Midi - Hellbronner traverse 24-08-08

[Idris]

In an effort to keep my turns all year intact and retrieve my ski gear I headed for Chamonix last weekend.

Chamonix is if full swing building mode. A new Midi tram station and opposite a new Brevent access gondola.



Summer has really taken its toll on the snowpack



With everyone else was in Climbing mode. So I chose a well traveled route to solo. No heroics here. I cramponed my way down the Arette on the Aiguille du Midi (yes this is straight out the door of the tram) rather than my more usual ski out the gate.



Looking back at the tram station



The view downwards a few hours later to give an idea of exposure



My first few turns, with Chamonix only 9000 feet below



Before turning south and heading towards Italy. On the south face I was glad of plenty of edge control, skiing 45 degree slope above a gaping bergshrund (uppermost crevasse on a glacier).

Very nearby, way too close for comfort was the aftermath of a terrible avalanche earlier that morning on the slope of Mont Blanc du Tacul. All said and done 35+ injured and 8+ dead. When i passed by they were in body recovery mode. They quickly gave up due to the danger of more avalanches. The red line is the crown wall. The slope is some 800m (2600ft) vertical.



Nice mellow turns following what is the winter Vallee Blanche. There were a few crevasse crossings to be careful on but I figured that at standstill I have less than one fifth the ground pressure of someone on foot and far less than that whilst moving, even slowly.

Skins on where the glacier turns and off up towards some of the best coffee in the alps



Wandering my way up through the crevasses and seracs I passed many a bemused mountaineer. Yes it was August, but skis sink less than boots and crampons. And as the morning more on this became more apparent.

It's whats above that bothers me more, sometimes.



On the upper part of the Glacier du Geant.



Punta Hellbronner. With the gondola (aerial tram) from the Aiguille du Midi. At the base of the rocks there were loads of tourists playing around on the snow. I think they were more surprised at me having skis than the fact they were home made.



The view into Italy



This is skiable in winter, straight down to the Glacier de Toule



My ride back to Cham, The Helbronner to Midi Gondola, following the route I just skied.

[Meathelmet]

Mmmm...snow...



Thx for the cham stoke,allways appreciated!

[skibum00]

Looks amazing, everything looks like its off a postcard. Well done thanks for the stoke!!!

[Artie Fufkin]

Nice TR! Sweet August turns stoke.

[cinnepa]

absolutley stunning ....proud to throw my 1,000th post to you.

[hutash]

Very nice! I don't know if Cham is more beautiful summer or winter, but it is always stunning. thanks

[powdork]

i can't see any reason why there shouldn't be hundreds of people skiing.

[Mike Pow]

Legend.

Good work fella.

[burny]

very nice! thanks for the snowpics ...

[Tectonically_Neglected]

Good work on the snow but what a circus!

[verbier61]

aha!!! solid stuff like usual tom, well done!!
I wanted to get stoned last saturday, so I drove from verb to cham. When I finally was at the col du montet I had the whiteheat/whitelight I was looking for.

[Hicks]

Nice stoke again Tom.

[TWINS]

Wow..........Those pics are great,and the exposure made me pucker up.Thanks for my adrenaline fix this morning

[adimmen]

looks like a lot of fun

[mtcham]

Nice way to get your morning coffee!

[Scottish_Skier]

Nice to see what it looks like in summer...

Keeping the desk jockeys amused !

[skier666]

Outstanding pics yet again....

This pic is pretty gnardical....

I'm still kicking Str8line for not letting me hit up these snowless chutes to the glacier below from the Hellbronner...someday

[Mulletizer]

Nice. How did you manage to take a picture of yourself skiing on a solo tour? Self timer?

[kailas]

so skier 666 you let people tell u where to ski? How interesting.

[Idris]

Nice. How did you manage to take a picture of yourself skiing on a solo tour? Self timer?

Got an climber to take pics, the walked back up to get camera.