Susie Meade from Telluride came to the Alps with her friend Stan this year. We met up with them while they were in town, to ski the Vallée Blanche and Crocheus Bérard traverse.

We had a cold start to our Vallée Blanche descent!

This early in the season, the crowds are light. Believe it or not, this is a slow day on the descent ropes of the exit ridge on the Aiguille du Midi.

Descending the "Petite Envers", the snow conditions were great. The crevasses on the glacier were quite open for mid winter after a long, dry summer and autumn.

Suzie pauses near the wall of a great crevasse.

A rare case of fresh tracks in excellent snow above the Requin hut!

Yummy! Mark and Suzie stop to admire their handiwork.

Stan likes it too! Moving fast and having plenty of time, we skinned back up across the glacier to ski the moraine shown in the background of this photo.

Beginning our skin back up the slopes above the Mer de Glace.

Great snow and plenty of coverage.

We still hadn't had quite enough after our extra lap, so we went back up for a trip down the Pré du Rocher.

On another day we took in the classic Crochues-Bérard traverse.

Heading up the steep col below the Col des Crochues.

The weather was about perfect, giving us crystal clear views back across the valley southward to the Aiguille Verte and Les Drus.

Almost to the col...

We get ready to descend from the col.

Perfect creamy snow awaits, with just one party's tracks ahead to show the way.

This north facing part of the descent holds good, light snow today.

Another shorter climb up over the Col du Bérard is the last of our skinning for the day. The snow down the other side was too good; we didn't stop for photos! You'll just have to take our word for it!