When I was a teenager skiing ran through my blood. Any chance I got to be on a mountain I would take it. When I wasn’t on a mountain I was daydreaming about the next time I would be or thinking about the many places that I would one day get to ski. At the top of the list was Chamonix, a group of little villages in the French Alps at the base of Mont Blanc. Even though I had some of the worlds best skiing in my backyard I was obsessed with the prospect of making fresh tracks in the Alpine snow. I read all the Ski Magazine articles I could find but the definitive impetus for my obsession came from watching Warren Miller’s yearly ski films where Chamonix was often featured. It was the first time I had ever seen such steep peaks, unrestricted open skiing, and random 10-20 foot drops into waist-high powder. Simply put it was a winter wonderland paradise that seemed unobtainable and a world away to a kid in Colorado. So, when Doreen told me that we were going to Chamonix for a ski vacation I couldn’t believe it. Even after having been there for 7 days it’s hard to believe that the dream has come true and that going back is more than a possibility; it’s something we’ve frequently talked about since leaving.

In 1741 two Englishmen named Windham and Pococke discovered the Chamonix valley and its glaciers. A small rural population of mountain farmers had been living in the area for many years prior but almost never ventured out. As the two men ventured up the mountain to visit the Mer de Glace ice glacier they knew they needed to recount their story for others to discover this area. Just about 40 years later there were more than 1,500 visitors coming to the area each summer because of their published travel stories and in 1786 Windham and Pococke sumitted Mont Blanc for the first time. In the late 1800’s the first road was carved from Geneva to Chamonix and by the early 1900’s the newly commissioned train was bringing frequent winter and summer tourists. Skiing is so much a part of Chamonix that the first ever Winter Olympic Games was hosted here in 1924.

- Day 1 -

On Monday January 7th we headed out to catch a flight to Geneva with a transfer to Chamonix. What should have been a relatively easy set of transportation connections was complicated by a security strike at the airport in Berlin. What should have been 3.5 hours door to door took over 10 hours due to delays and lines. Logan took it like a champ and once we were on the plane he was fascinated with the mountains out the window and the snow on the ground in Chamonix.

Our hotel, The Rocky Pop, was a cool video game inspired lodge that mixed fun elements from the ‘80s with the classic French style wooden lodges of the area. In the corner of the main room were two arcade machines with all the classics loaded and ready for free play. Logan and I had an absolute blast at breakfast and lunch playing Pac-Man, Donkey Kong (1-3) and Super Mario (1-3) among a few of the over 700 titles they had. Breakfast and lunches were full of French meats and cheeses while dinners were a mix of themed pizzas, burgers and classic French dishes like French Onion Soup and Halibut. We ate every breakfast, packed some for most lunches and had all but 2 dinners at the lodge and still didn’t get enough of the wonderful food they had.

- Day 2 -

Logan had never been on skis which is a faux pas for the McNeill family - Chad learned to ski starting at two and Logan is already 4. So, our fist order of business was to get Logan on a set of sticks and pray that he loved it as much as his anxious father. Employing many of the techniques that were used on me Logan quickly got the hang of it and took a liking to the ski school at the base of the peak. After some looking around, it was settled, Logan was excited to attend ski school for the rest of the week.

Assured that Logan was into the experience I headed off to make my first, long awaited, tracks in the Alps. With some advice from the local ski tech, I headed to Brevent, the central located ski hill in Chamonix. One of the major differences that set the Alps apart from skiing in the Rockies is the drastic elevation difference between town and the top of the mountain. In the Rockies you might have a 2-3k foot gain elevation because you’re starting at a fairly high altitude - In the Alps that difference in altitude is easily doubled.

Le Brevent peak is just about 1,500M (~5k feet) above the town of Chamonix and accessible via 2 gondolas. So, that’s where I started. The conditions were a little crusty and not all runs were open but I had a good first day exploring the mountain and getting in nearly 25 miles of runs in just over 3 hours. There wasn’t a single line and in most cases I had the entire lift to myself.

- Day 3 -

Wednesday was what Chamonix is known for; deep powder and wide open spaces at high elevations. The night brought fresh snow and by sunrise the sticky powder was still falling. Since visibility was very low a lot of skiers elected to take the day off leaving the mountains wide open for the die-hards.

La Tour sits on the South side of the valley and gets the brunt of storms as they converge in the Baltic and Tyrrhenian seas and crash into the Alps. The weather patterns combined with the drastic increases in elevation are what make Chamonix’s conditions so special. As I approached the base of the mountain the ticket agent actually tried to talk me out of buying a pass while showing me the camera feeds from the top of the mountain. I explained to her this was the experience I was looking for and immediately purchased a ticket - not everyone on my bus did.

As it turned out this was one of the best skiing days I’ve ever had. I couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of me and often would feel the sensation of falling as I drifted down the runs in the knee deep powder. With days like this you have no choice but to focus on every moment of the run. You must trust yourself and simply continue to move forward knowing that you can handle whatever terrain is put in front of you - even if you’ve never skied it before. The feeling is like no other and the sense of conscientiousness is so forward and overwhelming that you’re mentally exhausted at the end of it. It’s like a deep meditative state. Doreen would comment later that evening that I was being very quiet for someone that had an incredible ski day. In truth, I was still processing it all. I was without words for most of the rest of the day.

For about an hour, just before finishing, the sun slowly peeked out and uncovered an oasis of snow covered bowls leading to the valley. I could see all the crevasse and drop-offs that caused the sensation of falling as well as the tracks I’d been making all day. Before this the only way to mark a path down the mountain was to stay proximate to the red cliff markers. The sun uncovered an endless amount of runs of which there wouldn’t be enough time to ski but damnit if I didn’t try.

Our evening was concluded with a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in town and a little snow ball fight in the freshly fallen snow.

- Day 4 -

We took a break from skiing and all ventured into town to catch a train for a fun adventure. Back when Windham and Pococke discovered the Chamonix valley they also discovered a massive glacier on the north face of Mont Blanc. This glacier is actually skiable and with more time in the area I would have easily taken the opportunity to ski it. We’re told that with a guide you ascend Mont Blanc and then hike to the start of the glacier. At times you are roped into the mountain and are required to bring crampons (metal spikes for your boots that dig into the ice and provide traction). The entire adventure is a few hours and involves some hiking, ice climbing and of course skiing - the perfect winter trifecta.

Unlike Windham and Pococke however; we could take the train to the base of the glacier so we did. It was a beautiful ride up the valley around to the side of Mont Blanc. At the top of the train tracks lays the base of Mer de Glace and a picturesque viewpoint.

There used to be a hotel which is still under care but not in regular use. However, anyone with a hankering for getting their steps in can take the steepest gondola ride we’d ever seen down to a flight of 450 steps leading right into an ice cave carved into the glacier. So we did just that. In the ice cave are a lot of ice sculptures and a few points showing how the ice changes and evolves over the years.

It was cool to see ancient rocks and other materials in the frozen glacier and wonder how long they had been there and what human, if any, was the last to see them unfrozen. The glacier is constantly evolving and moving as it eases down the mountain.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the town of Chamonix, its beautiful shops, and the eateries it’s known for. We even ducked into a local tavern for a snack and glass of Glühwein while listening to aggressively loud house music. We felt like we were getting the authentic European ski experience.

- Day 5 -

On Friday we were back on the slopes; Logan at ski school and me trying out Les Houches resort. Doreen also got some time to herself in town where she had a lovely time drinking delicious hot cocoa and shopping for some new boots. She would later comment that she finally felt she was “...getting the hang of this ski vacation thing.” Doreen can ski and will likely get back on the slopes as Logan gets a bit older but she elected to be the one who stays down the mountain to take care of Logan this go around - a very selfless act in my view.

Les Houches was full of beautiful crystal clear views. Unfortunately, the clear winter air also brought freezing cold temps (-15ºC/ 5ºF) and icy slopes. The terrain was wind kissed the night before and the sun wasn’t enough to break up the ice balls on the surface. My edges were sharp and I never lost control but that kind of skiing is rarely fun. I took in the breathtaking views and then found 2 nice little mogul runs under some lifts that were perfectly challenging. The Rocky Pop ski shop let me pick what skis I wanted on a daily basis depending on the conditions so I grabbed a pair of Vokel 170/16 racing skis. I primarily skied Vokels of different sizes and widths through the trip. The conditions changed so much from day to day that I felt lucky to be able change skis. There would have been no other way to ski such deep powder one day and steep crusted out moguls the next.

One of the really positive aspects to the wind was that it created a heck of a sledding hill just down the street from our lodge. In the later part of the afternoon we all ventured to the hill and had some fun sledding until the sun set. This little spot was also the local kiddy hill and there were a bunch of dads taking their future young Olympians up the T-Bar and guiding them down the mountain one run at a time.

- Day 6 -

Saturday was our final ski day. Logan got an awesome award for completing the school and showing he learned the basics. The Europeans have a different method of teaching kids to ski, a method that used to exist in the states but doesn’t anymore. In place of teaching them to make a “pizza” with their skis to slow down, they get them used to transferring their weight from one boot to another from the start. This gives them better longterm control and confidence to turn when they end up on steeper slopes. For those non skiers, turning is the only real way to slow down or gain control. At high speeds it can feel like that’s not true which is why it’s a learned skill and not intuitive. The alternative of creating friction really doesn’t work if you’re ever out of control. Ultimately this methodology prepares the kids for better form and takes the fear out of going downhill at speed.

For my part, I couldn’t resist going back to La Tour for the final day. I was the only one on the bus and had most of the mountain to myself for the first few hours before locals from Geneva made it to the mountain on their day trips. This time I explored the backside that was too much of a whiteout to ski on Wednesday. It was glorious. The back side is all wide open, deep terrain with plenty of obstacles and terrain features to keep you on your toes. If your spry enough you can easily get 20-30 feet of air before landing in a narrow shoot. I’m not spry enough anymore for the long drops but I’ll do narrow and steep anytime.

There is no doubt this area is special. It’s different than any area I’ve skied and it stuck with me. On one of my last runs, as I ascended to the top of the lift on the backside, the sun broke through the clouds. Between the high altitude, the cold air and the adrenaline pumping through my body I could feel a sense of something greater. It didn’t take long for the weather to change and the clouds came in again choking off the middle of the front bowl causing a massive whiteout. The power of these mountains and this area is remarkable - it provides a sense of powerlessness.

- Day 7 -

We once again woke up to a blanket of snow, this time bigger than the first. We mused about staying longer or at least taking the later shuttle but did the responsible thing and said goodbye. As they say, it’s better to leave wanting more. We had an amazing time and will be back. The Alps have a way of sucking you into an existence that gives you a feeling of meaning and purpose. Whatever is bothering you falls by the wayside and you are perfectly focussed on what is directly in front of you. It’s a combination of all your senses firing at 100%. Your tastebuds are alive with the delicious French food while your endorphins are exacerbated with the constant activity. The smell of the fresh and crisp alpine air are constant reminders of your surroundings while the quiet solitude of winter remind you to think inward. And of course the infinite beauty is like candy for your retinas.

We’ve already done several searches to see when we can make it back - perhaps even this year. I waited nearly 25 years for this experience - it was well worth it and I want more!

Until Next Time,

The McNeillas