Powder skiing on the Vallee Noir in Chamonix
The Italian side of the Vallée Blanche
We'd book a midi bin for 10.50 in the morning, but with temperatures set to hit near summer levels we decided to pop across the border, avoid the Aiguilles de Midi queues and get the Helbronner lift on the Italian side.
No queues, no faff, just straight up to 3,462m for a quick coffee and a long untracked descent back to Chamonix, all before our original booking. The snow was a little wind blown but it was cold and offered some lovely skiing.
Avalanche risk was 3/5 rising to 4/5 in the afternoon due to a significant rise in temperature. It is predicted to stay at 4/5 over the weekend and authorities are expecting a lot of avalanche activity and have issued an advisory against mountain activities over the weekend.
