Its ski-touring time!
The high pressure has been giving us some beautiful sunny days, sometimes some fog low down in the valley, with cool but not too cold temperatures in the mountains, and nice smooth snow conditions inbounds.There are a lot less people around the Chamonix valley this week, as a lot of the New Years crowds have left.
On Saturday I went up to the Aiguille du Midi to have a look at the view, and it was a good choice because the fog lingered around town all day, and it was bright and fresh up high. The views from there are always imressive, looking out over 3 countries, countless peaks, and Mont Blanc towering above. There were a few people heading out to ski the Vallee Blanche, though it is still pretty early conditions for the glaciers. The ridge is starting to be equipped with a rope down the last few days, so go find a guide and get up there - it is worth a guided trip for a great day out.
On Sunday I went ski touring with a couple of ski buddies, in the Aiguilles Rouges, behind the Flegere ski area. We took the Crochues-Berard traverse route, probably the most popular ski tour in the area, and a great day trip, again one to do with a guide. The climbing conditions were fantastic, with a nicely settled snowpack, and the skiing was pretty good - tracked, but soft all the way down to the ski trail out to the Buet village. The avalanche danger is a bit lower than last week, but there are still some wind slabs out there, with weak layers underneath the recent snow. It looks like the sunshine will continue for a while longer, too.
Video from the Aiguille du Midi and the Aiguilles Rouges:
