Aiguille du Midi

There are many famous ski tours around Chamonix, although the Brèche Puiseux is not necessarily one of the best known in this country. However, the scenery is extremely impressive and the skiing is also very rewarding.

Today's "Powder" alert is more of an official PowderGuide precipitation bulletin. Greetings, time travelers! You have traveled to the year 2070 and arrived in a normal winter.

It's a strange winter. The fear of Covid 19 seems to have the whole of Europe in its grip. France is no exception. Apart from the training slopes for young skiers, all lifts are at a standstill. The otherwise lively and bustling centre of Chamonix, where alpinists, ski bums and high society from all over the world gather, seems strangely quiet and completely atypical for this time of the year.

About 20 years ago, as a young boy, I stood on the Aiguille du Midi in France for the first time with my parents. Without any effort, I climbed to an altitude of 3842m to stand like an astronaut in the face of a rugged, high alpine landscape. Impressed then as I am now, I ask myself whether it is essential for people to be able to reach otherwise almost inaccessible places so easily.

A short conversation at the start of the tour with German skiers Bene and Felix.

At the second Alpine Arc'ademy on the Aguille du Midi in Chamonix from June 13 to 16, 2013, participants from all over the world were once again able to discover the beautiful mountain world around the Mont Blanc massif with crampons and ice axes. The basic idea of this year's Alpine Arc'ademy, which was organized by the Canadian mountain sports equipment manufacturer Arc'teryx and supported by many other brands, was to introduce participants to the fascinating world of mountains, alpinism and mountaineering. The second Arc'teryx Alpine Arc'ademy at the Aguille du Midi in Chamonix turned out to be a successful summit meeting of mountaineering enthusiasts from all over the world.

The Brenva flank rises high above the Glacier du Géant, the Giant's Glacier, not far from the highest mountain in the Alps. To the east, on the Tour Ronde, is the mighty Gervasutti, probably one of the most famous couloirs in the Alps. A top-class destination for excellent skiers!

After a winter in Salzburger Land that provided us with some skiing highlights, it was time to crown the season with a few highlights on a trip to the western Alps. The big mountains were calling us, we heeded the call and made a determined pilgrimage to Chamonix – the Mecca of ambitious off-piste skiers on the afternoon of Maundy Thursday.

After a good early winter and lots of treeskiing, it's time to tackle the big lines. Where better to do this than in Chamonix? After a long wait, we have finally arrived in Chamonix and will be reporting on our experiences over the next three weeks.

The Couloir Cosmiques is on the program today: as the weather gods were really kind to us, we set off for the Aiguille Du Midi the next morning.