What if there was still good skiing at the Aiguille du Midi?
Go get the snow 2800m higher
If the Aiguille du midi and the famous descent of the Vallée Blanche are now essential in terms of off-piste skiing, the Aiguille du Midi project was initially to create the highest summer ski resort in Europe , with four ski lifts going up the white valley… The glacier was indeed the birthplace of these installations, but they quickly disappeared to give way to the wild mountain that we know today. This station is now only a distant memory, but the Aiguille du Midi cable car still allows you to climb to an altitude of 3,800 meters and therefore, for the most motivated and initiated, to put your skis on very late in the winter. year. With a new layer of freshness expected at altitude, it might seem good to put your spatulas up there!OT Chamonix
From powder to Tacul
If the summit of Mont Blanc is shared with our Italian friends, that of Tacul holds the record for the highest French peak with its 4,248 meters. Suffice to say that if there is a place to look for snow in summer, it is up there. However, the route of the normal route, on the north face, presents a good number of weather-related risks: snow bridges weakened by the multiple passages of mountaineers, significant falls of seracs and fairly regular formation of friable slabs on the itinerary. Suffice to say that the main difficulty lies in respecting the right conditions, a difficulty that can be delegated to a professional, it is advice... Nevertheless, access to the summit by the normal route is more impressive than really complicated technically. After a descent to the Col du Midi from the terminus of the cable car at 3800 m, we attack the climb. It may be interesting to spend the night at the Cosmiques refuge (15 minutes from the pass) to leave for the summit early and therefore avoid the risks associated with the heat. From the pass, we set off to attack the Tacul by its left flank to try to go up as best we can, crossing, towards the shoulder of which we will only have to reach the summit by its ridge. Before this, a passage is made obligatory under a large serac… No need to specify that this is not the time to take a candy break: the faster you pass it, the better you are. Le Tacul is famous for its many steep descents. However, in summer, they quickly regain their bluish color when the snow gives way to ice. So, the normal route is a good option for descending, especially since it allows you to spot the conditions on the climb. At this time of year, the return necessarily involves a small draught: you can descend either via the Vallée Blanche and engage in a long final walk on skis on your back, or go up to the Aiguille du Midi, which is not done without effort, but the further you go into the summer, the more the second option is advantageous!
A Vallée Blanche… to go up
The beauty and ease of the descent of the Vallée Blanche undoubtedly make it one of the most coveted ski routes in France. However, once the season is over, it becomes deserted and wild again, which can attract the most motivated: from the Aiguille du midi, there are still about 1,000 meters of downhill skiing, pulling powder on the top until to the transformed and therefore soft snow lower down. A journey in the high mountains, slaloming between seracs and crevasses, which we have the pleasure of experiencing without the influx of people on winter days. Arrived at the critical point, it is necessary to make a crucial choice: to finish the route on foot, which becomes far too long from the month of July (especially to go up the ladders!), or to go up it quietly to go down again in a dumpster. An inverted hike, certainly, but which does not lack character in this season. Tourist Office ChamonixSkiing Mont Blanc in July
If you have to go high to find good snow… you might as well go higher! The beautiful slopes at the top of Mont Blanc lend themselves particularly well to spring and summer skiing. Although most mountaineers have now put their skis away to take out their crampons, the idea of descending from the roof of Europe in July is not so crazy… At this time, the most beautiful route to Skiing remains that of the Grands Mulets, although it is now necessary to cover about 200 meters before finding snow. On this historic route, we will find ourselves this year far from the crowds since the refuge is still closed. However, the winter cabin is still open. To access the Grands Mulets refuge, you obviously jump into the Aiguille du Midi bucket, without climbing to 3,800 meters. Stop at the first section of the Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,300 meters, from where you will have to carry your skis up to an altitude of around 2,500 meters... From here, you set foot on the sumptuous Bossons glacier to then reach the junction with the Taconnaz glacier. Once past, you can then easily go up the valley to go to the refuge. This is where the serious things begin: the second day after waking up more than early in the morning (between one and two in the morning), we put on our shoes to set off to attack the last 1,750 meters. From the refuge, you reach the Petites Montées then the Petit Plateau (area exposed to seracs, bad place for breakfast...), to then pass the Grandes Montées and then reach the Grand Plateau. From here, you reach the Col du Dôme and then finish the journey instinctively on the Bosses ridge (generally all you have to do is follow the trail). To descend, simply follow the same route as the ascent. That said, very good skiers can afford to take the steeper north face to reach the Grand Plateau and then the Petit. Once the ascent route is reached, we ski quietly to the junction. Then comes the worst: descending on foot the last few meters, laden like calves with all the accumulated fatigue, and the only satisfaction of having slipped on the slopes of the summit of Western Europe. Satisfaction enough!
