The Plan seemed simple: 1. Climb the Cosmique Arete
2. Ski the Cosmique Couloir.
Simple!
So eventually we made it down the arete weaving between the punters wanting to ski the VB, and started are boot pack round to the refuge.
The climb started off as a boot pack up the ridge, with the odd more interesting move. Time ticked on, lunch passed, with over half way still to go.
Last lift started to approach around the half way mark. "Its ok, we'll just ski down" we thought!
As the light was vanishing rapidly an escape plan was devised. A simple 140m abseil into the couloir. Rope up and cross the glacier. Eventually this was executed and everyone found themselves tied together at the bottom! An extremely cold, tiring and windy hike finally led us back up the arete and into the top station for 9.30 pm!!
The night was spent huddled together in the toilets of the top station trying to keep warm, whilst thinking about the amazing grand Nachos at MBC!
Sunrise came and as the light shone into the vallee we decided to finish are adventure with a cruise back down the Vallee Blanche, "Gros Rognan Variant" all the way into Chamonix
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