
It’s February 26th and I’ve made my 40th lap around the sun. Needless for me to say that I had a desire to do something extra-ordinary today.
Despite the danger of being on the glacier without a partner, I put my fate in the hands of the snow gods and boarded the Aiguille du Midi cable car, where, at 12,600 feet, one can embark upon the famous Vallée Blanche, which is quite possibly THE most famous ski run in the world. It was a perfect day – no clouds, no wind, and over 9,000 vertical feet of beautiful snow conditions from the summit to the Chamonix village below me.
The tour starts with a hair-raising walk down a knife-edged arete from the top of the station to a plateau where you can put on your skis. It’s really not that bad of a descent, but if one were to slip, it would most likely be a fatal fall down the 50 degree rocky slope. And if you somehow survived that, you’d then have to figure out how to escape the bergschrund directly below. Luckily, there is a series of fixed ropes. Once you get to the plateau, it’s an easy ski to the Geant glacial valley below, which then follows the Glacier du Tacul and ultimately leads to the Mer de Glace, France’s largest glacier. But it’s best not to be too complacent with the easy turns and beautiful views as what may look to be a mere bump in the snow could quite possibly be the top of an icy (and inescapable) serac. The route from here on seems endless and one soon loses sight of the Aiguille du Midi, now capturing views of what will someday end up in those plastic Evian bottles we find in the supermarket. I stop to grab a handful straight from the source. Another few hundred meters down, I stop for a quick lunch. It’s truly a beautiful spot and despite feeling “alone”, I soon come to the realization that I’m merely “on my own”. A text message comes in wishing me a “Happy Birthday”.
After running virtually flat for another few kilometers, the Mer de Glace gives way to a steeper slope toward Chamonix where the warmer air exposes a litter of boulders and the grey moraine. A twenty minute stomp up a steep hill then takes you out of the valley and to a cleverly located hut where one can buy food and drink (Ah…Europe at its best. I just love this place).

Today, the edge of the glacier stops at 1,800 meters in elevation while, just a hundred years ago, it powered down to 1,200 meters. Our world is certainly changing. There’s no doubt. I just hope that I will be able to do this tour with Francesca some day. Time will tell. Until then, live the moment. ”Cheers Franki!”
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