We went to the Cosmiques because we heard it was awesome, once you got past the top bit that is, which had a bluish tone to it. We abbed that bit, as the girls (one is known as Ginger Wookie) who were Comsique virgins didnt need to sample the worst it had to offer. As I stand on my skis waiting for the girls to get their skis on and pull their ropes, someone screams rock and I see a microwave sized block slam into a guy abseiling and accelerates onwards. I decide to slide forward and take my chances on bluish snow ice as the boulder speeds towards the team below. Memories of having my nose broken here a lifetime ago by careless people abseiling above teams. The injured skier had to get roped out of the couloir. Surprising his leg didnt shatter.
After alot of faff the skiing was superb and worth it.
Going past the top of the Para Face without diving in was difficult but I needed to do some more skiing so went to the Rond. It must have seen half of Chamonix that day so the traverse was down to glacier ice again and a bit sketchy. Below, the pow was really uniform and 10 minutes later I was lapping back to the Para Face and arcing out GS turns to the Gare des Glaciers. Here’s where I made an error. I kept the car keys when I should have given them to the girls, who had gone down the VB side. They could have picked me up at the tunnel but instead I had to walk back to town in my race boots. Clunk, clunk, clunk, knees and back enjoyed that one! Its a lush walk through the forest only spoiled by the Gypsy camp and their rabid, aggressive, unleashed pack of dogs that charge at you barking and drooling in anticipation of another skier meal. In winter you can ski through at 25 mph but right now you are walking and easy prey for the pack. Take a tazor, pepper spray and a machete or even better, a sawn-off!! The most dangerous place in Chamonix aside from the back of Le Tour. You are warned.
Ross Hewitt Guiding 