Summer Solstice Ski Safari

Skiing has stopped in chamonix since May the 1st…Or Has It?

Waiting for the bus wearing my best GoreTex, suns beating down, maybe i should take my gloves off…

My German ski buddy had better ideas wearing minimal clothing, basically beach wear!  My wardrobe error become even more apparent when i was informed the summer bus does not go all the way to the Grands Montets, thus involving another 600 meter walk, normally this wouldn’t pose a problem…

Except my attire would be more fitting on the summit of Mt Everest…

I follow the scantily clad German to the telecabin turnstile, we watch other intrepid sweaty skiers make they’re way down the grassy piste.

Once i managed to force my gargantuan backpack in the glacial telecabin we were away!  There were many skiers and epic lines we could spot from the lift, this gave me hope as my 400 meters of rope encroached the personal space of a helpless Japanese tourist.

Once we “summited” the views were breathtaking, rolling glaciers under a clear blue sky.  We quickly strapped in and headed right across the Col des Grands Montets and down the Glacier Lognan.  The snow was great spring corn up high with only a couple of crevasses and the bergschrund to navigate.  Unfortunately the terrain quickly changed to what i can only describe as a luna golfball!

Once off the glacier, we stumbled across the Bochard piste which was a pleasant surprise and a lot more forgiving on the knees.  We traversed past the new chairlift currently being built and tackled the last section of “snow”

We managed to navigate half way down the return piste, which resulted in a sunny 5 minute walk out.

All in all it was a fantastic day out in the mountains, Chamonix really does have it all!