{"id":6695,"date":"2015-10-20T16:37:52","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T16:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.activeazur.com\/?page_id=6695"},"modified":"2024-01-15T14:38:23","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T14:38:23","slug":"vallee-blanche","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ultimatefrance.com\/skiing\/vallee-blanche","title":{"rendered":"The Vall\u00e9e Blanche Ski Descent in Chamonix"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Vall\u00e9e Blanche, for me, is what skiing is all about. If you\u2019re in Chamonix and you\u2019re a confident intermediate skier, this run is a must. It has everything; it\u2019s exciting, the views are amazing, it\u2019s challenging yet accessible, and although you\u2019re just a cable car ride from the centre of Chamonix, you get that backcountry expedition feel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of features it has every type of skiing you could possible want: steeps, ice, powder, couloir. You could do the Vall\u00e9e Blanche every single day for a week and never get bored. For most people it takes a full day to get down, and to really enjoy it you need to be quite fit, but honestly it provides most satisfying skiing I\u2019ve ever experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hiking
Hiking down to the start of the Vall\u00e9e Blanche from the Aiguille du Midi | \u00a9 Patrik Lindqvist<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vall\u00e9e Blanche overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Vall\u00e9e Blanche is a 23 km descent covering a massive 2800 m vertical drop from the Aiguille du Midi (3842 m) back to Chamonix<\/a> (1050 m). You can finish the run either at the Montenvers-Mer de Glace mountain railway terminus, or if there’s enough snow, you can ski all the way back down to Les Planards in Chamonix. Allow plenty of time. If you take regular breaks, the round trip from Chamonix takes from 4 to 6 hours and there can be a fair bit of waiting around, either at the Aiguille du Midi cable car or for the train back to Chamonix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How difficult is the Vall\u00e9e Blanche?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Vall\u00e9e<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If the weather and snow conditions are good, the Vall\u00e9e Blanche is accessible to intermediate skiers and advanced snowboarders. If visibility isn’t great, it’s foolish to attempt the descent. Besides the danger, you’ll miss out on some of the most spectacular scenery that the Mont Blanc massif has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skiers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The classic Vall\u00e9e Blanche route isn’t technically difficult and the run would be graded red if it was in a resort. If you’re a confident off-piste skier and you can control your speed and trajectory on steep gradient and varying snow conditions, you’ll be fine. However, it’s length means you do need to be physically fit and able to ski for a sustained period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snowboarders<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Snowboarding<\/a> will generally involve a more direct route to avoid flat sections on the upper part of the mountain. Typically that means you’ll take the Petit Envers du Plan route, which is a more difficult route than the classic ski run and requires the ability to ride an off-piste black. Make sure your board is waxed and your edges sharpened, as you’ll want as much glide as possible on flat sections, and you’ll want plenty of bite on steep icy sections. You’ll also need to bring a telescopic ski pole to help push along the Mer de Glace section towards the end of the route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kids<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Vall\u00e9e Blanche descent is not recommended for young kids, even if they’re very good skiers, mainly because of the cold and fatigue. Parents should make the call based on the snow and weather conditions, and the skiing ability and physical fitness of their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do you need a guide for the Vall\u00e9e Blanche?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Snowboarder Pete Murtagh and guide mid-way down the Vall\u00e9e Blanche | \u00a9 Ultimate France<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you and everyone in your party are very experienced backcountry skiers, then take a guide. You\u2019ll have way more fun with a guide and you are way less likely to die, both of which are important considerations. You’ll hear it said that the Vall\u00e9e Blanche is basically a 20 km red run, and it’s true that the classic route isn’t technically difficult, but those people are forgetting that this is high mountain off-piste skiing and hazards including avalanches, crevasses and rockfall are very real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your guide will know the terrain well, he or she will assess your ability within the first few hundred metres and tailor the route accordingly. An experienced guide will know every inch of the terrain and they’ll recognise when there’s been a shift in the ice and choose a new safer course. They’re also passionate about the mountains, and a good guide will happily do the geography teacher bit, if you’re interested. They’ll tell you about the ice structures, the movement of the glacier, the surrounding peaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A guide will cost about 75 \u20ac per person for a group of four. That’s a small price to pay for an experience that will stay with you forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Book a Vall\u00e9e Blanche ski guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our ski guiding partners in Chamonix use some of the best local UIAGM-qualified mountain guides with years of experience leading backcountry expeditions in the Mont Blanc range. You guide will draw on their professional experience and local knowledge to tailor the route to the ability of your group and the conditions on the day, enabling you to enjoy the magnificent scenery in safety. A Vall\u00e9e Blanche trip will cost about 300 \u20ac per group of 1-4 people. Take a guide, you’ll be safer and you’ll have a lot more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n