20 December 2003

In search of a new challenge
Without massive amounts of powder snow to play with I fancied a go at something else. The Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix, starting point for the infamous Vallee Blanche run is now open for the winter but has a sign saying 'Sightseeing Only'. The reasons for this are clear.

The ridge to the start of the run is not equipped and there is not enough snow on the lower part of the run to get anywhere near Montenvers to catch the train home. On top of this we have had the hottest driest summer in a long time and the glaciers have become far more crevassed. The Col du Midi is a huge flattish area of glacier at over 3500m it always has snow, this was our playground to be.

Defy gravity
To turn a flattish snow covered are into fun you need some way of getting pulled around, and the Col du Midi is normally quite windy. My buddy Phil Ingle had already experimented with small kits for skiing and has been given a prototype from O-Zone. This is quite a sizable kite similar to the ones used for kite surfing. The idea is to use the kite to provide motion instead of a downward slope, and the progression is to go uphill with the kite instead of resorting to touring skis and skins.

Kite skiing in the sun

The Aigullie du Midi

Going for it!

Getting down to the Col du Midi meant negotiating the ridge, but before getting that far I had to climb over the barricade put up to deter 'sightseers' from going over. Once out on the ridge there were a few footsteps from ice climbers and Phil's tracks. I tentatively stepped into my skis and headed slowly down the ridge. Conditions were lovely, 6 inches of fresh snow on a firm base. There was ice visible, though easily avoided, but there is just something unnerving about sideslipping along with 2800m of free space under your ski tips.

Now all you need is some wind
Once off the ridge the ski down to the flatland was bliss, fresh powder and no people. The wind was very strong whilst setting up so we retired just down slope for shelter. Of course with the kite set up the wind died. With occasional breaths of wind we managed to move across the slope and when we got anything resembling a gust then uphill.

With a glorious backdrop we messed about for 2 hours or so, finally giving up from tiredness. As soon as we packed up the kite to start the trek home the wind picked up to almost gale force.

But as I write this it's snowing in Chamonix... looks like its back to powder skiing again!

Words and Pictures from Tom Greenall - Natives Resort Reporter in Chamonix
W ith Redeye - Natives reporter official headwear sponsor

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