Skiing the vallée blanche: your guide to chamonix's classic off-piste ski descent

Picture this: You take a lift from the valley floor to over 3,500 meters, walk out of the lift station and down onto the glacier. You're surrounded by 4,000 metre peaks and spectacular views in all directions. You put on your skis and begin the most memorable off-piste descent of your life. This is the Vallée Blanche.

If you're a keen skier, chances are the Vallée Blanche is on your bucket list. And if it's not, then hopefully by the time you've finished reading this guide you'll have been persuaded to add it!

​This guide will take you through everything you need to know about the most famous off-piste ski run in the world - from what kit you need to logistics to various options if you want to extend your adventure.

What is the Vallée Blanche?

The Vallée Blanche is one of, if not the most famous off-piste ski descent in the world. For the vast majority who take it on, it involves skiing from the Aiguille du Midi at 3,800m all the way down to the Montenvers train station. The route is 15 km long with over 2,000m of descent.

If you get lucky with conditions and there's snow down to the valley, you can continue via a short hike to the Buvette des Mottets, stop for a quick refreshment and then ski all the way to Chamonix. This will get you an extra 800m of descent.

You're skiing on a glacier almost the whole way down, with peaks like Mont Blanc, Dent du Géant, the Grandes Jorasses and Aiguille Verte towering over you. The route is not groomed and not marked so this is true off-piste skiing at it's best.

How do I get to and from the Vallée Blanche?

There are two ways to access the Vallée Blanche, and both have their perks:

Aiguille du Midi Cable Car
By far the most popular way to do the Vallée Blanche is via the famous Aiguille du Midi cable car. You'll get on the lift not far from the centre of Chamonix and it will carry you all the way up to about 3,800 metres.

After leaving the lift you will get kitted up, head through the tunnel and out onto the ridge that leads down to a broad shoulder where you can put skis on and begin your descent. This is the "classic" way to ski the Vallée Blanche.


Skyway Monte Bianco
For a much quieter experience you can park in Chamonix, catch the bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy and take the Skyway lift. Stop for a delicious Italian coffee either at the bottom or top of the lift, and have an easier descent from the lift station down to the glacier.

The views from Punta Hellbronner at the top of Skyway are absolutely stunning, and being away from the Midi crowds mean that we really like this way of skiing the Vallée Blanche. Plus, who doesn't love an excuse to go to Italy and drink excellent coffee?


Regardless of which way you start the Vallée Blanche, you'll finish the same way. Most likely, your ski will finish near the bottom of the Mer de Glace. Due to how much the glacier has receded, a gondola has now been built to carry you up the train station at Montenvers, where you take the train down to Chamonix.

If you time your trip with a really good dump of snow to low levels, it might be possible to ski right down to the valley. You'll have a short boot pack to get from the glacier up to Buvette des Mottets, but then your skis can go back on and you can ski all the way to Chamonix.

What kit do I need?

Despite the Vallée Blanche being a long way from any pistes, as it's all downhill it's possible to ski it using downhill boots and bindings. However, if you have a ski touring setup then it opens up the option to go for a tour and get even more turns in.

​You'll be skiing on a glacier for almost all of the descent so you'll need kit for glacier travel: harness, rope, sling/lanyard, carabiners, prussiks and an ice screw. As with any off-piste skiing, you must also have an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe.

If you're going from the Midi cable car then you'll need crampons and an ice axe for the descent down the ridge onto the glacier. Crampons and an ice axe aren't required if you go from the Skyway lift on the Italian side.

You'll be going up to almost 4,000 metres so pack warm layers, gloves and a hat, and we would always recommend skiing in a helmet and goggles rather than sunglasses. And remember to pack your snacks!

How good a skier do I need to be?

If you take the easiest line down the Vallée Blanche it is achievable for many skiers. But remember that the route isn't groomed, so you should expect any snow conditions, from dreamy fluffy powder (if you get really lucky!) to chopped up snow to skied out moguls.

As a general guide, you should be comfortable skiing an un-pisted red run and in variable snow conditions. You should also spend a bit of time getting used to moguls to make sure you can ski them with control. While on the Vallée Blanche you will be in the vicinity of crevasses so it's essential to have good control of your speed and direction at all times.

What other skills do I need?

The main thing to bear in mind here is that you're skiing on a glacier in an area that is not managed. The Vallée Blanche is a serious place so you need to have a good understanding of all the risks, and be sure that you're able to look after yourself in this terrain.

Do you understand the avalanche risk? Can you identify where crevasses are likely to be? Do you know what to do if someone in your group falls in a crevasse? Do you know what to do if someone gets avalanched?

If you go from the Midi then you need to be happy using crampons and an ice axe to descend the ridge. Once the snow has built up enough this descent is roped, but early in the season there's no rope, so you need to be confident descending an exposed ridge in ski boots and crampons.

As you can see, there's a lot more to having a safe and enjoyable day on the Vallée Blanche than just being a good skier!

Should I ski the Vallée Blanche with a guide?

That depends on how you answered the questions above. If you're unsure about any of those other skills then play it safe and go with a fully qualified IFMGA Guide.

A guide will look after you, select a safe and appropriate route, and make sure that you get the most out of your day. With a guide, you get to relax and really enjoy the skiing, and you might even come away with some new skills at the end of the day.