Skiing the Vallée Blanche in Chamonix with a guide

The Vallée Blanche is on many skiers' wish lists: a long descent through glaciers, with no marked or groomed runs. You don't need to be an expert: a good skier with a high mountain guide can do it. Here's what to know before you book: the skiing level you need, the season, the ridge, the kit, getting back to Chamonix and what the price includes.

The Vallée Blanche at a glance

Key fact	In short
Start	Top of the Aiguille du Midi, 3,842 m
Finish	Mer de Glace
Distance	More than 20 km on glacier
Descent time	4 to 5 hours, breaks included
Season	Usually January to April
Level	Comfortable on red runs, at minimum
Getting back	Gondola up to Montenvers, then train to Chamonix
Guiding	A high mountain guide, strongly recommended by the tourist office

What is the Vallée Blanche?

It's an off-piste route in the high mountains: no markers, no grooming, no avalanche control. It starts from the top station of the Aiguille du Midi, at 3,842 m, which the cable car reaches in about 20 minutes from Chamonix (1,035 m), then runs down the glaciers to the Mer de Glace, below the Montenvers site.

Figures vary between sources: over 20 km with a 2,800 m vertical drop according to the tourist office, about 20 km and 2,700 m according to the Aiguille du Midi operator. The 2,800 m figure means skiing all the way down to Chamonix, which only works when there's enough snow. Most of the time, the run ends at the Mer de Glace.

Allow 4 to 5 hours including breaks, according to the tourist office, or 2 to 5 hours according to guides. There are several routes, some steeper than others: the guide chooses one based on the snow, the glacier and your level.

When is the Vallée Blanche season?

Usually from January to April, depending on snow cover and the state of the glacier, according to the tourist office. With a private guide, you choose your day: message them with your dates and they'll tell you when the snow and the glacier are at their best.

The season starts when the Aiguille du Midi cable car reopens after its autumn maintenance: opening dates are on the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc website. Right at the start of the season, the ridge can be more technical: your guide will tell you what to expect.

For current conditions, the Office de Haute Montagne (OHM), the high-mountain information office in the Maison de la Montagne opposite the tourist office, gathers mountain information and can put you in touch with guides.

How difficult is the Vallée Blanche?

Being able to ski a red run is a prerequisite, according to the tourist office; some operators ask for black-run level. In practice, you need to link turns on a steady slope, stay comfortable on ungroomed snow and keep going for 4 to 5 hours.

For children, the tourist office keeps the Vallée Blanche for very experienced young skiers, with a guide. In groups, young people are usually accepted from age 15 with a parent; on a private outing, talk to the guide about your children's age and level. Snowboarding is possible too: mention it to the guide before you book.

Not sure about your level? Tell the guide which runs you ski comfortably: they'll tell you if you're ready.

What is the Aiguille du Midi ridge like?

It's the first section, and the one people find most intimidating. From the top station, you walk down a narrow snow ridge to the glacier, skis on your rucksack, crampons on your boots, roped to your guide. You put your skis on at the bottom. The tourist office names the ridge as the most exposed part of the day, along with the crevassed areas.

The guide kits you out and explains how to move: walk at their pace, one step at a time. If you're afraid of heights, tell them before you book.

Can you ski the Vallée Blanche without a guide?

No law requires a guide for the Vallée Blanche. In practice, though, a guide is essential unless you know high-mountain terrain: the tourist office strongly recommends one, and the Aiguille du Midi operator says inexperienced skiers need one. There are three reasons:

• The glacier. Some crevasses hide under snow bridges: the guide knows the right line, away from the seracs, and you ski in their tracks.

• A route that changes. The glacier moves and so does the snow: the right line isn't the same from one season, or one week, to the next. The guide adapts the route to the day's conditions.

• The snow. Off the pistes, the guide assesses the snow before committing, and everyone carries avalanche safety kit.

Only a high mountain guide can take you: in France, that's the guide de haute montagne, the IFMGA (UIAGM) qualification. A ski instructor isn't allowed to lead groups in unmarked glacier areas. To see who does what, read Mountain guide, mountain leader, ski instructor: who does what?

On PEAKED, Ilan is a high mountain guide and ski instructor born in the Chamonix valley: he offers the Vallée Blanche ski descent as a private outing for 1 to 4 people.

What kit do you need for the Vallée Blanche?

The guide usually provides the safety kit: on his outing, Ilan provides the rope, avalanche transceiver and harness, and can lend you equipment. Skis and crampons, which must fit your ski boots, are often up to you: ask him what he provides. Bring:

• skis and ski boots you know well, your own or hired in Chamonix;

• a rucksack, to carry your skis on the ridge, water and lunch;

• safety kit, provided or hired depending on the guide: harness, crampons, avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe;

• warm layers, two pairs of gloves and a hat: it's far colder at 3,842 m than in town;

• goggles, sunglasses and sun cream;

• water and a packed lunch, to enjoy on the way, surrounded by glaciers.

If you're travelling from the UK or elsewhere, check that your winter sports insurance covers off-piste skiing with a guide.

How do you get back from the Vallée Blanche?

Usually in two steps: the Mer de Glace gondola (also called the Glacier gondola) takes you up from the glacier to Montenvers, then the Montenvers rack railway takes you back to the centre of Chamonix. When there's enough snow, you can also ski all the way down to Chamonix.

Before the gondola was built, skiers had to climb about 550 steps of metal ladders up to Montenvers on foot. If the gondola isn't running on a given day, your guide will tell you which way back is possible. Opening dates and times for the train and the gondola change every season: check them on the tourist office website.

The time of the last gondola up matters: your guide plans the start time around it.

On tickets, a standard Aiguille du Midi return doesn't cover the gondola and train back: your guide will tell you which ticket to buy.

What goes into the price of the Vallée Blanche with a guide?

There are two options: a group outing, where you pay for your place, and a private guide, whom you pay for your whole group. With a private guide, the more of you there are, the less each person pays.

• With Ilan on PEAKED: the Vallée Blanche ski descent is a private outing for 1 to 4 people, guided in English, French or Spanish. The price for the group is shown on the outing's page, service fees included.

• Lifts: the Aiguille du Midi cable car and the return by the Montenvers gondola and train are usually paid separately, per person; prices are on the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc website. Ask your guide what's included.

• Ski hire and lunch are usually extra.

How do you choose your guide for the Vallée Blanche?

On PEAKED, Ilan takes clients down the Vallée Blanche. Born in the Chamonix valley into a family of guides, he is a high mountain guide and ski instructor; his qualifications, professional card and insurance are verified by PEAKED, and he guides in English, French and Spanish. Message him from his profile: he'll reply with his availability.

Before you book, ask whichever guide you choose:

• are they a high mountain guide (IFMGA), with an up-to-date professional card?

• how many people do they take, and what's included (lifts, safety kit)?

• how do they adapt the outing to the day's conditions?

Want to see the Mer de Glace up close with a PEAKED pro? Jeff Mercier takes clients climbing in the moulins of the Mer de Glace, the glacier where the Vallée Blanche ends.

Vallée Blanche: key points

• What: over 20 km of off-piste skiing on glaciers, from the Aiguille du Midi to the Mer de Glace.

• When: usually January to April, once the Aiguille du Midi cable car is open.

• How long: 4 to 5 hours of skiing, a full day in all.

• Level: red runs at least, comfortable off-piste; from age 15 in a group.

• The ridge: on foot, in crampons, roped to the guide; the most exposed section.

• Guide: not required by law, essential in practice: an IFMGA high mountain guide.

• Getting back: Mer de Glace gondola, then the Montenvers train, or ski down to Chamonix with enough snow.

• Price: a price per person in a group, a price for the whole group with a private guide; lifts on top.

• On PEAKED: Ilan, a high mountain guide, on a private outing for 1 to 4 people; message him from his profile.