Before any attempt on Mont Blanc, acclimatization is a process everyone has to go through. With our team of 3 people from Iceland, we spend 2 days in altitude : on the first day we traverse from the Aiguille du Midi to Punta Helbronner, and on the way we climb the easy Petit Flambeau ; we sleep at the Cosmiques Hut (3600m) ; the second day we climb the Mont-Blanc du Tacul (4200m) and go back to the valley. After one day of recuperation, we should be ready for the big mountain !

Chamonix is very busy these days. The challenge is to find places without too many people. It's easier if you take the skins for a tour far from the lifts. I didn't want to drive, so I chose the closest peak, just above my place : the Aiguillette des Houches, known for its fantastic view on the Mont Blanc range. I was lucky : I saw just one person - it's better for the photo ! On the way down, the NW couloir (la Vogealle) was in perfect powder.

A strange name for one of the most beautiful easy tours close to Chamonix. This 2000m summit can be reached either on skis or with snowboots. You can start from Combloux or Megeve and use the lifts : you will then have a short 300m climb to reach the top. You can also start from Cordon and climb 900 meters. On the way down, if you are skiing, you may go down to Les Giètes and use the lifts and pists all the way back to Combloux. Whatever the way you choose, from this summit you will have the most beautiful view you can imagine on the Mont Blanc range !

Everything was going fine yesterday : we had a quite heavy snowfall, without wind, and it made us expect a perfect Vallée Blanche on this sunny Sunday. "Hélas", a strong wind was blowing on the ridge of the Aiguille du Midi, and it increased dramatically along the day. The Vallée Blanche became a kind of white hell, with violent spindrifts. It was even difficult, sometimes, to see where you were skiing...
And even at the Mottets, just after having left the glacier and before skiing down the easy trail to Chamonix, instead of have a nice drink in a warm sun, the wind created a fantastic atmosphere !

The "Bréche de Bérard" is a very classical alpine tour in the Aiguilles Rouges. Starting from Les Praz, we use the lifts of La Flégère up to the top (L'Index). After a short climb with the skins, we traverse down to the bottom of the Brèche. Another 1 hour climb to the Brèche (a narrow pass dominating the valley of Bérard), a long, perfect descent leads ti the village of Le Buet wher we catch the train back to Les Praz. Short climb, long and intersting descent ! What else ?