New safety information at the Vallee Blanche
As one of the world's most famous off-piste itineraries the Vallée Blanche attracts a huge number of visitors. As well as those who come to ride the cable car and admire the panoramic views of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps, there are also many people who come with the intention of skiing or snowboarding some of Chamonix's most stunning glacial terrain. Up to 2000 people per day descend the Vallée Blanche on skis and snowboards; mostly arriving safely back in Chamonix a few hours later having had an amazing experience.
However, there are some who are not so lucky. Reports of people going missing or having serious accidents on the Vallée Blanche are not uncommon and neither, worryingly, are tales of people arriving at the summit of the cable car and asking where the piste starts! Dangerously unequipped and unprepared, the cable car staff do their best to warn such people that the Vallée Blanche is NOT A PISTE.
The Chamoniard, the public information service run by the Office de Haute Montagne, has designed new signs to inform people of the dangers of skiing the Vallée Blanche without the necessary equipment and know-how. Very little text and easy-to-interpret pictures should be understood by all visitors, regardless of language barriers. The new posters will be displayed at the bottom of the cable car and at the start of the off-piste route at 3842m.
The signs will also be displayed at the Grands Montets near the Pas de Chevre and Glacier des Rognons, as well as at the “des Jeurs” sector of Le Balme/Le Tour.
Chamonix and the Vallée Blanche offer some incredible off-piste itineraries, which are best explored with a certified mountain guide. Please click here for Chamonix Valley Mountain Guides >>
