spontaneous planning: May 2012

Packing:

Even though my pack was pretty light there were a lot of little details to take care of and one big one: my boots. On a previous 4 day back country trip my ski boots had given me bad blisters. I did exactly what everyone tells you not to do - I bought new boots and didn't really have time to truly test them out before the trip, but I was lucky it turned out to be fine.

I brought all the the regular stuff on the check list provided by the guides - what I wish I had was my own crocs for the huts, a magazine and not the book I brought and more energy bars. I had brought 1 per day + fruit leather, next time I will bring 2 per day.

Day 1: ski the Mer de Glace

Beautiful sunny day, this was a day for the guides to see our skiing abilities and for the group to ski together.

Day 2: begin the traverse - night in the Trient Hut

This was the longest day and a day that we used all our equipment; skins, boot crampons, ski crampons, ice axe, and harness for descending 220 feet. The weather was all over the place; cloudy, sunny then cloudy again.

Hut etiquette:

leave your skis outside or in the ski room if there is one
leave all your sharp objects in a basket in the entry, usually with your ski boots; crampons, ice axe, probe and shovel
grab a pair of hut slippers; usually crocs
backpacks in your room or hall, not in the main dining area
the groups have assigned tables for eating and are served at the table
the dorm rooms varied from your own bunks to a platform of beds; the pillow and comforter were provided

Trient hut

Day 3: ski from Trient Hut to Champex - bus, train, multiple trams and skied to Mont Fort hut

Woke to mixed weather conditions; whiteout, clearing. This was a mixed transportation day; ski, climb, then ski into a resort, catch a bus, catch a train, than tram it up and ski down to the Mont Fort hut which is actually in the Verbier ski resort.

Day 4: ski from Mont Fort hut to Prafleuri hut - summit Rosa Blanche

Mont Fort hut

Skinned out of the resort in overcast weather, over the col out of the ski report. The sun broke through for great summit views on Rosa Blanche. Skied down to the hut for the night.

Day 5: ski from Prafleuri hut to Dix hut - afternoon tour

Prafleuri hut

Cold and clear for our early start to the Dix hut, a very long traverse along Dix lake. Afternoon touring around the Dix hut in the sun.

Day 6: ski from Dix hut to Vignettes hut

Again mixed weather day; whiteouts and clearing. Lots of climbing and then ski down to the spectacularly located Vignettes hut, perched on a rock face.

Dix Hut

Day 7: ski from Vignettes hut to Zermatt or Arolla in my case

This was going to be one of our longest days - "A full map day" as the guides referred to it. But we woke to complete white out, howling winds and falling snow. All the groups in the hut waited as long as we could for the weather to clear and in defeat we slowly snowplowed our way down the mountain into the town of Arolla, where we caught a taxi with another America group for Zermatt.