Apologies for the lack of writing but there isn't a great deal to blog about until the season starts again. The good news is that its now not long until the ski season starts and the first main weekend to party will of course be the New Year week. Last year we skied with some rather prestigious guests and the ski New Year conditions off-piste were pretty amazing.
Anyway, I'll try to get inspired by the end of August as we look forward to colder days and our thoughts turn to praying for early snow!!
Tuesday 3 August 2010
Friday 25 June 2010
Chamonix Off Piste - MBG News
This week 9 out of the 10 guests staying at Chalet Prarion and embarking on the ascent to Mont Blanc managed to summit yesterday in beautiful sunshine. After recent heavy snow it fair to suggest that the route was probably harder than normal and a real credit to the Mountain Guides who ensure that the guests not only summit when conditions permit, but they do so safely.
Working closely with Mont Blanc Guides, we are pleased that for Chamonix Exclusive its the same guides employed by MBG that provide our Chamonix off piste guiding. So if you want the best guides in Chamonix, why not book with us today.
Working closely with Mont Blanc Guides, we are pleased that for Chamonix Exclusive its the same guides employed by MBG that provide our Chamonix off piste guiding. So if you want the best guides in Chamonix, why not book with us today.
Monday 7 June 2010
Mont Blanc Guides
This week saw the start of the walking skiing and the most popular guiding company Mont Blanc Guides commencing the first guests training and attempt at the summit. As the specialist in respect of climbing Mont Blanc, we don't know of any company that exceeds their expertise and attention to detail. But don't just take our word for it, have a look at their site by clicking the link above and at the same time their video which captures the essence of the challenge.
Monday 10 May 2010
Ski In Ski Out
As yesterday saw even the best ski resorts close down, many eyes are now turning to next season. One company that is worth mentioning is Ski In Ski Out Chalets who have some great chalets in true luxury ski resorts so you can meet your mountain guide at your chalet, and use the ski in ski out convenience to get to the best off-piste!
Sunday 2 May 2010
Bad Weather Limits Off-Piste End of Season
After some fabulous off-piste days in the recent sunshine, the last few days of the 'official' ski season have been somewhat disrupted by the recent bad weather, with strong storms crossing the Alps. Whilst the snow line will fall, it is likely to be all but the real hardy off-piste skiers that will be hanging up their season for six or seven months.
Sunday 25 April 2010
Easter Skiing
If you missed this years Easter Ski holidays break, our advice after this year, is don't miss out next year! Some of the best off-piste conditions are during April as the weather stabilising, we have long sunny days, and typically the snow is some of the best you are likely to find anytime during the season, assuming you have selected a good guide and on this note we suggest you talk to www.chamonixexclusive.com on this or www.skiinskiout-chalets.com who would both be happy to provide impartial advice.
Sunday 18 April 2010
Great Mornings For Getting Out
The current weather is providing fabulous skiing for the early bird from mid stations and above. Light snow at 1,800m was seen today with further snow flurries expected later this week. Tomorrow is a great day t put on those skins for some ski touring with bright sunshine most of the day.
Being April, conditions are typically hard packed in the morning before softening late morning.
Being April, conditions are typically hard packed in the morning before softening late morning.
Sunday 11 April 2010
Off-Piste Ski Courses
At Chamonix Exclusive you can stop at one of the best chalets in the Chamonix Valley and choose from a variety of ski touring and snow boarding, off-piste courses and back country adventure packages. Through their tie up with Simon Abrahams Mountain Guides they have access to some of the best, and highly experienced English Speaking mountain guides at preferential rates (at 20% lower than comparable rates).
The off-piste courses have been developed using the Guides proven experience to ensure there is a course for all, whether you are an early intermediate, looking to ski the more gentle picturesque slopes on the ski safari or an expert skier looking for steep and deep couloirs on the Back Country Adventure course. The full suite of courses can be found by clicking the links below:
The off-piste courses have been developed using the Guides proven experience to ensure there is a course for all, whether you are an early intermediate, looking to ski the more gentle picturesque slopes on the ski safari or an expert skier looking for steep and deep couloirs on the Back Country Adventure course. The full suite of courses can be found by clicking the links below:
Sunday 4 April 2010
Easter Ski
This week saw some great skiing all over the Alps with fresh powder at the end of last week and a further 20 to 30cm overnight today. The storm last week meant that tree line skiing was particularly good with Chamonix Exclusive's clients popping across to Courmayeur to ski some great powder in between the trees with Simon Abrahams, a well respected local Mountain Guide.
They then followed this with a trip down the Valley Blanche on the Friday and again found great snow conditions to cap off a great Easter Ski week for them.
They then followed this with a trip down the Valley Blanche on the Friday and again found great snow conditions to cap off a great Easter Ski week for them.
Monday 29 March 2010
Perfect Conditions On The Vallee Blanche
If you are looking to ski Chamonix's world famous Vallee Blanche, with the recent snowfall, this is the month to do it. Tuesday and Wednesday the forecast is for more snow, and possibly Thursday as well so assuming that is the last of the snow, the weekend looks set for one hell of a day of powder!
Thursday 18 March 2010
Off Piste Verbier
If you are looking for a great off piste run to start you off, but don't want to fork out just yet on all the off-piste equipment, Verbier might just be the resort for you. Situated in the Verbier 4 Valleys ski area, it was one of the first resorts to introduce the off-pste itinerary runs (marked with a yellow and black line).
Whilst purists might say this is hardly off-piste, we would retort that we all have to start somewhere! Yes it isn't necessarily away from the masses and the solitude that some expert, but it does give you a taster in terms of skiing great scenery, and un-pisted ski terrain, knowing that it is relatively safe if you are competent skier and stick to the marked route.
One of my favourite such routes is in Verbier to ski is Tortin, entered ideally from the Mont Fort side, the run has spectacular scenery and some challenging, if not too difficult elements to it. Prior to the 'itinerary' status, it was a black, but by black standards its difficulty would be moderate to average, rather than extreme as was the case on the Mont Fort black (which is now unmarked and they have made the red Mont Fort run the black piste).
So why not have a go, its a great introduction to life as an off-piste skier, despite what the grumpy purists might say!
Whilst purists might say this is hardly off-piste, we would retort that we all have to start somewhere! Yes it isn't necessarily away from the masses and the solitude that some expert, but it does give you a taster in terms of skiing great scenery, and un-pisted ski terrain, knowing that it is relatively safe if you are competent skier and stick to the marked route.
One of my favourite such routes is in Verbier to ski is Tortin, entered ideally from the Mont Fort side, the run has spectacular scenery and some challenging, if not too difficult elements to it. Prior to the 'itinerary' status, it was a black, but by black standards its difficulty would be moderate to average, rather than extreme as was the case on the Mont Fort black (which is now unmarked and they have made the red Mont Fort run the black piste).
So why not have a go, its a great introduction to life as an off-piste skier, despite what the grumpy purists might say!
Friday 12 March 2010
Off Piste Ski Equipment
Talking to some skiers yesterday who are about to ski the Vallee Blanche here in Chamonix, it was interesting to note that many holiday skiers are unaware of the importance of having the right equipment when off-piste skiing. In any resort this is important, but heightened if you are skiing Chamonix where the back country is vast, and whilst it can be awesome, it has its risks and hence why good equipment is necessary. Whilst I won't cover glacier or extreme off-piste equipment (we will later and reference some great videos produced by local guides for this), I thought I would cover the basics.
I guess the first things if you are going off-piste is don't go alone, second make sure you know the terrain you are skiing is appropriate for the weakest members skiing, thirdly that at least one of the group has good knowledge of snow conditions and avalanche risk, and fourthly that each of the party are carrying:
I guess the first things if you are going off-piste is don't go alone, second make sure you know the terrain you are skiing is appropriate for the weakest members skiing, thirdly that at least one of the group has good knowledge of snow conditions and avalanche risk, and fourthly that each of the party are carrying:
- Transceiver (switched on of course)
- Probe
- Shovel
Radios evenly distributed amongst the group are also advisable as our phones. The radios are important however as in many isolated backcountry spots you might struggle to get a signal. Coming back to the equipment, it isn't enough to take the transceiver with you, you need to know how to use it! The modern directional transciever's are great inventions, but you should still know how to use it so practice, it is surprising how much longer during such trials with novices how sticking a transceiver six foot up a tree (to simulate a deep burial reading) wastes search time as they can't get to grips with why they can't get closer than 2 or 3 metres close to the body! After practising the transceiver search, we would also suggest skiers practice together the probe search, ensuring your ski group know how to search and probe systematically, might sound obvious, but would it be in a real life situation?
Enjoy your first experience off-piste.
Wednesday 17 February 2010
Ski Mountain Guide
To put it bluntly, it beggars belief how many skiers and snowboarders seem to venture off-piste without a ski Mountain Guide with little or no knowledge or training in respect of off-piste conditions and terrain. Some seem just oblivious to the risk, others seem to think that by following someone's tracks it must be safe!
Off piste skiing is inherent with dangers that are related to route planning, these include getting lost, taking a route that leads to a cliff edge, crevasses when skiing on glaciers, avalanche risk, and injury if skiing solo with no piste patrol.
The only thing to mitigate this risk is therefore to hire a Ski Mountain Guide. These guys (and I use guys meaning men and women) are trained over several years to keep your butt safe. 300 Euros (the rate for off-piste skiing Chamonix) might seem a lot, but its peanuts in view of the training and expertise they bring. They will also, well the good ones anyway, ensure you are properly equipped and trained on how to use the off-piste equipment they supply.
Some, unless you really do know what you are doing, and you're going off-piste, book a Qualified Ski Mountain Guide and stay safe!
Off piste skiing is inherent with dangers that are related to route planning, these include getting lost, taking a route that leads to a cliff edge, crevasses when skiing on glaciers, avalanche risk, and injury if skiing solo with no piste patrol.
The only thing to mitigate this risk is therefore to hire a Ski Mountain Guide. These guys (and I use guys meaning men and women) are trained over several years to keep your butt safe. 300 Euros (the rate for off-piste skiing Chamonix) might seem a lot, but its peanuts in view of the training and expertise they bring. They will also, well the good ones anyway, ensure you are properly equipped and trained on how to use the off-piste equipment they supply.
Some, unless you really do know what you are doing, and you're going off-piste, book a Qualified Ski Mountain Guide and stay safe!
Friday 12 February 2010
Vallee Blanche Chamonix
After all the snow, one of our guests decided today to go and ski the Vallee Blanche. 17km long, and starting at 3,842m, this is probably the most famous off-piste itinerary routes to ski. As soon as you step on to the second cable car, heading towards l'Aiguille du Midi, you kind of get that feeling this isn't a normal off-piste route!
Stepping out the cable car and walking through the rocks and ice tunnel, first timers will be forgiven for the occasional tummy rumble. But this is what in many respects skiing Chamonix is really all about. The guide, and this being a high altitude glacier route, a good Ski Mountain Guide is essential, and at this point you will be roped in for the Arrete. This is probably the most spectacular part of the journey in some respects as you have the Valley Blanche on one side, and a sheer drop into Chamonix on the other, so yes, a head for heights is not a bad thing!
Once off the Arrete, the real fun starts, skiing between seracs and across glaciers. To quote today's guest, "when you said it would be memorable I did to be honest think it would be like just any other mountains, but it was just something else".
I guess I could therefore wax lyrical about skiing in between seracs, across snow bridges, peak jetting up like needs, the glistening blue of the glacier, untracked powder, etc - but unless you do it yourself, your never quite know how good i is!
Take a camera!!
Stepping out the cable car and walking through the rocks and ice tunnel, first timers will be forgiven for the occasional tummy rumble. But this is what in many respects skiing Chamonix is really all about. The guide, and this being a high altitude glacier route, a good Ski Mountain Guide is essential, and at this point you will be roped in for the Arrete. This is probably the most spectacular part of the journey in some respects as you have the Valley Blanche on one side, and a sheer drop into Chamonix on the other, so yes, a head for heights is not a bad thing!
Once off the Arrete, the real fun starts, skiing between seracs and across glaciers. To quote today's guest, "when you said it would be memorable I did to be honest think it would be like just any other mountains, but it was just something else".
I guess I could therefore wax lyrical about skiing in between seracs, across snow bridges, peak jetting up like needs, the glistening blue of the glacier, untracked powder, etc - but unless you do it yourself, your never quite know how good i is!
Take a camera!!
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Ski Off Piste
If you are going to start a blog on off piste skiing, I guess the first blog really should be about Chamonix. Anyone interested in off piste won't need an introduction to this resort, as Chamonix is the self styled alpine capital of the world and attracts skiers worldwide.
Such a popular resort can however bring large crowds to the slopes and also the better known off piste itineraries. It is therefore sometimes difficult to get away from the masses unless you are in the know. And hence why the best guides will often head away from the obvious off piste itineraries and focuses on Chamonix’s best kept secrets in terms of tranquility and fresh tracks. Examples include the Plan l’Aiguille, and the Balne Area. There are many more that are easily accessible and with some touring, these multiply considerably. Where touch on these in later blogs.
In terms of the most famous, and yes this does indeed attract the crowds, the Vallee Blanche has to be mentioned. There are a number of routes that skiers can take here, and always with a qualified mountain guide in our view, varying from the relatively easy, to the steep and deep. The Vallee blanche is the simplest and less techical route, and most confident intermediates should be able to cope with this route, assuming they can scale the Arrete at the start, and then there is the Real Vallee Blanche which takes a more direct, steeper line. The journey itself is about 17km and involves circa 2,800m of descent, so take a picnic and some water! but the views and scenery are breathtaking, mountain peaks jutting up from the floor and peaking like needles, seracs crafted beautifully by nature, and the spectacular glacier terrain. Whilst the latter is beautiful, glaciers have crevasses and sadly far too many people die in them, either falling to their death, or surviving the fall, but being found to late and dying of hypothermia - so take a good qualified Chamonix mountain guide.
Such a popular resort can however bring large crowds to the slopes and also the better known off piste itineraries. It is therefore sometimes difficult to get away from the masses unless you are in the know. And hence why the best guides will often head away from the obvious off piste itineraries and focuses on Chamonix’s best kept secrets in terms of tranquility and fresh tracks. Examples include the Plan l’Aiguille, and the Balne Area. There are many more that are easily accessible and with some touring, these multiply considerably. Where touch on these in later blogs.
In terms of the most famous, and yes this does indeed attract the crowds, the Vallee Blanche has to be mentioned. There are a number of routes that skiers can take here, and always with a qualified mountain guide in our view, varying from the relatively easy, to the steep and deep. The Vallee blanche is the simplest and less techical route, and most confident intermediates should be able to cope with this route, assuming they can scale the Arrete at the start, and then there is the Real Vallee Blanche which takes a more direct, steeper line. The journey itself is about 17km and involves circa 2,800m of descent, so take a picnic and some water! but the views and scenery are breathtaking, mountain peaks jutting up from the floor and peaking like needles, seracs crafted beautifully by nature, and the spectacular glacier terrain. Whilst the latter is beautiful, glaciers have crevasses and sadly far too many people die in them, either falling to their death, or surviving the fall, but being found to late and dying of hypothermia - so take a good qualified Chamonix mountain guide.
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