Aiguille du Midi ~ Chamonix
Mont Blanc (4810m)
Les Grandes Jorasses (4208m) in the background, with Le Grand Dent in the distant right corner.
Me getting blown away at the top of the Grand Montets cable car
Katie with the Argentiere hut in the background
Le Col du Chardonnet, we ascended this and then across the Rognons glacier
This section is at the southernmost end of the Rognons glacier
This is looking back down at the Col du Tour Noir (3535 m), Aiguille de l'A Neuve Tour Noir (Glacier des Amythystes)
Biquette - guide extraordinaire
The Trient glacier from Fenêtre de Saleinaz
Katie on the Trient heading towards Col des Ecandies
Biquette and I, just prior to the descent into Val d’Arpette & Champex ~ it was a really nice long ski down with 2650m in vertical.
This is the Dix Hut (2928 m) on our approach from Col des Roux (2804 m), via the Pas du Chat... which would have been spicy even if it weren't dumping snow with crazy high winds.
Les Pignes d'Arolla (3796m) ~ we had intended to ascend les Pignes via Tsena Riefen glacier, but the high winds and snowfall dictated that we choose an alternate route.
Our 'alternate' route involved re-tracing our steps up this ladder ~ as if our first trip down it wasn't hair raising enough with the wind etc. I think the poor visibility our first time around made it seem less intimidating as I couldn't really see the bottom, and we were trying to hurry to get out of the storm.I took this picture on the up, from the 'fun' section ... about 3//4 of the way up, where the ladder abruptly ends, and you have to make a big step to the right on to the final section. I'm not sure exactly how high the ladder was - but the guide made mention of a measurement that i'm not sure my mom is interested in reading about:)
Monta Rosa from la Cabane a Dix
There was definitely no shortage of nice turns... fresh blower powder that made those French guides envious of my 'silly fat skis', that they mocked throughout the trip.
