I lived there for 20 years, and did all the variations over the years. On a deep powder day, I was skiing the Grand Envers du plan with my friend Francois Burnier (author of the Vamos guides) and we came across 4 Austrians looking down a very deep crevasse which contained their guide (20 meters down) , their guide had the rope , so not much use to them. Fortunately we were well equipped and pulled him out and then got him a Heli rescue, he was badly banged up. We then had to guide the Austrians down, after which they bought us a nice lunch at Montenvers. Epic day :)
Thanks for providing your experience! This is really a great testament to how dangerous this glacier is….if a guide can fall into a crevasse it can definitely happen to anyone, (no matter your skiing level). Very glad you were there to provide the crevasse rescue to the guide (that he didn’t provide rope to his clients is another story) thanks again and hope you have a great winter season!!
Wonderful Video! Nostalgic since I hiked up the Mer De Glace from Montenvers up to the Aiguille de Midi in the summertime some years aga, spending a night at the Requin Refuge! Amazing Glacier Scenery & Icefall at anytime of year! Thanks for Sharing! Merci!
Been there since the late 80s. It is fantastic almost every time, although ice cover shrinks for each passing year. But so many iconic descents to choose from. And I really like you did the old-school 8 pattern. In fact it is quite an optimal way to express yourself individually while stying on an assigned line. Keep rippin!
Thanks,Great video, I always enjoy the Aiguille ski videos, I been lucky to have skied it 3 times, one low snow year with scary crevasses everywhere. Keep up the great turns. I spend my winters in Whistler now.
Glad you enjoyed the vid and cool that you have skied that zone. It is always a treat to ride the midi and ski off it. The snow level was really high this year so we couldn’t ski the James Bond Run, sounds like you’ve seen a low tide year there too. Enjoy Whistler, great mountain! 🏔️👍
So cool that you were part of the professional snow community, and glad this brought back some good memories! I absolutely love the Eastern Sierras……not the Alps, but amazing in their own way!! 🤙
Mate, thanks for the great run down a true classic! Brought back some fun memories of the 7-8 times I've done the run as a 'kid' in the early '80s. So lucky as lots of snow that season, less glacier loss to climate change and each time we managed to ski ALL the way down to the Les Plannards / Chamonix through the forest. No need for the cable car / train from Montenvers. Truly wonderful. Your video captured it really well!
Glad you enjoyed the ride down memory lane. You are the first person that I have spoken to who skied to the bottom, that is so awesome!! I always get a bit bummed when I see the glacier receding, hopefully that trend can be slowed a bit. In the meantime, let’s go ski as much POW as we can ⛷️😊🤙
@@kurtschmid , a little follow up, I made it to the bottom twice skiing down switch back and down past the little ski area on the left, fairly long walk to the car park.
It's incredible RUclips algo recommended this video to me. I have no digital evidence of my 1986 Vallee Blanche run and didn't think to search for videos on it. Immediately brought flashes of memory of that all day ski run.
Skied it in 95, I'm sure like some other commenters we skied all the way down back into Chamonix, and amazing experience. Massive "cajones" for skiing the ridge at the start . "Respect"💪💪💪
lol.. you got me watching hardcore after the third sentence" such a rad scene here", " fuking stoke level is super high". ....man wow super vibe with this video! cheers from Canada!
Thanks 🙏 I am generally pretty stoked to ski any mountain but when I get to the Midi I redline, such an amazing mountain zone, cast of characters and history there. Glad you enjoyed the vid and hope you have a banger season in Canada!! 🤙
I've skied the Vallee Blance back in the 1990s. I don't remember the first bit along the ridge. Not sure I would have the guts to do it now. I remember the scenery being spectacular but I was mainly concerned with staying upright and keeping by skis on and not dehydrating. Getting all the way down in one piece was an achievement of sorts.
Beautiful fresh powder to ski on. What a glorious run. When I skied it 30 years ago, the route was very icy with crevasses very visible - not so much fun!
Cool video. Thanks for sharing, I was stood on the top of Mount Blanc a few weeks ago and I was wondering where the skiers were disappearing too. Would love to give this route a go some day. More practice and ski holidays needed first though. Peace ✌️
Thanks! 🙏That is.awesome you were on top of Mt Blanc, how was this adventure? Get those ski skills sharpened a little and then you should definitely do the Valle Blanche, truly a classic.
Beautiful! Skied this in 81 with my bro, no guide and we were nowhere near expert, but we just followed everyone else. A bit nervous about the icefall, but all went well. Had wine and bread and cheese after the crevasses…. 😎🍷
Glad you had the opportunity to descend this beauty! Depending on conditions, snow drifts etc, crevasses can be covered. I never follow tracks at Cham unless I know where I’m going, but glad you guys had a safe and awesome passage on it!! 🤙
Highly recmended tour. But: Do NOT ski where no one else has skied whitout guide unless you are knowing exactly what you are doing. Do NOT follow local skiers who uses crevases as small half pipes (I tried that, managed to fix it by a huge amount of luck). Nice ride - have respect for the mountians. Also: Half way down there is a nice hut with a good resturant a few 100 meters away from the main track! Don't miss that one!
Nice video! I skied down there twice. My first was with a guide, and then on the following year I did it alone. I think it was not smart for doing alone. I was lucky for ski down without troubles. There are sections you will be skiing next to crevasses. If you ski alone and fell into a crevasse, nobody would find you!
Thanks 🙏 you are right, pretty straightforward skiing but the crevasses are abundant and even guides occasionally fall in them and need a partner for rescue. Glad you made it through without any problems! 👍
Thanks!🙏I have been to so many restaurants and a few bars/pubs but I don’t remember the names. My recommendation is to bear away from most of the tourist spots on the main strip and hit the restaurants a bit off the beaten path. So many fun places to get a drink, have fun exploring them!! 🤙
Thanks 🙏 “the 9000 vertical feet” is a famous reference from a scene in the Greg Stump ski film called Blizzard of Ahhhs, best ski movie of all time!!!
Great video, thanks Kurt. Heading there in a couple of weeks and super stoked about it. Dig that headband you’re wearing, what brand is that, where’d you get it? Cheers, Russell.
Thanks man! 🙏 that is so awesome you are heading there! looks like a really good start to the season. I will probably be there the end of January too 🤙 have a great trip and check Mammut store in Cham for that headband.
I almost tried this last season but was enjoying Vebier too much so stayed there an extra day instead. I will head to VB someday soon though. Hoping the Alps get more snow this season.
Verbier is awesome and I understand not wanting to leave great riding to find great riding; never want to break that rule! 😆. I was supposed to do the Haute Route last year but weather wouldn’t open for us…..one of these days!!
It is not a super challenging run but since it is such big vert you are bound to run into varied conditions. I know a lot of guides there and they can help you avoid the gnarly stuff👍
The first lap (the one I filmed) was about 30 minutes as we had to stop and assess crevasse zones, etc…the second lap was pretty non-stop and took 15 minutes.
I wouldn't splash for a guide personally. As long as you can do crevasse rescue and its got tracks already you can see from the video its pretty easy to see where to go.
This took us about 30 minutes as we had to stop several time to check out and navigate snow bridges and crevasses, our second run of this day was pretty much a nonstopper and took just over 15 minutes.
@SocietyMods totally beautiful and savage mountain and I always approach with much respect. Feel bad for your friend and dad, another black crow in the sky now.
Great run! I am curious, what would you do if you accidentally ski to the left on 2:30. Is it a large slope cliff or can you ski down there too? Or is it dangerous, you should only follow the middle track?
Thanks 🙏 so taking a left at the top means you are going to ski the north face of the midi, this is a very very serious decision that will require several rappels and skiing above extremely exposed terrain, definitely not the cruisy pow run we took on the Vallee Blanche.
@@kurtschmid I mean, it looks so close, it almost feels like you can slide to the left at any moment. Must be risky, but you guys definitely know what you are doing.
I Did VB in 2019 decent conditions, 2022 terrible snow but both times the scenery made it worth it. I will keep trying to get lucky and get a day like this!
is it400m elevation? how long is the walk? is there any chance to ski out and down to Chamonix in this century, in optimal condtions, or is it gone forever?😢😢
@martink3089 definitely possible to ski down to town on the infamous and awesome James Bond Run but it is a shorter window each year. If you climb the stairs then take the short gondy you can ski the James Bond down provided there is snow, aim for February and you will get it most likely and it is a blast with banks, berms, people and chaos!!🫣😂
What I didn’t show in my vid is a long climb upstairs and then gondola ride. If there is decent snow you then ski down the James Bond run to town, if snow thin like last year you take a train back into town.
looks like a lot of fun specially with the fresh pow! is it mandatory to hire a guide? I wanted to do it 2 years ago but my wife wasn't much into skiing and paying over 400 bucks for a guide was way out of my budget... had to do Brevent-flegere instead
It is one run that you absolutely have to do in your ski lifetime as it’s that special, and yes, definitely need a guide (crevasses). Trust me it will be money well spent 👍
@jonathanshuker1672 what we do in the mountains is a personal choice but I’m not skiing the Valle Blanche without a guide until I am damn sure where crevasses are and I’ll be with a partner who understands crevasse rescue.
Fair enough we were a group of six and we carried avalanche transceivers,shovel and probe also harnesses,crevasse rescue kit , with lots of jinglely jangly bits and an ice axe just to look cool . But practice using the kit setting up anchors ,pulleys etc , and we carried two kits one at the front and one at the back . @@kurtschmid
Haha I meant it looked like your tech toes were in the locked position when you were skiing because you undid them at the end, meaning they wouldn't eject if you bailed. I could be wrong!
@@kurtschmid yup .......basically skiing and anything.......always wanted to ski Cham...the run looks good unlike the fall and die shit under the tram :)
Yeah, it’s not a super steep run, some nice powder skiing pitches but variable snow and some crevasse and glacial features make it a bit more than intermediate, but if you take it easy and make turn for turn then most will find it doable…..and super fun!!
Thank you, I will see how my first day on the groomed slopes go, then I MIGHT try it. I skied Val-D'Isere years ago and was OK on most runs there. (Huge Moguls there I handled it but was not a fan, LOL). Thank you again, kindest regards. @@kurtschmid
I've loved skiing since childhood. My late father, born in Finland, started our local ski area in the 1940's. We never used such language, surfer language if you will, to describe what we did for fun. We also did not have to swear. Such a sad ambassador for such a wonderful activity.
Haha! Glad you love the sport of skiing as much as I do👍. I am also a surfer and windsurfer and use language which is evocative of the passion I have for the sport, so sorry it doesn’t correlate with your language standards but that’s the beautiful thing about skiing and life; everyone has their own style 🤙
It was swearing out of passion, not swearing out of hooliganism. Isolating those who describe their passion via swearing is ultimately what will kill skiing for future generations - I doubt you could find 1 skier in 100 skiers these days who don't swear at least once a day during their runs out of excitement and thrill. Embrace passion and let others exercise their passion in their own way.
@@kurtschmid wow thats incredible, Skiing and windsurfing are my 2 best sports by a mile - windsurfing especially. Would love to see some windsurfing content somewhere in Australia
@all-caps3927 Exactly mate, I am generally excited to get after it and speak accordingly, love it when people share the same passion for the mountains!!
So cool! Windsurfing one of the coolest sport; so technical but so fun and endless possibilities! Check out Paul Van Bellen on RUclips for super funny and rad windsurfing, AUS based 🤙
Funny when punks think they invented "stoked". Funny when young guys sound so ignorant. Dude, When you grow up you'll meet people who aren't like your parents dummy. Get a clue.
i was meant to do this a few years ago and the day before going to do it, covid regulations came in and said we couldnt go to france. whats even sorse is that we werent even going to fly, it was a 1:30 drive
Bummer! You have to get back over and tick this classic off! It’s some fun skiing and just a really sweet lap with the hike out …..and when the James Bond Run is in that’s the best!! Go get it👍
@@kurtschmid Ski-ing in Scotland does not have long runs of lovely powder snow. There is much more ice, it is more like cutting an edge on a formica table top. In fact you can quickly find yourself on an unsettling mixture of rock and wet grass.
I lived there for 20 years, and did all the variations over the years. On a deep powder day, I was skiing the Grand Envers du plan with my friend Francois Burnier (author of the Vamos guides) and we came across 4 Austrians looking down a very deep crevasse which contained their guide (20 meters down) , their guide had the rope , so not much use to them.
Fortunately we were well equipped and pulled him out and then got him a Heli rescue, he was badly banged up. We then had to guide the Austrians down, after which they bought us a nice lunch at Montenvers. Epic day :)
Thanks for providing your experience! This is really a great testament to how dangerous this glacier is….if a guide can fall into a crevasse it can definitely happen to anyone, (no matter your skiing level). Very glad you were there to provide the crevasse rescue to the guide (that he didn’t provide rope to his clients is another story) thanks again and hope you have a great winter season!!
I would never go there without a guide and proper gear
Wonderful Video! Nostalgic since I hiked up the Mer De Glace from Montenvers up to the Aiguille de Midi in the summertime some years aga, spending a night at the Requin Refuge! Amazing Glacier Scenery & Icefall at anytime of year! Thanks for Sharing! Merci!
So glad you enjoyed the video, sounds like you have had some awesome adventures up in this area too👍such a special place!!
Been there since the late 80s. It is fantastic almost every time, although ice cover shrinks for each passing year. But so many iconic descents to choose from. And I really like you did the old-school 8 pattern. In fact it is quite an optimal way to express yourself individually while stying on an assigned line. Keep rippin!
Totally fun zone. Amazing you have been going there since the 80’s…wow have you seen some changes! 🧊🫠
Thanks,Great video, I always enjoy the Aiguille ski videos, I been lucky to have skied it 3 times, one low snow year with scary crevasses everywhere.
Keep up the great turns. I spend my winters in Whistler now.
Glad you enjoyed the vid and cool that you have skied that zone. It is always a treat to ride the midi and ski off it. The snow level was really high this year so we couldn’t ski the James Bond Run, sounds like you’ve seen a low tide year there too. Enjoy Whistler, great mountain! 🏔️👍
Great video that brought back happy memories having done this many times over the last 40 years. Great music too; thank you
Thanks, glad you enjoyed, it is funny that you and many others have a lot of memories on this run!
Used to be able to ski out at the bottom and get a car back to Chamonix - happy days. What was the music please?.
Those were the days! I am sorry to have missed that ski out. Music; 1st song by Big Youth, 2nd Culture, last the Movement
Did this run once. Early 00’s. Utterly incredible day out. This brought back some memories. Thank you
Awesome, glad it brought back those awesome memories, those experiences are what it all about!! 🙌
Thanks. Takes me back to my ski patrolling days in SoCal, I’m in my 70s now and never made it to Chamonix France but thanks to you I’m there.
So cool that you were part of the professional snow community, and glad this brought back some good memories! I absolutely love the Eastern Sierras……not the Alps, but amazing in their own way!! 🤙
Awesome music and some superb mountain landscapes. Thank you.
Thanks 🙏glad your digging tunes and mountains 🎶🏔️
I am
Cold powder and reggae go together perfectly. Rastafarians must have been powderhounds in a previous exsitance.
Haha, we’ll said!! It is all making sense 🎶⛷️🌴🤙
10:28 Miles Smart is a great guide! No wonder why you had such a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing! 👍🏼
A legend!
Mate, thanks for the great run down a true classic! Brought back some fun memories of the 7-8 times I've done the run as a 'kid' in the early '80s. So lucky as lots of snow that season, less glacier loss to climate change and each time we managed to ski ALL the way down to the Les Plannards / Chamonix through the forest. No need for the cable car / train from Montenvers. Truly wonderful. Your video captured it really well!
Glad you enjoyed the ride down memory lane. You are the first person that I have spoken to who skied to the bottom, that is so awesome!! I always get a bit bummed when I see the glacier receding, hopefully that trend can be slowed a bit. In the meantime, let’s go ski as much POW as we can ⛷️😊🤙
@@kurtschmid , a little follow up, I made it to the bottom twice skiing down switch back and down past the little ski area on the left, fairly long walk to the car park.
@@a.m.9466 yeah that is the fun way down called the James Bond Run…totally unskiable this year because of high snow levels.
The glaciers started melting 12,000 years ago when there was a mile of ice over what is now Chicago. How did you get to the mountain? Walk?
Really superb. What an excellent video or a magnificent run.
Thank you, it is a big run and has a bit of everything 🤙
Fabulous video. Conditions look awesome. Thanks a million👍
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed 🤙
snow was in beautiful condition …. excellent music to sway the skis to...
It was a small window in a rough weather pattern…reggae always the rhythm stick🎶
This is a dream of mine. Thank you for posting this video.
Make that dream reality, it’s a special place!!
It's incredible RUclips algo recommended this video to me. I have no digital evidence of my 1986 Vallee Blanche run and didn't think to search for videos on it. Immediately brought flashes of memory of that all day ski run.
Wow it’s listening!! 😆. Glad this elicited some fond memories!!
Super views. Top skiing and Great tune too!
Thanks and glad you enjoyed! 🙏
Skied it in 95, I'm sure like some other commenters we skied all the way down back into Chamonix, and amazing experience. Massive "cajones" for skiing the ridge at the start . "Respect"💪💪💪
Thanks 🙏 I really wish I could have skied it in 95, nice work!…far different glacier depth. Look forward to skiing it again this winter!! 🤙
Fantastica discesa complimenti, la pendenza, lo scenario la difficoltà..! Stupendo!
grazie mille, felice che ti sia piaciuto!!🤙
Amazing!
Thanks mate! Btw, you need to make another vid for windsurfing tv….still crying! 😂
@@kurtschmid haha
Wow. That's exceptional. Nice fresh. Let'm roll kid!
Haha, def! 🤙
looks amazing, great video. on my bucket list now
Glad you enjoyed and definitely get over to Chamonix to ski this and the multitude of amazing terrain in that zone!
lol.. you got me watching hardcore after the third sentence" such a rad scene here", " fuking stoke level is super high".
....man wow super vibe with this video! cheers from Canada!
Thanks 🙏 I am generally pretty stoked to ski any mountain but when I get to the Midi I redline, such an amazing mountain zone, cast of characters and history there. Glad you enjoyed the vid and hope you have a banger season in Canada!! 🤙
I've skied the Vallee Blance back in the 1990s. I don't remember the first bit along the ridge. Not sure I would have the guts to do it now. I remember the scenery being spectacular but I was mainly concerned with staying upright and keeping by skis on and not dehydrating. Getting all the way down in one piece was an achievement of sorts.
So awesome that you have skied this magical zone!!🙌 you definitely skied or down climbed the first zone, nice work either way! 👍💪
Best video to show what the Valle Blanche is about 👍
Thanks man, the place is magical!!
Beautiful fresh powder to ski on. What a glorious run. When I skied it 30 years ago, the route was very icy with crevasses very visible - not so much fun!
I know what your saying, I have skied it in similar survival conditions, nice when it all comes together!! 😁
Cool video. Thanks for sharing, I was stood on the top of Mount Blanc a few weeks ago and I was wondering where the skiers were disappearing too. Would love to give this route a go some day. More practice and ski holidays needed first though. Peace ✌️
Thanks! 🙏That is.awesome you were on top of Mt Blanc, how was this adventure? Get those ski skills sharpened a little and then you should definitely do the Valle Blanche, truly a classic.
For armature video it was excellent plus high quality and I really enjoyed the music also. Thanks!
Thanks man! Glad to hear you digging the tunes and the views!!
I first did this back in about '98. Still one of my favourite places to ride in the world.
Nice! I have skied a lot of incredible zones and the Mt Blanc Massif keeps pulling me back too! 😁
Beautiful! Skied this in 81 with my bro, no guide and we were nowhere near expert, but we just followed everyone else. A bit nervous about the icefall, but all went well. Had wine and bread and cheese after the crevasses…. 😎🍷
Glad you had the opportunity to descend this beauty! Depending on conditions, snow drifts etc, crevasses can be covered. I never follow tracks at Cham unless I know where I’m going, but glad you guys had a safe and awesome passage on it!! 🤙
I got to ski it in April '89 on a nice sunny day with 2 friends. Great day!
That’s awesome!! I can only imagine how much larger the glacier was at the bottom.
Thanks for a nice video.
Thanks man 🙏 so glad you enjoyed! 🤙
Highly recmended tour. But: Do NOT ski where no one else has skied whitout guide unless you are knowing exactly what you are doing. Do NOT follow local skiers who uses crevases as small half pipes (I tried that, managed to fix it by a huge amount of luck).
Nice ride - have respect for the mountians.
Also: Half way down there is a nice hut with a good resturant a few 100 meters away from the main track! Don't miss that one!
All good advice 👍
Yes.
Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed 🙏🤙
Wow, I wish I had the skills to do the same. Epic run and mountains.
Thanks 🙏 so glad you enjoyed! Make a goal to gain those skills and get up there 👍
A beautiful video.
Thank you 🙏 glad you enjoyed it!!
Nice video! I skied down there twice. My first was with a guide, and then on the following year I did it alone. I think it was not smart for doing alone. I was lucky for ski down without troubles. There are sections you will be skiing next to crevasses. If you ski alone and fell into a crevasse, nobody would find you!
Thanks 🙏 you are right, pretty straightforward skiing but the crevasses are abundant and even guides occasionally fall in them and need a partner for rescue. Glad you made it through without any problems! 👍
Awesome, you give me hope to get back to France. Only the first ridgeline had some pucker factor.
One foot in front of the other up top then it’s all cruising down hill 🤙
Great to watch , reggae fits it perfect.
Skiing + reggae 🙌🤙💯
Enjoyed the roots!
Yes I 🎶🙌
great vid Kurt! We're heading over the beginning of Jan, any recommendations for places to eat/ drink and be merry?
Thanks!🙏I have been to so many restaurants and a few bars/pubs but I don’t remember the names. My recommendation is to bear away from most of the tourist spots on the main strip and hit the restaurants a bit off the beaten path. So many fun places to get a drink, have fun exploring them!! 🤙
Sick ride! What’s the ”9000 vertical feet” reference?
Thanks 🙏 “the 9000 vertical feet” is a famous reference from a scene in the Greg Stump ski film called Blizzard of Ahhhs, best ski movie of all time!!!
Great video, thanks Kurt. Heading there in a couple of weeks and super stoked about it. Dig that headband you’re wearing, what brand is that, where’d you get it? Cheers, Russell.
Thanks man! 🙏 that is so awesome you are heading there! looks like a really good start to the season. I will probably be there the end of January too 🤙 have a great trip and check Mammut store in Cham for that headband.
can't wait......thanks Kurt !!🙂
Epic !!! thanks
Thanks man🙏glad you enjoyed the run! 🤙
Love the music reggae grove
Glad your vibing with the Rasta tunes!! 🎶🤙
That looked so fun. At what time of the year was this?
Yeah man, always fun taking a run on the VB🤙. This was mid April right after a storm system cleared out leaving some fresh pow.
I have a wall poster from when I was there in 1975 and it was like being on the moon. Now it is all rocks and hardly any glacier!
I can only imagine how those full glaciers must have looked, so amazing that you got to experience that beauty!! 🙌
magnifique....
Merci beacoup!! 😁
np music, snow sounds!
I almost tried this last season but was enjoying Vebier too much so stayed there an extra day instead. I will head to VB someday soon though. Hoping the Alps get more snow this season.
Verbier is awesome and I understand not wanting to leave great riding to find great riding; never want to break that rule! 😆. I was supposed to do the Haute Route last year but weather wouldn’t open for us…..one of these days!!
EPIC! It was as if I was right there with you the whole way down!! Hahaa.. Well, kinda....
Glad you enjoyed and looking forward to ripping with you next year!!
Can’t go wrong with Miles!
Totally!! Have had some great days with him, looking forward to more ⛷️🤙
Awesome run man!
Thanks man!! 🙏🤙
did it in February 2002....wow...loved it
Awesome!! What’s not to live in this zone! 😍
*love
Finally a skiing video without trashy EDM music
Big ups ma man💚
Great vid. What happened to the wind
Thanks! 🙏 we got lucky and the wind died, even got a second run down the VB after this one. 👍
There I was thinking "I could ski that" until about 8:41 ! Was that avalanche debris and were there alternate routes available ?
It is not a super challenging run but since it is such big vert you are bound to run into varied conditions. I know a lot of guides there and they can help you avoid the gnarly stuff👍
how long did it take to ski it all?
The first lap (the one I filmed) was about 30 minutes as we had to stop and assess crevasse zones, etc…the second lap was pretty non-stop and took 15 minutes.
Wow I'd love to try this, looks far more approachable than I imagined it to be. I was expecting La Grave type steeps.
It is very approachable, nothing too steep, but need a guide for crevasse navigation…and good ski legs as it’s a long one! 🫠
I wouldn't splash for a guide personally. As long as you can do crevasse rescue and its got tracks already you can see from the video its pretty easy to see where to go.
@tompiperson4793 yeah, if you and your partner have the right tools and skills then you should be good, but most people don’t have either.
Nice views man !
These mountains!! 🙌
how long did it take to complete your run?
This took us about 30 minutes as we had to stop several time to check out and navigate snow bridges and crevasses, our second run of this day was pretty much a nonstopper and took just over 15 minutes.
Much easier than I expected.
Yeah, few steep pitches and at times variable conditions….and leg burn 😁
lesss gooooo my mountain!!!! I live here
Quite the mountain! 🙌
@@kurtschmid yes it’s awesome! But dangerous my friend was doing it with us dad and they fell off a cliff… my friend saw his dad dead I front of him
@SocietyMods totally beautiful and savage mountain and I always approach with much respect. Feel bad for your friend and dad, another black crow in the sky now.
@@kurtschmid yeh…
unreal
Great run! I am curious, what would you do if you accidentally ski to the left on 2:30. Is it a large slope cliff or can you ski down there too? Or is it dangerous, you should only follow the middle track?
Thanks 🙏 so taking a left at the top means you are going to ski the north face of the midi, this is a very very serious decision that will require several rappels and skiing above extremely exposed terrain, definitely not the cruisy pow run we took on the Vallee Blanche.
@@kurtschmid I mean, it looks so close, it almost feels like you can slide to the left at any moment. Must be risky, but you guys definitely know what you are doing.
It’s not so steep there at the top, no problem but as it rolls over it becomes a different world (one I haven’t visited)
WOW
I Did VB in 2019 decent conditions, 2022 terrible snow but both times the scenery made it worth it. I will keep trying to get lucky and get a day like this!
Yeah, like any bu alpine zone, it’s a waiting game for it all to come together, hope you score it in 24!
whats the underfoot on those blackcrows? 96?
I believe it’s 106 underfoot…one of the largest Black Crows Freebird series.
Strange how you didn’t include the beautiful 400m climb back out of the valley at the bottom of the glacier - also very memorable!! 😅😅
Haha, thought the vid would slow down quite a bit with me dragging myself up those stairs! 😆
is it400m elevation? how long is the walk? is there any chance to ski out and down to Chamonix in this century, in optimal condtions, or is it gone forever?😢😢
@martink3089 definitely possible to ski down to town on the infamous and awesome James Bond Run but it is a shorter window each year. If you climb the stairs then take the short gondy you can ski the James Bond down provided there is snow, aim for February and you will get it most likely and it is a blast with banks, berms, people and chaos!!🫣😂
Did not know it was possible to ski just out of the gate. Surely beats walking down the trail with the crowd.
I haven’t see anyone skiing that sliver but it makes sense, maybe next time with Miles if it’s reasonably well covered. 👍
So lucky with the snow
This was actually the only good day out of like a week; tough timing it this year
You don’t see other videos of folk skiing straight from the gate.
Skies this in 2000 but had to hike down past the ridge as the rocks were exposed off to the right.
Totally. Every season has its unique features and challenges, I’ve seen a lot of different looks on the VB in last ten years.
woawwwww
How do you get picked up later?
What I didn’t show in my vid is a long climb upstairs and then gondola ride. If there is decent snow you then ski down the James Bond run to town, if snow thin like last year you take a train back into town.
looks like a lot of fun specially with the fresh pow! is it mandatory to hire a guide? I wanted to do it 2 years ago but my wife wasn't much into skiing and paying over 400 bucks for a guide was way out of my budget... had to do Brevent-flegere instead
It is one run that you absolutely have to do in your ski lifetime as it’s that special, and yes, definitely need a guide (crevasses). Trust me it will be money well spent 👍
You don’t need a guide use your common sense and follow all the other sheeple.
@jonathanshuker1672 what we do in the mountains is a personal choice but I’m not skiing the Valle Blanche without a guide until I am damn sure where crevasses are and I’ll be with a partner who understands crevasse rescue.
Fair enough we were a group of six and we carried avalanche transceivers,shovel and probe also harnesses,crevasse rescue kit , with lots of jinglely jangly bits and an ice axe just to look cool .
But practice using the kit setting up anchors ,pulleys etc , and we carried two kits one at the front and one at the back .
@@kurtschmid
@jonathanshuker1672 sounds like you had right crew, tools and approach, nice work! 💪
Stunning !
Thanks, magical mountains there ❤️🤙
Had to turn the sound off.....should have just left the actual sound.
Wahh wahh
Mimimi
Amazing. Not sure how, but loved the Reggae. Not exactly “natural African’, but it was great.
Reggae always provides the right vibe for skiing pow; Humble African-Culture 🤙
Alright @kurtschmid how many people do you think actually got the "Chamonix 9000 vertical feet" (with a Kiwi accent) reference. I wanna know.
Well I know you definitely did 👍 and saying it never, ever gets old! I actually think of that scene every time I go up there…☺️
Great video, shame you did not show the last bit walking up the steps HaHa
Haha 😁my slow walk up may have been a bit boring 😴
"ahgweedameedee" I was like what language are you speaking at the beginning of this video. sick run tho
Were you skiing with locked toes?
I’m not sure what you mean but my toes and heels locked into my bindings 🤷😁
Haha I meant it looked like your tech toes were in the locked position when you were skiing because you undid them at the end, meaning they wouldn't eject if you bailed. I could be wrong!
@@unknowablerootvegetable ahhhhhhh, you are totally correct, I ski them in that mode when I can’t afford to have one fall off, (crevasses) 👍
Makes sense! Just curious
What da hell, is this an endless traverse.....or an endless cornfield.....nice.....!!
Haha it is like traverse-descend on repeat, just keeps going, definitely a good leg and super fun sliding in a beautiful zone! ⛷️🤙
Great run. Beautiful weather. Shame you added the music.
Reggae is the ski beat in my vids 🤷♂️
great tour and tunes.
Thanks! Reggae + skiing = 😊
@@kurtschmid yup .......basically skiing and anything.......always wanted to ski Cham...the run looks good unlike the fall and die shit under the tram :)
Get over there man! A whole host of stuff on the shoulder that is rad
Cosmiques, etc 🤙
Rad,stoked,sick.....YAWN
Went in the 90's and was scared of that lift and didn't ride it.
Haha next time close your eyes and you’ll be happier when you get off at the top; some of the most amazing views….and skiing!!
Nice BEAUTIFUL Intermediate Run... until... 8:48... that's where I thought to myself "maybe not." LOL. great Skiing guys.
Yeah, it’s not a super steep run, some nice powder skiing pitches but variable snow and some crevasse and glacial features make it a bit more than intermediate, but if you take it easy and make turn for turn then most will find it doable…..and super fun!!
Thank you, I will see how my first day on the groomed slopes go, then I MIGHT try it. I skied Val-D'Isere years ago and was OK on most runs there. (Huge Moguls there I handled it but was not a fan, LOL). Thank you again, kindest regards. @@kurtschmid
Awesome, let me know if you need a guide, I know many experienced and trustworthy ones, enjoy!!
I'm sorry, that sucks... When was this, March?
What sucks, Chamonix?
Unreal. I wish I could ski but that ship has sailed unfortunately
No way man, start skiing or get back to it, never too late, just getting on the mountain with two boards strapped to your feet is a win!! 👍
Would have never got past the ridge with the drop to doom at the beginning.
Haha, always gets the heart pumping!! ❤️
this video did the impossible, it actually is as steep as it looks in the video
Haha there are a few steep beautiful faces on this run for sure. 😊
I've loved skiing since childhood. My late father, born in Finland, started our local ski area in the 1940's. We never used such language, surfer language if you will, to describe what we did for fun. We also did not have to swear. Such a sad ambassador for such a wonderful activity.
Haha! Glad you love the sport of skiing as much as I do👍. I am also a surfer and windsurfer and use language which is evocative of the passion I have for the sport, so sorry it doesn’t correlate with your language standards but that’s the beautiful thing about skiing and life; everyone has their own style 🤙
It was swearing out of passion, not swearing out of hooliganism. Isolating those who describe their passion via swearing is ultimately what will kill skiing for future generations - I doubt you could find 1 skier in 100 skiers these days who don't swear at least once a day during their runs out of excitement and thrill. Embrace passion and let others exercise their passion in their own way.
@@kurtschmid wow thats incredible, Skiing and windsurfing are my 2 best sports by a mile - windsurfing especially. Would love to see some windsurfing content somewhere in Australia
@all-caps3927 Exactly mate, I am generally excited to get after it and speak accordingly, love it when people share the same passion for the mountains!!
So cool! Windsurfing one of the coolest sport; so technical but so fun and endless possibilities! Check out Paul Van Bellen on RUclips for super funny and rad windsurfing, AUS based 🤙
Funny hearing old guys say 'stoke'!
Funny when punks think they invented "stoked".
Funny when young guys sound so ignorant.
Dude, When you grow up you'll meet people who aren't like your parents dummy. Get a clue.
That was fun. Admit I did speed vid up to 2X.
Haha
I would get as a far as the ridge before the run, and would literally fall over the ridge and die.
Haha 😆
i was meant to do this a few years ago and the day before going to do it, covid regulations came in and said we couldnt go to france. whats even sorse is that we werent even going to fly, it was a 1:30 drive
Bummer! You have to get back over and tick this classic off! It’s some fun skiing and just a really sweet lap with the hike out …..and when the James Bond Run is in that’s the best!! Go get it👍
70km/hr is a mere 42mph, which would be considered a steady breeze in the Scottish highlands.
Haha Never been to the highlands, heard it’s amazing, 70km will typically scour the snow pretty bad but somehow it was largely unaffected on this day👍
@@kurtschmid Ski-ing in Scotland does not have long runs of lovely powder snow. There is much more ice, it is more like cutting an edge on a formica table top. In fact you can quickly find yourself on an unsettling mixture of rock and wet grass.
@DickusCopernicus haha yes I can picture this! I grew up skiing the east coast of the US which is similar; what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger 😁
On this day you were king in the Land of Gnar
Haha! Everyone deserves to be king for a day😊⛷️
no guide no helmet crazy
Had a guide who doesn’t wear a helmet….