After skiing on a powder day at one of the many ski resorts in the Chamonix Valley here in France, or off the Aiguille Du Midi Telepherique (cable car) down one of the many variations of the Vallee Blanche or the steep Rond Glacier or equally impressive Cosmiques Couloir, Chamonix starts to come into its own through its shear variety of quality ski tours, steep terrain and ski mountaineering lines. All of which will hold powder for a long time after the resorts are bumped out.

This what I've come to Chamonix for, the mountaineering style skiing lines.

After riding the Aiguille Du Midi up to 3864 metres, just one of the many lift systems you can choose to tour off in Chamonix, you've got to head down the Arête to get to your first run of the day on the Vallee Blanche glacier system.

The arête is kept in good condition and is equipped with a roped handrail for the bulk of the winter season.

At the base of the arête it's possible to take a good look at the North West Shoulder of the Aiguille Du Tacul. Before clipping in and skiing half way down the Vallee Blance to were the Glacier des Periades joins in on the true right hand side.

From here its on with the touring skins for a brisk two hours of ascending which will see you up the Glacier des Periades to the base of two couloirs, one which will take you to the Shoulder of the Aiguille Du Tacul and the other to the Col Du Tacul which leads into the Capucin Couloir and another of Chamonix's finest tours .

It's at this point that you may catch the sun for the first time in a few hours and the skins come off and the ski's go on the pack for the boot pack to the shoulder.

This is where it's good to have a few numbers in the crew as if you've been lucky to be first up the glacier you'll be putting the steeps in on your way up the couloir, about an hour if your lucky, 45 minutes if your fast.  

It's on topping out that you see why this lines so sort after as the shoulder rolls off on both sides leaving nothing in the way of a perfect view.   It's here at 3350 metres, if no ones close behind that you can sit down and enjoy your lunch get a few pictures and pick out some of the peaks and famous ski lines on offer.

From here it's all downhill to town starting with some nice turns on an open slope before abit of route finding is needed about mid run to make sure you find the right exit coulior onto the easier lower slopes leading back to the Mer de Glace, the bottom of the Vallee Blanche.

As with most lines such as this there can be more than a few options on offer. Our line and the most common line taken on the Shoulder has a steep ski into a cliff band which can sometimes fill in or be aired but on this occasion needed a short abseil off a rock spike, keeping your ski's on, to clear it.

The bottom turns give you a chance to open it up a bit and then its down the glacier to a short hike off the ice and onto a ski track known as the James Bond Route into Chamonix were a two minute walk will have you in the centre of town for the all popular après ski at one of the three best run bars around, The Swedish run Chambra Neuf and Goophy's or the New Zealand owned Elevation.

Before it's off home and a chance to relax before lining up another quality tour for the next day. - Copyright Steve Eastwood.

Set up: Naxo NX21 Mountain Binding on K2 Apache Chief in 188cms. G3 Skins, shovel and avalanche probe. 45 litre pack, light weight touring axe, crampons, harness, an ice screw, six carabiners, two pulley's, three prusiks, one long sling and two 30 metre long 7mm ropes within the group. Two pairs of Smith Fuse Goggles and a pair of T:Nine Sunglasses. Nikon F100 camera with 24-85mm lens. Ski helmet.

Guiding Services. www.mountainspirit.info www.dreamguides.com
Accommodation www.bigmountainhouse.com
The Ski Station Backpackers at Brevent. Other websites. www.chamonix.com www.chamonet.com

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