The Freaking......Aiguille du Midi, Nuff Said....

"Wait, so, this tram goes to the top of that, and then we ski off of it where?"

After little debate...., the "we have to do it" mantra rang true. We had a one day window in Chamonix to do what is a "must do" ski up on the Aiguille du Midi. So, we got a guide and set off for a 9,500 vertical foot, 4 hour long, epic run. Yep, a one run day. Here are the shots, grab a beer, or a cup of coffee, there are a lot of them!

People "walking" down the fixed rope line from the top to safer ground.

Rolfe, on the platform of the Aiguille, pumped to have just unloaded from what has to be the most famous ski lift in the world.

Mont Blanc in the background.

Why not throw a lift to the top of this insane ski paradise?
We quickly made a pact to return once again to ski in Chamonix, it's way to amazing to not.

Looking back toward the Grand Montets and out toward the Valle Blanch and Ronde where we would be descending. If you look out in the distance you can see little skiers making there way down.

Holy $%^# is right!

"Lizzy, pay attention, my life is connected to yours via this rope right now!"

Uncle Tim certainly got the "badass" award for the trip. 52 years really young, the So Cal surfer rallied like a champ!

"Umm, if I fall here will you tell my parents I loved them!"

Absolute top of the Midi with Mt. Blanc looming.

Chels, on safe ground and now able to crack a smile.

Looking back up toward the top of the Midi and the roped section we just descended. We got off the fixed rope and skied, and skied, and skied for one 4 hour long run. I mean damn...

The posse being lead by our Swiss guide Didier out into the depths of the Valle Ronde.

You know it Timbo, so stoked. Don't go left dude, stay the course.

The fixed line on the way down got a little backed up.

Timbo farming some French pow. Italy in the distance.

Still on the way down, as fired up as you can be!

Chels, pulling tail gunner with Lizzy and Timbo making their way down a fun coulior.

Rolfe making his way down to the Valle Blanche.

"Just follow me and don't go beyond my tracks, otherwise you might fall into a crevasse."

Three hours later, down to almost the bottom, we took a small gondola up to another summit and our guide found some low angle powder turns for us back to the town of Chamonix.

Looking back toward the valley we had skied down the day before with Marco.

We searched over logs, railroad tracks, and rocks to find untracked back to town!

We will be back Aiguille du Midi, you are like nothing else on the planet!

Back in the saddle

After a month away from sledding (Europe and a blown engine), I made up for lost time last weekend and rode all three days. It didn't snow much in JH while we were gone, but when you have a sled, good snow can always be found.

Drew, sidehilling up this drainage beyond Carmichael Creek that took us close to 3 hours to get up.

The crew, completely beat after spending an entire afternoon working our way up through the tight timber all the way from the valley floor that you see in the background of the picture.

"Yep, better get the saw out."

Dropping into a steep creek bed.

McGuyever would have been proud. Tim forgot to throw the gas cap back on his sled after filling up in town, so, once we got out to the trailhead, some mad science ensued.

Riding out the Gros Venture Road.

Tim and Drew sharing a meadow of goodness.

Hasn't snowed in close to three weeks, check......, 20 miles from the nearest paved road, check....., finding powder........check!

Drew ripping a fatty. Snowmobiling freaking rules.

Umm, I think the Garmisch fog followed us back to WY?

We Heart Cham

The "Grand Montet's" ski day of our week in Chamonix was one for the ages! It had snowed a couple of feet the day before at Brevent and been pretty socked in, but, boom, it got sunny, there was still tons of powder left over and it just so happened we planned to ski the most badass ski area in the valley that day!

The ubiquitous sunrise goggle shot from our front deck in Chamonix Center before catching the bus up valley to the Grand Montets.

No good day skiing in France should be started without a baguette. Lizzy sampling the goods.

The Grand Montets tram. This was the "mid station" between the valley floor and the summit,which can be seen way at the top of the frame. Insanity!

And......, the top! All of us felt pretty light headed going from the valley floor all the way to the top in a matter of a half hour. Chamonix is in the valley on the left side of the photo.

One damn happy camper!

Geeking out, hardly believing we are in France, there is a ton of fresh snow, the sun is out, damn... Jason, Lizzy, Chels, Me, Timbo.

Ok, obviously staged shot, but who cares, it was awesome! Me, looking down into the Les Pylones.

Timbo, all smiles, with the Aiguille du Midi and Chamonix in the background.

Seriously? Sorry mountains of N. America, we love you to death, it's not your fault you just didn't grow as big as your brethren accross the pond, but come on, look at the size of dem things!

Jason and Chels getting ready to tacke the Les Pylones.

We circled back under the Grand Montets tram. It's every bit as good as a helicopter!

Easily one of the bigger highlights of our trip was hooking up with Marco for an afternoon of trying in vain to keep up with him!

The two Sullivans, looking accross the valley toward Brevent, which is the ski area we had been at the day before in the epic storm.

The crew descending the steps and getting ready for a run down the Point de Vue.

Beauty is everywhere in France.

Chelsea, critiquing Marco's turns!

Lizzy, fumbling with her camera, while our greenhorn guide Marco points out things of interest to us. We ended up going down this epic run that had boot top deep pow for thousands and thousands of vertical.

Chels, the Aiguille du Midi and the Valley Blanche. Amazing.

We finally got down to the bottom of our epic run, where, we got to ski a previously un-named run. Now, it is called....."Lizzy's Leap."

"Umm, I'm not exactly sure if we should be going this way, everyone else has a guide, harnesses, and climbing tools. Nah, it will be ok, there are tracks going that way."

We skied all the way to almost the valley floor and got into the fog layer. Then, we had to do a little boot pack out. Which........was awesome, we all got to witness Jason hike! There you go Jh peeps, photo documentation that Rolfe actually does "hike."

Me, studying a crevase, stoked I didn't ski into it. Beautiful.

One of many things the Euro's do right......., little shacks all over the mountains selling beers. After a 2 hour long run and hike, why wouldn't you have a beer shack on top of the bootpack?