rock climber and keen mountaineer and skier, climbing icefalls never really appealed to me. I had been a few times, but only as a last resort, on winter days when the snow conditions were bulletproof, or visibility was zero. I had the idea that ice climbing was a pure hassle and involved a lot of suffering – Frozen carabiners and ropes to manage with your gloves on, ice lumps falling on your head, and above all freezing cold! Risking seriously long falls dressed in an armor of sharp tools, also seamed kind of dangerous to me. I completely understood why so few girls were into ice climbing, they’re just too clever.

But then I thought again; Wasn’t rock climbing also a hassle and a bit scary in the beginning when I didn’t know how to handle all those ropes, slings and protection devices? I wasn’t particularly over excited about climbing multi-pitch trad routes to start with, and now that is what I am the most excited about! So maybe ice climbing deserved a chance too..?

My first day out ice climbing this winter

Already on my first day out I discovered a lot of pros with ice climbing compared to other activities around Chamonix; No need to get up at 7am since there are no queues to beat, and no need to worry about the weather (as long as you stay down in the valley and not in a place exposed to avalanches). Cloudy, foggy, snowy or windy… padded up like a michelin man in my down jacket, fleece pants and gore-tex suit it is quite cozy anyway.

Sun softening the ice on Col de Montets

Ice climbing (in its less extreme forms) proved to be quite contradictory to my former believes. When well formed, icefalls are pretty solid after all. There is no need to stress yourself to tears neither, top-roping is fun too! In fact it doesn’t even have to be unpleasantly cold. Some times we are climbing ice in the sun, -3 degree Celcius, the ice is sorbet-soft (so that even I can get my axes in there), and often you find yourself in absolutely magic surroundings.

After a few days out in the Chamonix valley I had a better feeling for when the axes and crampons stick to the ice and when they don’t. I’m no longer scared of falling off just because I don’t have my axe placed with the full length of the blade in the ice. I also learned that I can stand well on my feet and not progress only by doing pull-ups in my axes. As I got more relaxed it started to get really fun. I have realized that most people climb icefalls with a good margin of capacity when leading, but also that you need a strong head to always climb at your best in this dynamic and uncertain environment.

Beginners to Intermediate Ice Falls Close to Chamonix

This winter (Dec 2010 – Jan 2011) we’ve been around for quite a few days of ice climbing in the Chamonix valley. Some ice falls are well formed and others are still thin or wet. Below are a few suggestion for a day out – not too big of a mission and no scary stuff! Grades 2-4.
You find them all in the guide book “Cascades autour du Mt Blanc” by Damilano/Perroux. Consult this guide book for further descriptions of access and maps.

Jonas at La Cremerie

La Cremerie – Argetiere
About 20min walk from the Cremerie above the Grands Montets cable car station, is a popular sector for ice climbing introduction. Here we found two wide ice falls for easy introduction with a few snowy sections. Then a 60m long pitch with a 10m almost vertical section that was interesting.

Col de Montets
On the top of the col, you see the icefalls on the right of the road when coming from Chamonix. It is just 10min walk from the car and it is partly in the sun most of the day. Great for a day out! From right to left: Two short but thick, almost vertical icefalls are formed. Then there is a 60m icefall, easy in the start then a 10-15m vertical section. On the left there is a 130m icefall also in good condition of maybe 3+ climbing.

The grade 4 icefall in the groge

Le Chapeau – Gorges du Bas
The ice here was (around New Years) still a bit wet and the falls not completely formed. The approach (45min) is a bit tricker, but therefore a bit more adventurous. Walking from Lavancher toward the Buvette de Chapeau, just before reaching the big couloir below the cascade du Chapeau, a small trail is descending towards the gorge. Crossing the big couloir the trail follows a ledge traversing below the slabs. There are some iron foot steps and rails to follow unless they are covered in the snow. Reaching the end of a rocky buttress you have the easiest icefall coming up in the couloir on your left. Rappelling from the lowest tree in that couloir you reach the bottom of the gorge with 2x60m ropes. You can climb back up where you rappelled on the grade 2 icefall (60m) or the one left of it (grade 4, 80m).

2nd pitch on the icefall above Trient

Barre des Charcotins – Trient
The best way to walk there is from Col de Forclaz following the snowshoe trail traversing along the south slopes of the valley overlooking the village of Trient (approach about 1h). In December the sun don’t yet reach the icefalls, but later in the season it will. At the far right of a serie of wide ice falls, there are a few variation of a 200m icefalls in good condition, with sections of grade 4 climbing.

Le Châtelard – Secteur du Pesseux
About 500m after the Swiss border you get a glimpse of the icefalls from the road. You can walk up from here, but the shortest and easiest approach is from the village Les Grangettes above. By the main waterfall, the first pitch of 20-30m, grade 3, is climbable, but a lot of water is running beside and behind it, so I do not recommend it unless it gets colder again. The Frigor (4+) is in better shape (at least up to the freestanding part in the end).

We will continue to explore the ice climbing in the Chamonix area and keep you updated on conditions. Please comment if you have any updates.

Down in the Chapeau Gorge

I can hight recommend people to explore this vertical ice-world. Most often it will take you to some stunningly beautiful places, it is great fun, and a good preparation for bigger adventures in the mountains.
Surely I often do get cold fingers and I occasionally swear at my equipment or cry out for Mama… But should you get frustrated about the cold, your non-cooperating ice screw, or about ripping you new gore-tex pants with your crampons, there is no better anger-reliever then the frantic hitting and kicking that ice climbing is all about. So in the end you go home happily exhausted.

More Info

- Contact Mountain Spirit Guides for a private course or guiding by UIAGM qualified mountain guides.

Note! All recommendations are completely subjective, and current conditions can change by the hour. Mountain Spirit Guides team take no responsibility what so ever for any of your private adventures.

La Republique from Mer de Glace

Seen from the Mer the Glace, the one satellite of Grands Charmoz catches the eye of every adventurous alpine climber. The esthetic shape of an index finger pointing towards the sky is a serious temptation for those who like to stand on top of a sharp rock needle with 1000m of air between them and the glacier.

The first ascent of Aiguille de la République was done already in 1904 by Joseph Simond. To ascend the slightly leaning top-pillar, a top-rope was sent over from the Grand Charmoz by using a crossbow! Today the technical, 20m long slab, is equipped with bolts and is either aided (A0) or free climbed (6c+). There are several routes leading to the summit, the most popular are the Normal Route and Republique Bananière, the latter being considerably harder.

Summit slab of La République

The Normal Route to La République offers a relatively easy way to the summit needle. Still it is long and requires extensive mountaineering and rock climbing skills. The route is 600m of mainly grade 4 alpine rock climbing that requires efficacy in rope maneuvers, route finding and progress on traditional gear.

It combines two different aspects of alpine rock climbing; first adventurous terrain where you move together with your partner and only occasionally make belays, possibly climbing in big mountaineering boots. Then the last 100m becoming rock climbing in its common meaning with vertical pitches on steep, orange granite. It is a good test piece for the confirmed alpine climber.

Hiking up to the Envers Hut

The hike up to Refuge de l’Envers is about 3h in a beautiful scenery. When climbing La République this summer, 19-20 of July, we passed the hut in the afternoon to fill up our camel backs and our stomachs with a big and tasty omelette. Late afternoon we headed for the climb, choosing to experience an amazing sunset on the very mountain instead of sleeping in the crowded hut. There is a perfect bivouac ledge 200m above the base of the route where we spent a pleasant night under the stars.

Bergschrund on glacier de Trélaporte

Before tucking ourselves into our down jackets and sleeping bags on the ledge we had a good exercise of 2 hours from the hut with our fairly heavy back packs. The first obstacle to pass is the massive bergschrund. Often it is possible to pass over on the rocks right of the bergschrund. If not, some topos suggest to climb the 10m high ice wall, but that looks like a very acrobatic mission. Once on the upper snow field, getting onto the actual route can also be quite exciting. Therefore conditions are better earlier in the summer season than later.

Settled for the night...

The initial rock ramp leads to sections of cracks and ledges. The climbing up to the perfect bivouac spot is enjoyable. After passing a dihedral with a big block jammed in it, there is a belay on slings and a narrow ledge. Traversing the ledge to the left it opens up to 10x10m of flat ground with views onto Aig Vert, Petits and Grandes Jourasses, and Dent du Geant… adding to that scenery, an evening meal, great company and a warm and clear night, and you are not suffering!

Normal route to Aig. de la République

The main part of the hight meters on this route are gained in the wide couloir dominating the space below the Grands Charmoz. The terrain is easy on compact slabs and cracks, but the itinerary is full of optional variations. Just before reaching the grey shield of slabs leading up to Grands Charmoz, the traverse in made towards La République. Crossing a gully just underneath the col (de la République) and a traversing further right on ledges leads out on the actual peak.

Great climbing the last 100m to the summit

From there it is proper climbing in the 4c-5c register. A nice variety of crack, dihedral, ridge and slab climbing. To finish, the last pitch is strengtheous and technical even if aided (compared to the rest of the route). The excitment increases with the exposure on this last pitch that culminates on a super airy summit, no wider than 30cm. Less than 4,5 hours after waking up with the first lights we were standing on the summit of La République, soaking in the amazing 360 degree view.

Jonas on the summit of la Republique

It is a grandiose atmosphere on this mythical summit. Standing on top, one can pretend to by flying. A sensation of achievement makes us smile, even though knowing that the adventure has only started. Reversing the whole itinerary can take almost as long time the ascent, mostly by rappelling and short sections of traversing and down climbing. Belays (slings around blocks) is in place (but not always easy to find) for the common descent piste. For the last 4 rappels down to the glacier, the belays on Republique Bananière are used.

From there it is about 2,5 hours walk back the the Montenvers train. Finally it is a long day that really gives a feeling of having completed a true alpine climb. The route is graded D+. For climbers in the 6 grades the climb is a pleasure, and 7-grade rock climbers get the opportunity to discover the dimesion of alpinism. Overall it is a complete tour that demands a passion for the mountains.

Guide books:
- Enverses des Aiguilles by Michel Piola, classic guide book from 2006, the best for that area.
- Sommets du Mt Blanc by Jean-Louis Laroche and Florance Lelong, accurate descriptions and information as well as a great inspiration to climbing classics in the Mt Blanc massif.

Linus and Russel on Dent du Geant.

Mountaineering itself is a celebration of nature, but when practiced by tens of thousands climbers every summer it will inevitable cause progressive damage to the local environment. Summer alpinism is slightly controlled by the system of huts, cable cars and helicopter rescue that provides the means for the modern way of mountaineering, but it does not ensure that the environmental impact of the visitors is minimal. It is very much in the self-interest of alpinists to save our shrinking glaciers and ensure that regulation of mountaineering stays minimal in the Alps.

The Alps have become a magnet for tourism, attracting 100 million visitors a year. For the 13 million residents of the Alps stretching over 7 countries tourism has been an economic boom. It also has contributed to congestion, pollution by motorized travel, and over-development in many areas. For the glaciers and the extremely sensitive high alpine ecosystem the number of human visitors has become a major threat over the last few decades. It is our responsibility and duty to lessen the severity of our impact on the alpine environment if we want to keep on enjoying the massive playground of the European Alps.

Early morning crowd on the Matterhorn

The developed system of mountain huts greatly helps to accommodate climbers on their way to the summits in the heavily trafficked areas of the Alps, such as the Mont Blanc mountain range and the Saas and Zermatt regions of the Swiss Alps. Only a few number of visitors choose to bivouac or camp on the glaciers, in doing so they take on an even greater responsibility to leave no trace after their stay. Either way there are many things we can and have to do to minimize the impact of our visit and preserve the glaciers and the alpine flora in these popular areas.

Sustainable Mountaineering Behavior

This list can be made much longer, especially if including more aspects of travel and tourism. Feel free to comment and add suggestion below!

1. Reduce car mileage by using public transport, trains, and shared transfers. Come for a longer visit instead of many short ones (it is also better for your acclimatization).
2. Preserve the rare alpine flora and stop the erosion problems by staying on the present trails.
3. Leave no trace. Do not mark routes in any way, use maps or a GPS. And bring down all your rubbish to the valley, including food, even if there are bins in the huts!
4. Never soil the glacier with human waste. To protect water from contamination, speed up decomposition and avoid disgust to others try to avoid defecating on snow at all (use the toilets in the huts). In case of emergency; search for rocks (on dry ground poop has a chance to decompose). If no broken rock available, dig a proper pit and bury it.
5. Keep your party size small in areas with wild animals; this reduces noise and social interaction.
6. Be responsible when choosing your routes, climbing days and partners, so to stay out of trouble and unnecessary flying for the helicopters.

Summer day by Lac Blanc - No swimming allowed!

Mountaineering practice will never go back to what it was in the beginning, when a few pioneers had the hills to themselves. Neither can we stop natural and cultural changes. But we can try to actively contribute to the preservation of the high Alps by minimizing our direct impact and making enlightened choices.

As a guiding company we still believe that bringing people to the mountains is a good thing, because experiencing the mountains creates an awareness and understanding for the alpine environment and a wish to take care of these beautiful places. Being introduced to mountaineering together with a qualified mountain guide is a good way to learn from someone passionate about the places he lives and works.

Mountain Spirit Guides naturally transfer environmental education and information to clients and team members, as well as manifest good mountaineering ethics.

The high season for summer mountaineering in Chamonix has started. Last week we had 3 groups on a 5-day Mont Blanc course, all performing well on the acclimatization climbs and successfully summiting Mt Blanc from the Cosmiques hut over the 3 summits.

Before taking off on such an adventurous week, we always discuss everyone’s personal equipment carefully; from boots and socks to sunhats and beanies, from underwear to down jackets. To aid our clients in the pre-arrival shopping process, we would like to supply some information on what to wear on mountaineering courses in the Alps.

Clothing for Alpine Climbing

Having the right clothes significantly increases your comfort and also your chances for success when alpine climbing. Weather conditions and temperatures changes extremely quickly in the Alps summertime. You need to be able to stay dry and maintain the right degree of warmth from morning till the afternoon, without bringing your whole wardrobe in your backpack.

Being too cold, too warm, or wet quickly becomes an additional factor of fatigue. Fuffing around with badly adjusted clothing and equipment costs you precious climbing time, and time is safety in the mountains.

In the clothing list below we have exemplified many of the described items with products from Norrona. We use their clothing because they simply have the things we like. Norrona is a high-end brand who are developing the next generation of outdoor clothing in close relationship with professional mountain guides and sports men.

Following is a list of clothing that we suggest that you bring for all our mountaineering courses:

Base layer: Long-sleeve underwear top and long johns made of wool or synthetic materials is best to wear close to the body. Avoid cotton since it tends to get cold and clammy when wet. Depending on temperatures and your type of mountaineering pant, the long johns can be worn underneath or not. However, a long underwear top and one layer of long pants is always worn in order to protect our skin from the snow and the strong sun radiation in the mountains. Even though temperatures are sometimes +10 degree Celsius, we do not go to the high mountains in shorts and t-shirt.

Pants: A thin pair of soft shell mountaineering pants, such as the Norrona Svalbard pants, are comfortable with or without a base layer and practical to wear most days. Additionally, bring a light pair of shell pants for rain, snow and wind protection. Instead of baggy gore-tex ski pants, bring a light pair of rain pants that you can pull on without taking off your boots and crampons (really handy when standing in the snow). For example the Falketind pack-light pants.

Jackets: As insulation layer, both a thin and a thick fleece is good to have; the choice of the day depends on the temperature. Norrona 29- and Narvik-series provide various thicknesses and have hoods, which can be used as sun and wind protection. Wind stopper fleeces are less convenient since they are heavy and do not breathe as well as a fleece, and you need a wind and waterproof shell jacket anyway.
Always bring a thin gore-tex shell jacket or a light rain jacket for rain and wind protection. We recommend the Falketind pack-light or the Bitihorn rain jacket from Norrona.
When going as high as Mt Blanc, a light down jacket is also nice to have since is can be very cold with the wind chill.

Hats: Sunhat and beanie are both indispensible for long summer days in the mountains. The face also needs to be protected with 30-50 sun cream, and the eyes with sun glasses (preferable category 4). For climbing Mt Blanc, also bring skiing goggles to keep the face warm in case of cold winds.

Gloves: You need a thin pair of waterproof gloves, impregnated leather is good. For cold days and high peaks, bring an extra pair of warmer gloves too.

Boots: A pair of gaiters to link pants and boots is always good. Even if the snow is not very deep, the gaiters will prevent you from ripping your pants in pieces the first day you are using your brand new, super sharp crampons.

The boots you need is a stiff pair of leather boots that you can fit crampons onto. Which boot to buy depends on what type of mountaineering you want to use them for, and if you easily get cold feet or not.

For most summer mountaineering we use a light and comfortable boot such as the Scarpa Triolet. It is very nice for walking and works well for all the climbing except for very technical ice routes. It is ideal for our Matterhorn courses.

For climbing Mont Blanc, a warmer boot is recommended if you easily get cold feet. La Sportive Nepal Top and Scarpa Jorasses GTX are all round boots that work well for both for summer and winter climbing in the Alps.

Scarpa Phantom Lite is an option for those who are concerned about cold feet. It might be good on Mont Blanc, but for all other summer mountaineering in the Alps it is unnecessary warm and heavy.

There is a lot to choose from on the market when it comes to alpine climbing boots. You just have to try them out and see what fits your feet best. For a first time mountaineer, renting boots to try out the first week is a good option.

More Info

- Equipment lists for mountain adventures
- What equipment to bring for Mont Blanc
- Norrona outdoor clothing

Steph waist deep in the powder on Aig. du Midi, 16 of May!

May Skiing Off Aiguille du Midi

Until the 16th of may snow kept falling above 2000m every afternoon in Chamonix and we enjoyed the powder skiing off Aiguille du Midi. Often the powder was waist deep and most days only a few people were up there. Even though most people in Chamonix have stashed their skis in the basement and oiled up their bikes and climbing gear, lots of enthusiastic skiers showed up in the weekend for a last powder feast – skiing was just too good! All possible lines on the west and north side of the Midi was skied as well as plenty of variations of the Vallee Blanche.

Check out plenty of powder shots from week 19 on Mountain Spirit’s Facebook Album.
Also enjoy the little video from skiing off Aiguille du Midi by our friend and colleague Asmus Nörreslet.

Ski Mountaineering Conditions

Wolfgang skiing grippy, compact powder on the Tour Ronde, 18 May.

Once it stopped snowing the Mont Blanc massif got hammered with strong winds followed by more normal end-of-May temperatures. In the high mountains, north faces turned into chalky, compact powder and crust formed on the south faces. Depending on the exposure, ski touring during week 20 involved sleeping in huts and starting early to be successful.

We skied some great lines in the Cirque Maudit after sleeping in the Cosmiques hut, feeling fortunate to be in that area this quiet time of the year. The skiing all the way down to the Montenvers train afterwards is starting to become a hassle in the end though. However, the opening of the Panorama lift between Punta Helbronner and Aiguille du Midi is planned on the 28th May and easy access to the high Vallee Blanche area is guaranteed once again.

Ski Descent of Dômes de Miage North Face

John boarding off Dômes du Miages, Mt Blanc in the back, 23 May.

For months now we have also been keeping a close eye on an impressive mountain face that you see every time you drive up to Chamonix from Sallanches; the north face of Dômes de Miage (next to the popular Metrier Ridge climb). Until now the 1100m high face has had patches of ice on it, but after all this snow in May it looked well filled in. This big face, that seldom in such good conditions, seamed like a great way to end the ski season.

To our knowledge we were the first ones to ski the face in the last two years (please comment if you know otherwise) and we were happy to find solid snow all the way to the top. The story and route description is well covered in our photo gallery from the ski descent of Dômes de Miage north face, as well as on the Norrona Blog.

Skiing in Chamonix in May is mostly enjoyable for the highly motivated, expert ski mountaineer. It requires lots of experience and patience – but when it’s good it’s good!

Whitest time of the year in the high mountains.

Nobody is planning their weekly off-piste skiing holiday to Chamonix in May… but in fact, powder skiing is now as good as it has been any week this winter, and only a few keen skiers are still meeting up at the lifts in the mornings.

It has been raining heavily in most parts of central Europe for the last 10 days, hence it has not been much else for us to do than to enjoy ourselves above the rain-snow limit. The high mountains have accumulated large amounts of snow that stick to the steep faces, making the mountains look even whiter than in winter. With fresh snow above 2000m every night, the main activity for us in Chamonix is still skiing – not ski touring in creamy spring snow, but simply skiing powder off the lifts.

Skiing Off The Lifts

Grands Montets powder day, 6 May.

The options to ski off the lifts are of course limited in May. Only the Grands Montets and the Aiguille du Midi lifts are normally running since the snow is long gone from the lower lift systems in Chamonix. Grands Montets alone is enough to handle the small amount of people (mostly Chamonix locals) that is still hungry for the powder after a long winter of skiing. Unfortunately it closed 9th of May, but luckily we have Aiguille du Midi operating throughout the year.

The return of powder conditions made the closing week of Grands Montets a successful one. Even though visibility was low at times, many mornings offered sunny powder skiing in wintery conditions. The weekends were actually fairly busy.

Deep snow on Aiguille du Midi, 10 May.

Skiing off Aiguille du Midi has also been great when the visibility has been good enough to go there. The snow cover still stretches more or less down to the Montenvers train (just a few meters of scrambling on the moraine down to the stairs). The ropes on the snow ridge from the top of Aiguille du Midi have been removed though (or buried in the snow), so the exposed ridge must now be skied.

Ski Touring

Since getting 10-30 cm of fresh snow almost every afternoon/night for the last 10 days, and never 2 days in a row without precipitation, ski touring has not been a great option. If ski touring, especially with this much fresh snow, one must consider the warm temperatures this late in the spring. To be on the safe side, skiing down should happen very early during the day (at the time the sun hits the face or before). However, pre-dawn starts have not been so easy lately, since the clouds have most often been dense throughout the nights. Nevertheless a lot of lines are in great condition and the mountains are absolutely wonderful just to look at.

Watch the scenery of the north faces in the Argenitere basin on the 8th of May. Seldom does the Triolet look that white…
Due to the fog lifting way too late in the morning, skiing any of those lines was not possible that day. Instead we have been just watching the active north faces, taking photos, and feeling the calm but impressive atmosphere of the empty basin.

Powder to flowers ski touring, Apr 28.

After the Easter holidays Chamonix gets quiet. The town is now all green and flowery, snow is settling on the high mountain faces, and barbecues are held everywhere (even on Mer de Glace!). We have been busy ski touring and ski mountaineering around Chamonix, escaping the pollen invasion by staying in the mountains, but occasionally coming down to attend a barbecue or two… This is holiday times for us in Chamonix, and we will keep on skiing as long as the snow is there (probably another 3 weeks).

Updates on the blog about the skiing conditions in Chamonix have thus been absent since the first week of April. But there has at least been a steady stream of photos posted on Facebook and updates on Twitter, and we have made 4 photo galleries from big mountain ski tours.

Route and Snow Conditions In Chamonix

Skiing the shoulder of Aig. de Tacul, 6 Apr.

Week 14, Wolfgang spent ski touring in the Lyngen Alps, Noway, hitting the perfect weather and spring-snow conditions. In Chamonix we were still skiing powder, but the fresh snow got quickly heavier and the avalanche accidents were frequent in Haute-Savoie.

The week after, the valley didn’t see much fresh snow, and the snow settled. Ski touring in the Aiguilles Rouges was still on as well as the glacier runs in the Swiss side above Le Tour, even though the snow cover on the trails out to the valley roads started to break up. Typically we skied powder up high, possibly a short section of crust, and transformed spring snow lower down.

The last two weeks 16 & 17, is normally considered as late- or even off-season for skiing in the Alps. There is a lot less holiday visitors coming to Chamonix due to the closing of the lift systems and uncertain snow conditions. This time of the year is not like in the powder season when you easily find exceptional skiing every day, now you need to be patient and wait for the right conditions. We take the time to do big ski tours with friends. There has been only a few light snow falls, and the snow has transformed to compact spring snow also in the high mountains and disappeared completely from the lower slopes.

Seracs ready to move on the Trient Glacier, Apr 25.

Grand Montets have still been a busy place in the mornings, due to lots of keen alpine climbers, randonneurs and extreme skiers running to reserve “their route” in the Argentiere basin. Also the time to ski Mont Blanc is here and almost every day more tracks have been added to the north face.

However some really impressive serac falls have occurred, and getting to Mt Blanc is a bit complicated and involves a certain risk via the popular routes.
Witnessing the serac fall from Glacier Rond triggering an enormous avalanche, definitively put us off regarding all skiing below the west side of Aiguille du Midi, but many people still do this traverse on their way to the Grand Moullet hut.

Pre-sunrise skinning up Glacier du Tour Noir, Apr 28.

Temperatures have been rising through out April pushing freezing levels up to 3500m during the days, but in general, refreezing of the snow over night have been good thanks to clear skies. To ski or climb safely, earlier and earlier starts have been necessary. Many ski tours now requires sleeping in a hut and to start skinning before sunrise. For example, the last two east faces we skied (of Point d’Orny and the Tour Noir), we skied in perfectly soft surface-snow with a still solid base at 9am. This also allows to ski the lower glacier slopes before the snow gets too warm.

Some Ski Tours…

The sunny and warm weather has allowed both day tours and multi-day ski tours in the area. One tour has led us to the next as we have screened the mountain faces for runs in good conditions.

Skiing down Glacier de la Neuve, Apr 28.

On the 16 of April we climbed Aiguille d’Argentiere and skied the Barbey couloir, a north-east face that at the time still had powdery snow. On the mountain opposite on the Swiss side we found our next objective – to ski the NW face of Grand Lui. Returning one week later we skied this in perfect corn snow in the afternoon. The views from the summit of Grand Lui revealed the great looking ski down the east side of Col Superieure du Tour Noir, which we returned to ski in the early morning a few days later.

Nice powder on lower half of Col de Courtes, Apr 18.

Many lines in the Argentiere basin have been in good conditions both for skiing and ice/snow climbing. On April 18 we had great powder in the bottom half of Col de Courtes, but did not go to the top due to changeable snow conditions. Sitting on the glacier down in the Argentiere basin can be highly entertaining on a sunny day, watching skiers coming down all the impressive lines on the north faces.

Mountain Huts

Evening at the Argentiere hut, Apr 27.

We have visited two mountain huts recently, Refuge d’Argentière and Cabane Treint. Both are newly renovated huts with very friendly staff. The huts were not too crowded even in the weekend and the visits were over-all good experiences.

On all the lines we have skied (except for the Barbey) we have been alone. It is very nice not to have any stress, racing other parties when climbing up or skiing down steep couloirs for example. Also the mountains make a wilder impression when no one is around.

This weekend (already started friday afternoon) a lot of precipitation is forecasted and the falling temperatures will hopefully bring snow down to 1800m. Meaning that this was not at all the end of the skiing season!

Rock-spire obstacle on an alpine ridge.

What is alpine climbing all about and how do you attack and proceed in this activity?
Climbing peaks and routes in the high mountains demands careful preparation and a certain amount of experience. When becoming an independent climber or taking your practice to the next level, you clearly need to know your capacities and limits. Only by stepping up slowly, choosing the right objectives and acquiring the adequate skills before, this adventurous sport becomes safe and highly enjoyable.

Below is an introduction and explanation to what we call alpine climbing and how we usually approach it. The information is meant to serve as a complement to our Alpine Climbing Courses. We do not encourage or take any responsibility for anyone trying out these activities without our expert supervision.

What is Alpine Climbing?

Rock climbing on Pt Lachenal

Alpine climbing is a broad term which we all have different images and experiences of. But when we speak about alpine climbs we basically refer to rock, ice or mixed routes and ridge lines in high alpine terrain.

Alpine rock climbing is typically multi-pitch rock routes of 150-700m of climbing. In Chamonix these routes are often equipped with bolts or pitons at frequently used anchor stations, but in between those, the pitches are climbed mainly by putting your own protection (traditional gear: cam devices, stoppers etc.) We climb these routes in friction shoes and light back packs.

Alpine ice route on Mt Blanc du Tacul

Alpine Ice Routes, are often a mix of ice and snow. It can be a couloir or a face with sections of ice-falls. We climb them with crampons and 2 ice axes, using ice screws, pitons (usually in place on the classic routes), and possibly some rock gear for protection.

Mixed Alpine Climbs involves climbing on both rock, ice and snow – also referred to as modern mountaineering. The objective can be a summit, peak or ridge line. We climb in mountaineering boots, bringing crampons and an ice axe. The ways to protect your party depends on the terrain.

Previous Experience

Mixed climbing on Aig. d'Entreve

The people coming to Chamonix in summer for a week-long Alpine Intro Course have typically been intruduced to alpine climbing either by trying out rock climbing or mountaineering (or both). Having completed our 5-day Mt Blanc course, and liking the steeper and technical climbing, many people get the serge for more and wish to learn how to safely and successfully plan and carry out their own alpine adventures.

Of course all levels of climbers, complete beginners to experienced, have the possibility to improve and get to the next level. Starting from the former skills and knowledge you have about climbing and mountaineering (if any), you can learn and practice new techniques to improve efficiency and safety.

How to Proceed

Rock climbing on trad gear and bolts.

Putting together the pieces of climbing and mountaineering skills you need can be done in many ways and eventually they will come together by practice and experience. In a place like Chamonix, we have the possibility to introduce educational elements while climbing beautiful routes. Learning by doing, under expert supervision, is a great way to gain both knowledge and experience.

The approach we like to take is staring with the basics of rock climbing before proceeding to more committing routes in the high mountains. Which skills (A-F) to focus on depends on your interests and preferred disciplines, but having a certain knowledge of all types of climbing makes you more confident in general in alpine terrain.

Going through the following steps, mastering each of them in order, is a logical way to build up and progress:
A: Get familiar with climbing gear; belaying, lead climbing bolted routes, rappelling.
B: Climb multi-pitch, partly bolted routes; building anchors, belaying from the top and efficiently handling the ropes.
C: Learn how to place traditional gear and do easier long routes with natural protection. Building belays and organizing the gear gets more complicated when protection points are not already in place. Alternative ways to progress on easier ground, such as moving with a “running belay” or with just a short rope, is yet another skill to master.

Glacier approach on the Vallee Blanche

D: Knowing about glacier safety and crevasse rescue is essential before moving into the high mountains. Even the pure alpine rock climbs often involves glacier approaches. Get familiar with using with crampons and ice axe, and learn how to build anchors on snow and ice. Practice how to pull someone out of a crevasse, as well as self arrest techniques.
E: Climb ice or snow routes in glacier terrain. Transferring your multi-pitch rock climbing techniques to ice and snow.
F: Climb mixed routes, changing over between different climbing techniques; climb in pitches, move together, set up rappels and necessary belay stations, crampons on and off etc. Climbing ridge lines is a great way to practice, and there is usually a lot of route-finding involved too.
Next: To take on bigger objectives, speed in essential. Efficiency is gained by improved rope-work, quickly finding the right belay settings and getting a wider repertoire of belay techniques. Fast mulit-pitch rappels and quick decisions will save you hours on the mountain.

Route Choice

Alpine mixed climbing on the Cosmique Ridge.

When practicing educational elements such as safety and speed techniques, it is convenient to decrease the physical difficulties of the climb. Therefore we do not climb routes on our maxumum ability when trying to learn how to place trad gear for example. On the other hand, if trying to improve our climbing technique, we try to emilinate the stress of exposure and educational tasks – we might go bouldering or top-rope sport climbing.

Depending on the topic you want to practice, choose a suitable climb. It should not be too difficult or exhausting. Acclimatization is another factor to consider. To feel well and maintain a sharp mind is obviously crucial for an efficient and safe learning process.

More Info…

- Alpine climbing and mountaineering courses with private UIAGM mountain guide.
- Guided alpine rock climbing in Chamonix.
- Guided mountaineering in the Alps.
- Equipment lists for alpine climbing and mountaineering.
- Photo galleries from our climbing adventures. More photos you find in our Mountaineeirng and Alpine Rock Climbing albums on Facebook.

Varied ski touring terrain in a beautiful setting

Every year in April Mountain Spirit Guides spend a few weeks ski touring in the Lyngen Alps in northern Norway. We love the calm solitude and unexploated nature where you climb peaks surrounded by the sea on all sides. There are no lifts, we reach all the summits we want to ski by skinning or climbing on foot. With the number of peaks to ski and the very few mountain guides operating there, crowds are nonexistent. The spring in northern Norway usually offers excellent snow conditions, nice weather, and frequent chance to admire the mystic beauty of Northern Lights at night. It is a very unique location for ski mountaineering.

Peaks perfectly shaped for skiing

Skiing Terrain
The Lyngen Alps and its islands offers an amazing ski terrain, typically 1000 – 1400m vertical of skiing from the summits back down to the sea. The peaks are perfectly shaped for skiing; some look like hand made ski slopes on smooth glaciers, and others offer more technical skiing down winding gullies and steep couloirs. The Lyngen area is an expansive playground for all levels of off-piste skiers and ski mountaineers. Our daily decisions of ski descents and which summits to climb are based on group ability, avalanche safety and snow conditions.

Accommodation
You can choose to access the base of the mountains by car or by boat, therefore we have the option to stay either in a house or on a sail boat.

Balcony view from seaside house in Lyngen

Living for 6 days on a sail boat, docking in to a new harbour every night after skiing, we travel to a new island or peninsula every day. The Lyngen Alps – Ski and Sail week is a full-time adventure. See the photo gallery from our Ski & Sail expedition, Lyngen Alps 2008. Traveling by boat, we also have the chance to spot various species of whales and catch our own fish for dinner.

The cheaper and more spacious option for accommodation is to stay in the seaside house in Lyngsided. There is a great system of roads along all coastlines, including the islands, from where we can start our ski mountaineering days.

Best Time
For ski touring, the Lyngen Alps are most pleasant to visit in the spring (mid March to 1st week of May) when the days are long and the snow cover is good.

Ski touring descent from Lille Galten, Lygnen.

Thanks to the Gulf stream the fjords never freezes and temperatures stays mild at sea level (zero to -5 degree Celsius wintertime), but it can be considerably colder on the mountains. Precipitation is plentiful along the cost line throughout the winter. In the end of March the snow is typically powdery and later on, in April, you get good chances to ski creamy corn snow. In early April the Northern Lights are still regularly vibrant at night. By mid-May Lyngen gets the midnight sun, but then the skiing season is really coming to an end.

If you plan a trip to Lyngen, we recommend you to plan ahead. We usually fix our dates for these trips already during the summer in order to get the best accommodation available.

Abisko, Sweden

Wide and wild open spaces in Abisko

Abisko town is located close to the Riksgränsen and Björkliden ski resorts in northern Sweden, 400km north of the arctic circle. Skiers are hearty welcomed at the local lodge, which serves as our base for ski touring and heli skiing adventures.

This high alpine environment greets you with barking of dogs, nature-loving people, and also here the Northern Lights shines at night. In the vast area of skiable peaks (including Kebnekaise Swedens highest summit) many are reached by helicopter, some on skins from the huts. On a day of ski touring you might cross the paths of reindeers and encounter elks and grouse. This week we even spotted a wolverine!
If a day does not allow the heli to fly, alternative activities are tours with snowmobiles or dog sleighs.

'Bada tunna' at Abisko Mountain Lodge

Abisko is a remote, genuine place that offers a very different skiing experience from what we are used to in the European Alps.

The photos in this post are from week 14 in Lyngen (see the photo gallery from the Ski touring trip to Lyngen 2010) and week 15 in Abisko.

More about ski touring in Lyngen

- The Best Setup For Ski Touring in Lyngen
- Photos and stories from our skiing trips to northern Scandinavia in our Skiing Photo Galleries and on Mountain Spirit’s Facebook page.

Tine charging down Grand Envers, Aiguille du Midi.

Anyone offended by face shot photos and utterly fed up with hearing about the absolut amazing powder skiing conditions in Chamonix – please shut your eyes. (Otherwise click on photos to enlarge).

Every year it is the same, and it usually happens some time in April… you think you can put your skis in the basement and oil up your camalots for the rock climbing, but Mother Nature loves to play games with you, so she will always surprise you with a few more heavy dumps on top of the spring flowers!

Chamonix Snow Report

Typical everyday conditions week 13!

It started on the last weekend of March where we got in total 60cm on 3000m, and even more up high. From that point onwards there is only deep powder skiing and an abundance of fresh snow to be reported. However the weather has been very changable and avalanche danger obviously very high at times.

That weekend (27-28 March) the strong winds caused the top lift on Grands Montets to stay closed and you had to hold on tight not to blow off the ridge on Aiguille du Midi. Chamonix off-piste skiing was probably best from the Bouchard and the Herse lifts on Grands Montets. These lifts offer 1000m vertical and are much more efficient then the top lift (therefore without queues). Another good option was to ski in Courmayeur, Italy.

Tine and Helli on the west side of Aiguille du Midi.

Freeskiers Tine Huber and Helli Fischer joined us during Easter and contributed greatly to all the photos. Thanks guys, it was so much fun to have you here!

The 29th of March was a sunny day where we skied various runs off Aiguille du Midi. On the first clear day after heavy snowfalls, such as this day, it is normal that it takes some time to clear the lift stations and to showel the arête that has to be descended on foot before you put on your skis. Getting up there quite late, we still had time for two laps of 2000m vertical before the sun warmed up the slopes and made the snow heavy. The recent 60-100cm of wind transported snow caused avalanche risk 4, and numerous self-relesed slides of considerable magnitude were observed on variously exposed slopes (the skiers left exit couloirs of the popular Grand Envers run included).

A good 20cm of snow on 2000m falling on the 30th was just enough to fill in the tracks in on Granads Montets again. Skiing the Lavancher bowl, you just about hit the base. But the best was yet to come…

April Fools Day

Tim blindfolded by powder, 1 April!

Waking up on the 1st of April the spring-green Chamonix town had turned into a proper winter-white ski town, and it kept dumping all day long. 50cm on 3000m, rain-snow limit on 800m. The best April fool’s joke ever! We dived into the fresh snow, head over heals in the whiteout. The poor visibility gave a sensation of even deeper snow and that you had it all to your self (a rare feeling on Grands Montets during Easter). But when the clouds finally scattered the reality of a completely re-tracked mountain and masses of happy skiers was reveled to you.

Early morning on the Aig du Midi arête.

2nd of April was another of those clear, optimal powder days. Maybe the best snow-wise this winter!? Taking first bin up to the Aiguille du Midi we had skied 4500m vertical before lunch. Being Easter weekend and all, many people had an amazing experience in Chamonix this day.

Powder Party Goes On!

A bit of snow over night on the 2nd and another big dump over night on the 3rd…
I understand that you got the drill by now, but just to give you the latest update on current snow condition before I publish this post…

Hanna deep in the snow on Pres de Rocher.

Today on the 4th of April we found 25-50cm of wind transported snow above 3000m. All lift systems in Chamonix opened late, after they had secured the pistes. Courmayeur opened, but only the bottom half of the system.

The morning being cloudy, we skied the trees from Aiguille du Midi mid station (Pres de Rocher) until it cleared and we got a run off the top. Snow was really light above 2000m, but on some wind affected slopes the top-layer was dense and easily sliding. Avalanche risk was high also lower down where the snow was heavier.

Tonight we get another 10cm of snow. Monday and Tuesday will be sunny, but during the week the snowy weather fronts are coming our way in a steady stream again.

To conclude…

- Powder skiing has been perfect.
- There has not been great conditions for ski touring due to either bad weather or too much fresh snow (not that there has been any need to walk anywhere to ski powder, but some people really like to walk anyway). For example most people who expected to do the Haute Route this week, unfortunately(?) had to change their plans.
- Grands Montets and Aiguille du Midi has been the preferred areas for off-piste skiing in Chamonix, since the snow has stayed light and cold in altitude. But please note that these mountains are no place to be for unexperienced off-piste skiers without a mountain guide, especially in current conditions. Extensive knowledge about glacier and avalanche safety as well as route finding skills are indispensable.

Asmus picking a great line...

I have lost count of how many meters of snow on the Aiguille du Midi the above adds up to, but fore sure we have a long and great spring- and steep skiing season in front of us now with all this snow filling in and sticking well to the high mountain faces. Skiing the Vallee Blanche will also be in good conditions for a few more weeks.

Is Chamonix Too Crowded During Easter?

One draw back with visiting Chamonix during Easter holidays are the big crowds and the incapability of the Chamonix lift systems to handle them. For many visitors, week 13 can involve a lot of queuing, espacially on Grands Montets and Aiguille du Midi. Also, for non-locals, the ever-changing priority rules, opening times and various lift passes is completely incomprehensible. It is a game you need to learn how to play with the all-mighty access provider Compagnie du Mont Blanc. For obvious reasons I will never write a post about “how to avoide the crowds in Chamonix”, but it is another good reason for me to recommend you to ski with a mountain guide in Chamonix.

Freedom Of The Hills

The mountains is our playground, we treat it with respect.

Despite the low maintenance of the Chamonix-lifts and the frequent complaints about queus etc., we do love how this place works. We praise the French spirit of free access to the mountains, and this is why we live here. Few other places in the world will you find a non-regulated lift to a peak like Aiguille du Midi, nor access to a great freeride mountain such as Grands Montets on a day of zero visibilty and 1m off fresh powder!
In Chamonix we are free to make our own choices, which encourages and teaches us to take responibility for our own actions and to show respect in the mountains. The Chamonix system shows belief in people’s capability of making well-informed, responsible choices, which I believe cultivates the very same qualities among its citizens.
Feel free to comment if you desagree!

Ski touring in the Periades with Vallee Blanche behind.

Spring definitively established itself in Chamonix during week 11. The snow on mountain south faces got heavy and started its transformation into corn/slushy snow. There was not much precipitation happening this 3rd week of March, so ski touring and ski mountaineering was the obvious choise for most off-piste skiers in Chamonix.

In contrast to the cold snow we’ve been skiing the first half of March, in Vallon de Berarde and les Aiguillles Rouges for example, every sun-exposed slope below 2500m got a crust layer on top in the mornings. The sport has therefore been to time the descents with the softening up of this layer, but before the slope gets too warm and dangerously heavy. Knowing your group and the conditions well, bring you success in this game.

Powder skiing off Point de la Terasse

We had a great day ski touring to Point de la Terasse, in the land of the sporty ski mountaineers, where you get no help from lifts on your way up. Since starting the walk through dense forest, a different world opens up to you above the tree-line. Even higher, once reaching the summit ridge through Col de la Terasse, an all-inclusive panorama of the Mt Blanc mountain range is layed out before you – from Mont Blanc to the Aiguille du Tour, with the Alaska-like north face of Mt Buet and les Aiguilles Rouges in the foreground. Skiing a hidden north-east face in loose sugary snow followed by creamy south facing slopes lower down, this long day was truly a complete ski tour.

Hanna coming up Col de Cristaux.

The sunny and even warmer days to follow invited to explore all corners of the Chamonix area.
Ski mountaineering, involving both skinning and climbing with your skis on your backpack, we skied runs such as Col de Cristaux in the Argentiere basin and Breche Puiseux in the Periades (see the photo gallery from Brêche Puiseux). On descents such as these – just briefly touched by the sun – the snow was firm but grippy. Skiing this kind of smooth and stable ground can be really fun if just the surface is soft. When steep, it demands short turns in perfect control.
More photos from this week on Facebook in our Chamonix Ski Touring Album.

Wolfgang ready to ski from Aig. du Midi

Finally, on the 21st of March we got some new snow above 2500m. First day after we had great skiing from Aiguille du Midi. The snow was cold powder on shady slopes above 2500m, but the air temperatures reminded us of the skiing days we had last year in May!
The rain that fell below 2000m definitely ended the skiing down to the valley floor and the warm temperatures sent numerous wet avalanches down mid-mountain slopes. The pistes in Flegere got severely damaged by avalanches from above and couloirs in the lower parts of all Chamonix lift systems slid to the ground.

Great ski touring descent from Aig. du Tacul.

Staying up high, skiing various runs on the Vallee Blanche and ski touring in the Cirque Maudit and the Periads, there was plenty of fresh tracks to be made as long as the weather was clear. We skied off Tour Rond in the west couloir and off Aiguille du Tacul in sluffy powder (see a short video clip on Facebook from that run).

End of week 12 brought unstable, colder weather with heavy precipitation and strong winds. The already good skiing conditions thus getting even better! Powder skiing on Grands Montets was crazy fun as always, but it is amazing how fast we all can paint this entire mountain in stripes! The top-lift remained closed during the weekend due to winds of up to 100km/h. Aiguille du Midi noted 60cm of fresh snow on Sunday morning (28th of March), but few people were fast enough to make a descent while the visibility was decent.

Skiing goes on! There will be happy easter skiers in Chamonix next week =)

Need a ski guide? See:
- Off-piste ski guide in Chamonix
- Ski touring guide in the Chamonix area

Mont Blanc, Les Aiguilles Rouges in the foreground

We often get the following question before people book a guided Mont Blanc ascent with us:
- How hard is it?
- How much preparation and acclimatization do I need?
- How do I train for climbing Mt Blanc?

What can I expect?

Depending on who you ask, you might get widely different answers regarding the difficulties to climb Mt Blanc. Searching information on the internet, you might imagine everything between an easy walk to a complicated and exhausting climb. Probably this is because if you ask the “climber” – the ascent is a walk, but if you ask the “walker” – the ascent is a climb!

Mixed terrain preparation climb for Mt Blanc

We would say the normal routes up Mont Blanc are mostly walking and scrambling in very exposed terrain, what ever route you take there are places where you will have to use your hands. During those section we are always roped up.
One thing is for sure – it is physically very demanding to climb Mt Blanc. We have done more than a lot of Mt Blanc ascents, with many different kinds of people, and we always ask afterwards if they found it easy? Never ever have we heard anyone say it was easy! But 2 weeks later, home among friends and family, it might of course sound (and feel) completely different…  

90% of the people climbing Mt Blanc with us choose the 5-day Mt Blanc course, where we climb with a maximum of 2 persons per guide. This gives us the option to do more technical and more fun climbs during the acclimatization period, and also prepares you better technically for the summit climb then a more walking-orientated program would do. A 5-day program is the shortest period of acclimatization that gives most people a good possibility to reach the summit.

Sunrise captured from Mt Blanc du Tacul

Concretely this week involves 5 days of climbing in altitude and 2 nights in mountain huts. On the 3 preparation days we climb a different summit every day, working out in altitude for about 6 hours a day. For the actual ascent of Mt Blanc we normally start early in the morning (way before sunrise) from the hut and walk for 10-14 hours (more or less non-stop) until we are back at the cable car. So obviously this demands a lot of endurance in both body and mind.

Every group booking with us is treated separately, which means every group gets their own private mountain guides. This also means we are very flexible. If we find out during the week that Mont Blanc is too hard, we can change our objective to an easier mountain.

How do I prepare myself?

If you come to Chamonix for a 5 or 6-day Mt Blanc course, be prepared for a very adventurous week where you will learn a lot! To have a good chance to reach the summit you need to already be a confident mountain walker with a good level of fitness. You do not need to have any previous climbing experience, but if you do, it will be easier for you. During the preparation days we learn and practice walking with crampons and ice axe on snow and ice, as well as scramble up and down on rock.

Building up your body strength for a week of mountaineering can be done by all sorts of endurance training. There is no specific training program, the more varied the better. Biking, walking on uneven trails, and ski touring are all good activities that can be done for many hours at the time. Climbing improves your coordination and balance, and get you used to heights.

How will my body cope with altitude?

Sunrise on Mt Blanc du Tacul (4248m)

Going too quickly from sea level to high altitude (above 2000m) and staying over night, there is a large risk for getting head ache and feeling nauseous. By doing a climb over 3000m the first day, then spending a night in Chamonix town (1000m) we give the body a chance to adapt to altitude. It is important to understand that it is during the time of rest at lower altitude that the body has the energy to produce more red blood cells etc. It is the same principle as with all other physical training – overcompensation happens during recovery, not while exercising. Next we spend two days climbing, and one night, around 3600m, followed by a rest night in Chamonix. Then we attack Mont Blanc.

Since the lifts in Chamonix quickly take us up and down, we get the possibility to climb high peaks in just one day. Above 4000m is when it really stats to get hard in our experience, and therefore it is good to include a 4000m peak for acclimatization before going to Mt Blanc (4810m).

However everybody is different, and it is no way to say how you will cope with altitude before you have tried the experience. Often it is not the young and most fit who is the least affected by altitude.

What further skills do I need to climb without a guide?

Mont Blanc is a serious challenge, not to be underestimated. Additional to being a competent ice and rock climber you need to be an accomplished mountaineer with significant experience of high alpine terrain.

Coming down the Bosses Ridge from Mt Blanc

You need to be confident climbing with crampons and ice axe in exposed glaciated terrain, knowing how to use a rope to protect your party. The travel on glaciers demands competence in rope-work and crevasse rescue techniques. Further you should have experience of route finding and be able to determine the risk of alpine hazards, such as degrading weather trends, avalanches and serac falls. This obviously involves both knowing how to avoid and how to deal with the situation in case of an accident.

The programs we implement on our Mt Blanc courses are in general good for acclimatization. It is preferable to have a minimum of 5 days to climb Mt Blanc if you come to Chamonix from sea level – the more acclimatization you get, the easier the ascent of Mt Blanc will be for you. The climbs you can do for acclimatization totally depends on your level of mountaineering and climbing.

Note! Climbing Mt Blanc is dangerous, and this article is by no means a check list of skills that, if possessed, assures you safety on Mt Blanc. We take no responsibility for any non-guided ascents of Mt Blanc, nor are we by writing this post recommending anyone to go there without a guide.

If you would like to learn about alpine climbing and get feedback on the your capabilities as a mountaineer we recommend you to do a week-long mountaineering course with a private mountain guide.

Which route to climb?

The route via Dome de Goutier is a slightly shorter climb on the summit day then the “3-summits” route (from the Cosmique hut over Mt Blanc du Tacul, Mt Maudit to Mt Blanc), but therefore it is a longer approach to the hut the day before.
From the Cosmique hut the route-finding gets more difficult incase of low visibility, and if it is a lot of fresh snow it is not safe to walk up Mt Blanc du Tacul due to avalanche danger.
Conclusively, in our opinion, the Cosmique route gives you the nicer over-all experience.

On the summit of Mt Blanc!

More Info…

- Equipment needed for a Mt Blanc ascent
- Photo gallery from a recent 5-day Mt Blanc course
- How to start mountaineering and alpine climbing
- How to dress for summer alpine mountaineering
- Guided Mont Blanc ascents

Classic ski tours from Flegère traversing over Aiguilles Rouges to Buet

This week we are featuring some popular ski tours in Les Aiguilles Rouges in Chamonix – More precise from the Index chair lift in Flegère, over various mountain passes, and skiing down Vallon de Bérarde to the train station in Le Buet. Described here are a few classics, but there are many more, less frequently skied routes and variations to ski in this mountain range.

Jens first turn down the Floria north face with the traverse of Cochues-Bérarde and the Keyhole in the background.

We like these ski tours because you hike up on south faces and ski north faces. This often means enjoying the sun on the way up and skiing cold powder on the way down until late spring. Also, the north faces of Vallon de Bérade tend to be sheltered from wind and the snow stays really good for a long time after the last snow fall.

The photo above is showing the Flegère side of Les Aiguilles Rouges and the first ridge to climb over. The full ski tours are drawn in the same colors on the map below.

Please note that this post is supposed to serve as inspiration and a large overview of the routes, not a comlete topographic description of these ski tours. Click on the photos/map to enlarge.

Route Descriptions

Approximate map of ski tours from Flegère to Le Buet

1. (pink) Col de la Floria. Skinning straight up from the Index chair lift and boot packing the last bit over the ridge (1-1.5h). The ski down the north face is rather steep (about 45 degrees) and in some places a bit exposed. This year the snow cover is good and skiing straight down the north couloir is obvious. Best is to continue down to the valley floor and hike up straight towards Col de Bérarde (another hour) or the Keyhole, but it is also possible to join the second part of the Crouches-Bérarde traverse.

Per-Gunnar and team Norway coming over Col de Crochues.

2. (dark blue) Crochues-Bérard. It is the biggest classic and most mellow of these ski tours. First hike starts from the little téleski continuing up to the right of the top station of the Index. On skins first, then a short boot pack up to Col de Crochues. The following, long traverse under Aiguille du Belvedère, is skied before putting on the skins ones again going over Col de Berarde. This long traverse is exposed to avalanche paths from the slopes above. The skiing down to Buet is cruising on open slopes, perfectly steep for playful powder skiing. 4-5 hour in total.

3. (light blue) Keyhole. A variation of Crochues-Bérarde, ascending the ridge left of Col de Bérarde. It takes about 1 hour to reach the ridge, which you cross over through a narrow rocky passage (nicknamed the Keyhole).

Wolfgang on the summit of Glacier du Mort

4. (orange) Glacier du Mort. This route also starting by passing over Col de Crochues but re-ascending right of (before reaching) Col de Bérade after traversing below Aig. du Belvedère. The long boot pack (1-2 hours) goes straight up a south facing couloir, then following the summit ridge to the right towards Pointe Alphonse Favre. Skiing 35 degree steep snow fields (with some rock bands present) down to the valley floor of Vallon de Bérade.

Coming up to Lac Blanc with the panorama of Mt Blanc behind.

5. (red) Col de Belvedère. By not hiking up straight from the little téleski (right of the top of the Index), but traversing further right, below the first rock ridge, we reach Lac Blanc after a small hike. Col de Belvedère is the col straight across the lake, on the top of the large south facing bowl (which also is a very nice ski, should you choose to turn around at the col). Skiing down the north face, the first 100m is 50-45 degrees. Unless snow cover is really good, a small rock band is present below, which you pass skiers-left and then ski more moderately steep slopes down to the Vallon de Bèrarde.

Jonas skinning up above Lac Blanc towards Combe de Beaugeant.

6. (green) Col de Beugeant. Also from Lac Blanc, but ascending right of the lake towards the next large bowl (Combe the Beaugeant). Certain passages can be exposed to avalanches in case of wind deposited snow. Before reaching the top of the bowl, a small traverse to the left on rocky ledges leads to Col de Beaugeant. The traverse is about 100m of a bit exposed climbing on rock/snow. The first steep part on the north side (possibly a cornice) can often be skied from the top, but there is a 10m fixed rope to hold on to should down-climbing be necessary.

Skiing down Vallon de Bérade where all the ski tours eventually join.

The saying goes that one sporty fellow has done this ski tour 500 times, up to 3 times per day. Don’t ask me why… but we agree that it is great route; only one 900m vertical ascent awarded with 1600m vertical of skiing.

By traversing right after the first 100m of skiing it is also possible to pass though col de l’Encrenaz and ski straight down towards Col des Montets.

More info…

- The complete guide book of ski touring in the Mont Blanc massif and Aiguilles Rouges by Anselme Baud.
- Guided ski touring in Chamonix.

Skiing off Croix des Prelayes

As usual there has been a great deal of good off-piste skiing in Chamonix the last 2 weeks. After a long time of cold temperatures and light snow we got warm and unstable weather during week 8. Just when the winter fleeces were about to be stached away we got hit by the biggest storm of the year on the 26th of Feb – it just would not stop snowing! Warm and variable weather with regular snow falls and strong winds seams to follow in the footsteps of the big dump… keeping powder skiing on its peak and avalanche danger high.

Ski Touring

Wolfgang charging towards Col de Forclax

When it was still cold we went to explore the mountains on the Swiss boarder, well away from the lift systems, but kind of between Le Tour and Champex. Skinning up from Col de Forclax we skied from the white peak called Croix de Prélayes. We found this a very pleasant area to ski tour in, with a lot of opportunities for fun descents. Having the mountain to ourselves set up for a good photo session in the beautiful afternoon light.

This was the last day of skiing in super light powder and glittery surface frost for a while. These layers of cold and loose snow did cause the warmer, heavier snow that fell on top to settle quite badly some places. Be sure to know the level of avalanche danger before heading off-piste or planning a ski tour in the back country. More about judging snow stability in An Introduction to avalanches.

Skinning towards Aig. des Houches

Another ski tour in the backcountry of Chamonix this week was hiking to Aguillette des Houches from Brevent. This is a good ski tour for beginners. Both the north and south face of the peak can be skied, and the snow cover stretches all the way down to the train station in Les Houches.

St Anton Off-Piste Week

Marius spraying the powder in Zurs, St Anton

Wolfgang guided off-piste skiing in St Anton week 8. Starting off with lots of fresh snow, followed by numerous smaller snowfalls made it possible to find fresh powder every day. In addition to the massive amount of skiing, they had of course plenty of heavy austrian mountain food and excellent beer in the company of friendly, happy people. Our guests during the week were three different groups of really good skiers from Norway, Sweden, France and Australia, who simply wanted to get the most out of their ski days in the Arlberg. Their level of skiing and high motivation allowed a lot of wild and fun skiing. Check out the photo galleies: St Anton Off-piste Skiing, 21st Feb and Off-piste skiing in the Arlberg, 27th Feb.

Pierre skiing from Trittkopf, Zurs, St Anton

Chamonix Skiing

Meanwhile, the many visiting free riders in Chamonix spread out all over the valley since the snow was good more or less everywhere during these warm days of alternating sunshine and snow showers, keeping the queues small. Grands Montets has probably been the most popular lift system (for good reasons); being high enough to escape the rain and offering large open off-piste areas straight off the lifts. Here a pre-booking system is applied to the top-lift. You can reserve your bin at Compagnie du Mt Blanc on busy holiday weeks.

We also got the opportunity to ski the runs on the west side of Aiguille du Midi in great conditions. These are serious runs (only for expert skiers and ski mountaineers), sometimes involving a few rappels, 45 degrees steep and exposed skiing, as well as glaciers. Never getting used to the stunning scenery, you keep falling in love with the Chamonix mountains every time you ski there.

35cm of snow on 2000m and 100cm on Aig. du Midi just over night, plus gale force wind up high, and continuously heavy snowfalls all day on the 26th of Feb caused most lifts to stay closed in Chamonix and in Courmayeur. This day we skied deep snow on the lower parts of the Helbronner.

Successively the avalanche risk was put up to 4 on the European scale and the clear day to follow was a delicate challenge.
No need to say there was plenty of powder for everyone, but to be skied with great care! We went back to Italy due to strong winds in Chamonix and skied the loose wind-protected powder in the trees in Courmayeur.

It is 8pm Saturday evening… föhn winds up to 130km/h has been warned for together with rain showers tonight. It is as still completely silent outside though, the whole valley holding its breath in the calm before the next storm…

Weather

As a guiding company and passionate off-piste skiers, a daily task is to stay updated on the weather forecasts and track the constantly changing snowpack, in order to be able to ski the best snow in high safety. It really is a 24h job! The best way is of course to be out in the mountains every day observing. Luckily we are a great team of competent people traveling the surrounding peaks and slopes, and we also have some good tools to help us.

Some useful information is:
- Our Chamonix Weather page, where we have a small collection of webcams and links to various weather forecasts the we use.
- The most detailed weather forecast we get from Metéo France by calling +33892680274 (pressing 1 for Haute Savoie and Haute Valle d’Aoste). It includes temperatures, cloudiness and winds on various levels of altitude. It is updated at around 07.30, noon, and 17.30. The number for the detailed avalanche report is +33892681020. All this in French though.
- Chamonix.com updates the Chamonix weather forecast in english at about 08.30 and sometimes 17.30. They also update road conditions and give a basic snow report.
- Compagnie du Mt Blanc where you find information of winds, depth of last snowfall, and lift status in all of the Chamonix lift systems. Updated every morning at least.
- We also use SnowForecast.com giving us an idea about where the snow will be falling…

Enjoy the mountains!

Get the most out of you ski day and ski safely in the off-piste with Chamonix ski guide and mountain guide team.

Deep powder skiing in Courmayeur

Kicking off February with a massive dump on both sides of the Mt Blanc mountain range – we got epic conditions for powder skiing! For 2 weeks now we have had amazing off-piste skiing in the Chamonix valley and our neighboring resorts in Switzerland and Italy.

Getting about 60cm of snow 4th-5th, we hit the trees in Courmayeur while it was dumping. The steep couliors and playful forest terrain there is perfect to ski on bad visibility days when is it snowing hard. I think the photo gallery from tree skiing in Courmayeur 5 Feb says it all…

The sunny days to follow opened up off-piste skiing in the high mountains and the possibilities to venture further away from the lift systems.

Punta Helbronner

First tracks on Glacier de Toule

The lift from the Italian side of Mt Blanc up to Punta Helbronner gives us access to so much skiing on wide, open glaciers as well as steeper faces and couloirs (I know we have mentioned this before, but we just love the place). Fast and easy access from the cable car enables a few laps of 1500-2500m vertical before the sun warms up these south facing slopes in the afternoon.

Optional entrance couloir to Glacier de Toule

The calm ambience here on the “other side” of the Vallee Blanche is a nice get away from the powder-race in Chamonix. The last little bin to the summit, taking only 8 persons, is more than enough to handle all its visitors – never any queuing. Coming up in the morning looking out over a perfectly smoth, untracked Glacier de Toule is like standing on a deserted island looking out over a calm sea. Just that the the sea is white and tilted 30-35 degrees. Then your pulse rises to about 180 and the legs starts trembling with excitement and impatience to conquer the lines in front of you. A very nice feeling.

Nice spines lower down on the Marbree

You really don’t need that doppio cappuccino to speed you up on days like this, but you have it anyway because it is just too good. After all we are in Italy, which makes it obligatory to enjoy the taste of food and coffee made with love. We return the next day to ski some more lines that need an extra day to settle to be safe to ski, such as the Marbree and Aiguille d’Entrève.

Le Tour

Classic powder turns in Le Tour

Mean while Wolfgang and our Belgian guests took it away in Le Tour. Being good skiers they really demostrated the joy of doing perfectly symmetric powder turns, leaving 3 beautiful tracks on kilometers of glittery white slopes. Knowing this non-obvious off-piste paradise very well, we can ski long, interesting runs in untracked powder for many days after the last snow fall. On the 6th it was extraordinary conditions (even for very spoiled locals like us), but Le Tour has probably been our favorite place to ski during these whole two weeks. Crossing the border ridges and skiing into Switzerland, landing in various charming mountain villages, adds an extra touch of adventure to the ski day.

Cold winter powder skiing in Le Tour

15cm of light snow, falling on the 10th, and very cold temperatures refreshed the winter landscape ones again. That bit of light snow on a still soft base gave us a few more amazing ski days in Le Tour on the 11-13 of February. Right now, despite having way to cold toes most of the time, I wish the spring will never come…

Vallee Blanche

Glacier skiing on the Vallee Blanche

Many of our guests have had the chance to ski the Vallee Blanche, “the most panoramic off-piste run in the world”, thanks to the clear weather days. Seriously deep powder we had on the 7th, but really, with or without powder conditions the Vallee Blanche is a wonderful experience. The spectacular mountain and glacier scenery alone is a reason to go there, you do not find it anywhere else.

Champex

Champex is tiny resort in Switzerland, just 1 hours drive from Chamonix. Despite having only two chair lifts it is well worth visiting. Skiing there on a bad visibility day we checked out the tree skiing. In places the forest is pretty steep and we had lots of fun. Champex-Lac, being a stop on the classic Haute Route on skis (Chamonix to Zermatt) also offers good ski touring possibilites. We will be back to try it out when the sun is shining. But week 6 the conditions were just too good for ski touring in Chamonix, so we did not bother to do the drive again.

Ski Touring to Glacier Berons

Boot packing towards Point des Berons

On the 13th we climbed to Point de Grands to ski the sheltered Glacier des Berons, which we suspected was spared from the wind that had affected many other north facing slopes the day before. Rightly we found 1800m vertical of soft powder, all the way down to Trient in Switzerland.

Skinning to Croix des Berons

The tour invloves both skinning and climbing with the skis on you backpack. The 200m boot-pack in 1m deep sugary snow was a real endurance and patience test, like walking 2 hours in quicksand. Luckily we had strong mentality and good teamwork in our Swedish group of 5.

Another 800m up on skins. Skiing down on shaky legs we surely had deserved every one of those nice turns! (Photo gallery to come on our webpage)

More…

- Guided off-piste skiing in Chamonix
- Guided ski touring around Chamonix
- More photo galleries from off-piste skiing and ski touring adventures
- Slik Images also posted some really creative boarding photos this week.

We would like to accknowledge and welcome our newest parter, Kask Of Sweden, having taken the role as our goggles and beanies sponsor. Sharing with the Kask team a good friendship and a great passion for skiing, we have the opportunity to represent not only the brand but a whole lifestyle – living life to the full, staying creative and free in the mountains.

The Kask products posses both functionality, style and uniqueness. Comfortable hats and clothing to wear for skiing as well as after skiing (which means more or less at all times for us).

So from now on you will see us wearing odd-looking swedish handicraft on our heads, stylish mask goggles and smart looking hoodies and sweaters.

Gear Test

We took the googles out for a serious fog-test. A full day of deep powder skiing in the trees in Courmayeur (see photo gallery: Powder skiing in Courmayeur 5 Feb) . Snow was falling heavily all day, and there was plenty of sweat, happy tears, and tumbling in the snow involved. Our extra pairs of googles stayed in the back pack. Conclusion: Kask goggles stay fog-free!

The beanies are smooth and non-itching and have a tight fit around the ears that last. Thus the hat always stays on (except for the high one that was taken off by low branches in one tight-fit tree passage).

About Kask

Founded by professional free skiers Kaj Zackrisson and Sverre Liliequist.
As the word spread about their talent for crocheting, and their homemade ski beanies became seriously sought-after, they found a way of sharing their handicraft with skiers all over the world. While outsourcing the production they have kept their own personal design, and the collection can be seen on their website: www.kaskofsweden.com. They spread not only “well fitting garment to wear with pride”, but also the mentality of free skiing – to “live a little”.

Freeride Wold Tour in Chamonix. Photo from www.KaskOfSweden.com

But Kask do a whole lot more than keeping our heads warm and our visibility clear when we are skiing. Their blog keeps us updated on events in the free ride world; adventurous travels to mountains everywhere between the two poles of the earth, snow conditions all over the Alps, recent photos and ski movies… Kaj and Sverre are also showing off on the Freeride World Tour competitions year after year. Last week we had the guys in town for the Nissan Freeride de Chamonix Mont Blanc, as well as the Nissan Russian Adventure by Swatch (postponed after bad weather conditions in Sochi). Both of them were charging, and Kaj made one podium.

On top of entertaining and inspiring ski lovers, Kask supports the preservation of our planet. They contribute to the conservation of our nature through the World Wide Fund and the care taking of abandoned children by financial aid to SOS Children’s Villages.

Many thanks to the Kask team. Keep on rocking in the World Tour!

Hiking from Tete de Balme, Le Tour, Chamonix

No we didn’t stop skiing! In fact the skiing has been so good that there has not been much time to keep you updated on the blog. The last two weeks have been a mix of off-piste skiing from the lifts, ski touring, heli-skiing and traveling.

As usual we are talking about serious off-piste terrain where you should not venture without extensive knowledge about avalanche safety, glacier safety, route finding skills and up to date local weather and snow condition information.

St Anton the Arlberg

Skiing from Trittkopf, the Arlberg

Wolfgang made a trip to Austria for a guided off-piste week in St Anton. Week 3 was all sunny in the Arlberg and our Austrian team did a lot of inventive and creative little hikes and ski tours to find fresh snow. Luckily we know a few very secret spots that could be tracked with style, like in the old days… Wolfgang came home to Chamonix with the car full of locally produced sausages, honey, bread and wine – many thanks to the lovely Jazbinsek family + team!

Chamonix

Skiing Petit Envers du Plan, Aig. du Midi

In Chamonix the snow kept falling with regular intervalls and the areas that had weak snow cover before filled in better, including the tree skiing in Le Tour and the Vallee Blanche. Now we ski from all lift systems all the way down to the valley floor. This means we are enjoying the short-lived season of skiing the couloirs top to bottom in Flegère and Brevent, as well as the trees of Près de Rocher from Aiguille du Midi mid station.

As crevasses have also filled in better we are now happy to guide skiers on any variation of Vallee Blanche.

Le Tour

Skiing in Le Tour, Chamonix

Le Tour, offering family and beginners piste skiing on the front side, has big mountain off-piste characteristics on its backside towards Vallorcine and Switzerland. Here we ski big open bowls, narrow couloirs and spines with perfectly spaced trees. Off piste skiing in Le Tour involves a large, wide spread area that can be difficult to navigate and often the avalanche risk is high. Very dangerous terrain is easily reached from the lifts and the accidents are frequent here. But on a good day in Le Tour you have the possibility to ski first tracks all day in interesting and variable terrain.

Ski Touring

Pick-nick on the top of Col de Passon

The ski touring season also begun for real. Tours in the Aiguille Rouges and the Argentiere basin have now been tracked a few times, and have thus become safer avalanche wise. On sunny days, a few days after the last snow fall, we have been making a lot of powder turns from the Aiguilles Rouges ridge down to Buet, and tracked the Tour Glacier via Col de Passon.

Ski Touring Col de Passon

By taking the lifts to start with, just a few hours of skinning and maybe a bit of boot packing, take us over from one mountain range to another. We ski thousands of vertical meters into hidden valleys, unreachable from the resorts without touring equipment. The amounts of day-climbs to do around Chamonix is practically unlimited and therefore new adventures and fresh tracks can always be made!

Heli Ski Touring

Heli-ski-touring Plateau de Trient

In the end of January we did one day of guided heli skiing and touring with a group of Norwegian advanced off-pitse skiers. The day consisted of a helicopter lift to Plateau de Trient, 40 min of skinning, followed by the long descent of Glacier de Brun. A big adventurous day doing first tracks on the glacier.

More info:
- Guided off-piste skiing in Chamonix
- Guided ski touring in the Mont Blanc massif
- All-inclusive off-piste holiday in St Anton
- Photo galleries from off-piste skiing, ski touring and heli skiing in Chamonix and St Anton