Vallee Blanche
Punta Helbronner to Chamonix
All photographs
Copyright © Claus Guglberger
In March 1999 Marla and I
took trip to Courmayeur, Italy. We spent one of those days skiing the
Vallee Blanche (White Valley/Valley of Ice) which is a glacier that slowly
makes its way from Italy to Chamonix, France.
Though not difficult ski,
a guide is required, as there are many crevasses along the
route. No special equipment is needed and it can be skied with a
normal alpine setup. The tour seems to be designed for the
"weekend warrior" who wants a taste of the backcountry.
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The trip begins with a
cable car ride to the top of Punta Helbronner in Italy. From
there, we followed our guide, single file, into the Vallee Blanche.
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After
putting on our skis, we quickly descended into the Vallee Blanche,
leaving Punta Helbronner behind. |
Skiing
by a crevasse. Due to the amount of snow the area received there
weren't many to deal with. |
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Our
guide, Eddie, directs us around a crevasse and further into the
Vallee Blanche. |
Skiing through a crevasse. |
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Half-way
down, we break for lunch. Some skiers took this opportunity
to get a closer look at the glacier. |
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Two
ladies in our party get nervous upon coming face-to-face with the Vallee
Blanche. Eddie, our guide, turns on the Italian charm and coaxes
them down, allowing the significant others to enjoy the fresh snow
without interruption. |
Bottle-neck
in the Vallee Blanche. . . I bet some of the guides (and locals)
wished there were more crevasses. |
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Remember, you are
nothing ! |
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Even schlepping our
skies out the Vallee Blanche was fun.
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The end of the Vallee
Blanche.
We take a break and buy a beer before skiing to down to Chamonix.
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more skiing...
Mt. Overlook Trail, Catskills
Vermont
Snowboarding |
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