Version Française Yan RAULET, Chamonix
+33 (0) 612 22 04 82
+33 (0) 612 22 04 82
Header...
double-click to add content
Gouter ridgeHeader...
double-click to add content
130 times on Mont Blanc in 20 yearsHeader...
3-07-2008- Good conditions à Chamonix for all the ascents: glacier travel, 4000, rock climbing in the valley and in the high mountains. We have summited Mont Blanc on the Cosmiques route with the descent on the Gouter Ridge this week, some climbing in the Aiguilles Rouges and the traverse of the Vallée Blanche.
12-05-2008- Very good weather. Much snow. The conditions are excellent in Chamonix. Sunday, 50 skiers have summited Mont Blanc, a few of them have descended the north face. The Vallée Blanche is in good conditions but there is one hour walking up to the railway station because the gondola is closed. The train of the Mer de Glace, the Aiguille du Midi, the italian cable car are still opened. This is the beginning of the summer season for rock climbing, glacier travel and mountaineering even it will be possible to ski in altitude until the end of may.
4-05-2008- Until 11 may, the 2nd consecutive day of unlimited pass costs 1 euro!!! Nice weather for the week-end. Much snow in the mountains. The conditions are excellent in Chamonix. A few skiers have summited Mont Blanc today. Grands Montets glacier and the Vallée Blanche are in good conditions.The Flégére is open until 4 may, the Grands Montets until 11 may, Aiguille du Midi cable car don't close and theVallée Blanche will be good until at least end of may.
24-04-2008- Nice weather for the week-end. Still much snow in the mountains. The ski conditions are excellent in the Chamonix Mont Blanc valley. Grands Montets glacier and theVallée Blanche in good conditions. Brévent and Tour-Balme will be open until 27 april, theFlégére until 4 may, the Grands Montets until 11 may, Aiguille du Midi cable car don't close and theVallée Blanche will be good until at least middle of may.
13-04-2008-The snow is still very good in the Chamonix Mont Blanc mountains. The conditions are excellent and there is much snow above 1500 meters in the valley. The glaciers of the Grands Montets and of the Vallee Blanche are very well covered by snow.Header...
26/03/2008- The snow is stable, excellent in the Vallee Blanche, cold today and a bit windy in the Grand Envers and in the Gros Rognon. Descent to Chamonix to the valley and from any resorts possible. The snow is cold and light , powder: the best conditions for this winter
24/03/2008- Off-pist skiing in the forest the last 2 days. The snow is more stabilized and the snow conditions were exceptionnal today in the Vallee Blanche, very good on the Grand Envers and the Gros Rognon. It's possible to descent to Chamonix all way down. And down to the bottom of the valley from any resort in Chamonix.Header...
21/03/2008 - At 9.30, already 20 cm of new snow in Chamonix Mont Blanc and this is just the beginning . Excellent powder snow. The highest lifts like the Vallée Blanche and the Grands Montets will be probably closed for the easter week-end.
At 15.00, 50 cm of snow abd it it's still snowing permanently. It will be highly recommanded to choose the safest spots like some forest in Megeve, les Houches or Courmayeur.
At 20.00, 70 cm in the garden, the resorts and lthe pass to Switzerland have been shut progressively today.The avalanche risk is high, more than a meter on the top of the lifts. Tomorrow it will be possible to ski just in les Houches, Courmayeur and Megéve Saint Gervais.
20/03/2008 - Very good weather today: good conditions and sun in the mont blanc range. Excellent snow and very good off piste in the Vallée Blanche and the Grands Montets. Big snowfalls for the easter week-end.
18/03/2008 Good snow conditions and sun in the mont blanc range. Light fresh snow and very good off piste in the Vallée Blanche and the Grands Montets. Take care; it was windy last days and there are a few windslabs
6/03/2008 - Sun, cold and light wind in the mont blanc range. Good and light fresh snow and very good off piste in the Vallée Blanche and the Grands Montets. The snow is soft in all the Chamonix valley.
5/03/2008 This morning the weather forecast was wrong in the Mont Blanc Valley: 40 cm of light and fresh snowfall in the Vallee Blanche. Nobody, no wind and sunny day in the mountains.
2/03/2008 Finally a good fresh snowfall on Mont Blanc above 2000 meters. Really good turns and the snow was flying today in the Vallee Blanche. The Italian side of mont Blanc is good now. The winter is coming back again like often in marth and aprilHeader...
26/02/2008 Ski touring from Tour Balme: powdersnow and super conditions at the descent of the Bron glacier to the village of Trient in Switzerland.
25/02/2008 Very good off piste skiing on glacier at Grands Montets ( excellent cold snow) and superb conditions in the Vallée Blanche. Click for the gallery
24/02/2008 Still fresh snow at Aiguille du Midi and super conditions in the True Vallée Blanche. Descent to Chamonix Mont Blanc by train. Click for the galleryHeader...
22/02/2008 10 cm of fresh snow at Aiguille du Midi and super conditions in the Vallée Blanche on 'Envers du Plan Glacier. Descent to Chamonix Mont Blanc by train. Click for the gallery
21/02/2008 10 cm de fresh snow at the Aiguille du Midi and superb conditions in the Vallée Blanche. Descent to Chamonix Mont Blanc by train. Click for the gallery
19/02/2008 Marvelous ski touring in the Aiguilles Rouges. Good powder snow on the north side and excellent springsnow on the south side in front of Mont Blanc. Click for the GalleryHeader...
18/02/2008 Excellent cold snow on the top of Aiguille du Midi. The Gros Rognon and the Envers du Plan are marvelous. Click for gallery
17/02/2008 Excellent cold snow on the top of Aiguille du Midi. The Petit Envers du Plan is marvelous
16/02/2008 Excellent cold snow on the top of Aiguille du Midi. The true Vallee Blanche and the Envers du Plan are marvelous. Click for gallery
15/02/2008 Good cold snow on the top of Aiguille du Midi and coming back to Chamonix by train All the variants of the Vallée Blanche are nice with quite easy snowHeader...
13/02/2008 Good springsnow skiing at Toula glacier on the italian side of Mont Blanc and coming back to Chamonix son the side Vallée Blanche by the bowl of the black virgin in cold snow. Click for gallery.
Header...
12/02/2008 Ski touring in Chamonix Mont Blanc at the Aiguilles Rouges: quite good snow. Click for gallery
Header...
11-02-2008 Still powder snow on the 2 descents of the Vallee Blanche, variant of the Envers du Plan and the true Vallee Blanche: top conditions. Click for gallery
10-02-2008 Still powder snow on the 2 descents of the Vallee Blanche, variant of the Envers du Plan and the true Vallee Blanche: top conditions. A superb gallery in the guide-news page. Click for galleryHeader...
9-02-2008 Combination on snowboard: Toula Glacier on the italian side of Mont Blanc Glacier of the Black Virgin on the Vallee Blanche side down to Chamonix: excellent conditions. Click for gallery
Header...
8-02-2008 Combination on snowboard: Envers du Plan at the Vallée Blanche and Argentière glacier at Grands Montets: very good conditions. Click for gallery
Header...
7-02-2008 Very good conditions on the classic routes of the Vallée Blanche, at Grands Montets in the Pas de Chèvre and good ski touring in Italy. I was raining yesterday below 1800 meters.
5-02-2008 2 Glaciers of Toula the descent of the black virgin. Fantastic Off-Piste on the italian side of Mont Blanc and in the Vallée Blanche from Courmayeur to Chamonix.
Click for galleryHeader...
4-02-2008 Snowfall at Chamonix: be careful, the wind has blown. The off piste will require prudence the next days: risk of windslabs. Choose well your descents.
Header...
3-02-2008 Strong wind at Aiguille du Midi and snow accumulations: be careful. Choose well your slopes the next days and be prudent: possibility of windslabs.
Header...
2-02-2008 Exceptionnal snow at Aiguille du Midi, fresh very light up to the knees. Courmayeur and Toula glacier excellent too. The Grands Montets will open tomorrow Click for gallery
1-02-2008 Very good skiing and nice weather at Courmayeur on the italian side of Mont Blanc, some snow this night, we will attempt the descent of the Vallee Blanche tomorrow.
31-01-2008 Grands Montets: very good cold snow. Top conditions , skiing down to Argentière, the Vallée Blanche is excellent like all the Chamonix Mont Blanc Valley. Click for galleryHeader...
29-01-2008 Grands Montets, ski touring at col d'Argentière, good snow and some powder, all alone in the mountains. Top conditions , descent on skis to the Valley.
Click for galleryHeader...
28-01-2008 Aiguille du Midi, descent of the petit envers du Plan. The snow is good, cold and compact. very few people in the Vallée Blanche. Top and easy conditions. Descent by train. Tomorrow, probably ski touring at the col du Tour Noir from Grands Montets in the Argentière circus.
The guide in action
27-01-2008 Aiguille du Midi, descent of petit envers du Plan, more people in the classic Vallee Blanche. The snow is good, cold and compact . The off piste skiing conditions are good and quite easy, but however some riders are waiting for the next snowfall. Descent by train because the arrival in Chamonix is a bit icy.Header...
26-01-2008 Snowboard today at Chamonix, 2 descents of the variants of the Vallée Blanche. Some powder on the top then cold tracked and easy snow . Descent by train for riding only on good snow.
Header...
25-01-2008 Still good conditions in Chamonix at Grands Montets, the Vallée Blanche and Italian side of Mont Blanc. The powder is rare now but we find good and long sections in the secret spots like this one.
20-01-2008 Very good conditions in Chamonix this week-end: people on ski Touring in the "Aiguilles Rouges", off piste skiing in the Grands Montets,Vallée Blanche, le Tour and Italian side of Mont Blanc: Courmayeur, la Thuile, Toula Glacier and Marbrées couloir. Tomorrow snowfalls in the range of Mont Blanc (20 cm). Avalanche risk 2
19-01-2008 Summary of the season: we have begun early this year even we've had to be prudent like always with the first unstable snowfalls of the winter because of the possible slippery basement of the snowpack and because of the bad grains of snow due to the cold: the bearings.
The avalanchous situations have been quite easy to manage, it was realistic to stay at home or on piste when the temperature was hotter january 3rd, 4th and 7th and to descent reasonable routes after the notable snowfalls..
Some crests have been very windblown; rain 2 or 3 times up to jusqu'à 2000 meters and there are some places where the snow is icy when it's cold.
The snow pack is consequent for january, but like always at this time, take care on glacier because the bridges on the crevasses are made by cold snow and they will get bigger and stronger later this season. Some very good days, a few exceptionnal descents: winter 2008 starts well.
A bit more snow on the italian side of Mont Blanc. The difference is not big, when the wind from south (the famous foehn) was blowing they have had heavy snowfalls. 1 ou 2 snowfalls more and we will have the same snow level in Chamonix.Header...
18-01-2008 Mythic combination couloir rectiligne at Grands Montets and col du Plan in the Vallée Blanche. Technical off piste skiing with some commitment. Beautiful atmosphére and good snow.
This beginning of season, I've been frequently with good boarders and skiers, a bit by accident because I enjoy myself with off piste beginners and intermediate levels. The essential is sharing good whiles with a few partners in the mountain.
Definitively I like to open the gates of the mountains to everybody and i'm not and don't want to be an extreme mountain guide: this is even the contrary: I turn only to the right and to the left.
</