1. 2012

Vallee Blanche in April

For years I've been searching for the elusive European yeti, Gigantopithecus modernis yetii. My first expeditions to the alps (see here and here) yielded important clues about likely yeti habitats, but no actual sightings (a big furry beast located on a mountain ledge one night turned out to be a misplaced hiker named Jacques see 'In search of the yeti Part II'). However, I'd had my suspicions about the remote Vallee Blanche for years. Skiers regularly disappear without trace here, and the numerous deep crevasses provide ample shelter. Surely if the yetis were out there it would be an ideal place to find them. So when surgery to repair an old arm fracture prevented me from working, I seized the opportunity to go searching... Don't miss the published story of this adventure!
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    The deep powder gave everything an innocent look, but our guide informed us the crevasses were up to 60 m deep. We were all required to wear harnesses to make it easier to extract us if anyone fell in, as well as avalanche transponders.
    After descending the Geant Glacier (upper middle) we joined France's biggest glacier, the Mer de Glace ('sea of glass').
    The way now is mostly flat.