Today, the Couloir Cosmiques is on the agenda: as the weather gods were really kind to us, we went straight to the Aiguille Du Midi one day later in the morning.
When we left the mountain station, the weather table showed a frosty minus 29°C degrees and minimal winds of an almost ridiculous 100 km/h. We immediately made our way to the Rond Glacier (800 m, 45°- 50°). However, the Rond was unfortunately a victim of the strong winds of the last few days and accordingly looked very icy and blown off. After a brief consultation, we decided to ski Rond Glacier at a later date and tried our luck in the adjacent Cosmiques Couloir (800 m, 45°-50°). In the meantime, a small group was already at the start, abseiling down two pitches. The next person to join us was a local we had met the day before on Brévent, who knew of another access point that would allow us to reach the couloir without abseiling. We didn't hesitate for long and took the much faster option. After an ingenious descent through the virgin couloir, we immediately continued over the Bossons Glacier towards Chamonix. What could be better than a powder descent of almost 3000 meters through an impressive glacier landscape? However, we both had to give in to the frosty temperatures and strong winds and ended the day with a hearty dinner and red wine in typical Chamonix style.
Outlook: in the second part you can read about our ski activities as well as accommodation and shopping options.
Text: Christian Skala
All pictures as a gallery to click through
