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In mid March Clayton and Jason, two Kiwi boys I met in Banff, came over for a couple of weeks. They couldn't really have timed it better - with some good snow coming before and during their stay.
The boys were keen to check out what the Aiguille du Midi had to offer - a reasonably big queue... |
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Actually, the wait wasn't too long and it was soon time to play sardines. Thanks to the boys for some of these photos.
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Waiting at the mid station for the second stage car to come in. Always interesting at the mid station - spying out climbing routes, wondering where ski tracks are heading or coming from and how old is this lift now? |
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The boys up on the viewing platform at the top station with Les Trois Mont Blanc behind - left to right - Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mon Maudit and Mont Blanc itself.
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Looking down into the valley and the Aiguilles Rouge behind - plenty of snow around. |
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Clayton at the bottom of the Arrete - always interesting battling with the punters as they slip-slide their way down hanging on to the guide ropes... |
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Have axe, will play. Jason and Clayton practicing a bit of self arresting. |
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Once I'd got the boys concentrating on the job in hand it was time to make some turns. Rather than hunting for freshies, it was more a day for taking in the scenery and following a cruisey route out. |
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Having said that, we found a couple of nice pitches on the way down - Jason enjoying one with an impressive chunk of glacier looking on. |
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Jason at the end of the most sustained section of reasonable snow we encountered. |
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For the look of the thing... To be fair, the boys did need the poles a couple of times. We're now on the Mer de Glace and the last kilometres of flatish cruising. |
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I thought the boys would enjoy heading off the Mer de Glace through the ice cave - early in the season Tom and I had just about skied in here - bit tighter entry now! |
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Unfortunately we got in the cave to find a couple of guided groups tentatively side slipping the exit hanging on to a rope and generally adding to the icey, bumpy mess made of the line out by earlier groups. So it was back out and a less funky exit. |
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Where did you lot come from?! At various points skiing down from the Midi there are funnel points - the last being the boot pack out to the final track back down to town. Hitting the crowds always helps me appreciate being able to find relatively quiet routes for the main parts of the descent. |
