I have to admit than when i first came to chamonix, i didn't like it.

 It didnt have the crazyness i had known in ski stations. The runs were a little boring, there is little to no snowpark and its so big that you need to bus from one lift to the next at the bottom


It took a quick trip to one of my old favorite ski stations,val d'izer, to put it into perspective. there i found more complex runs, snow parks, travel everywhere by ski and mental apres ski.

but it was all a little fake. I felt like a child lost in the underground. its a place full of people, but they're all there for such a short time. The net effect  is that it is souless. Everyone is on holidays and so every person there only cares about themselves.


The pistes at Chamonix are shit, because they are only there to ditract the tourists. This is a place founded on alpinism and hence is built around hors piste. Not silly bord de piste, but proper wild, you're on your own, i dont care if your cold or scared, hors piste. and it is beautiful.

The people that live in this town dont want snowparks. The big distances between lifts is just more hors piste. The coolest people here aren't the park rats decked out in fancy brands, the cool people here are the old boys with the clear eyes and the wild streak, that both understand and risk the mountain.

and here's where i got really lucky



This is Martial. Martial is my mothers cousin and in every sense a real mountain goat. A man who is hard on himself and hard on others but above all is driven by passion. At this point in his life, that passion is the french alps.

In summer he lives only to go up them, and in winter his greatest pleasure is to go down them..fast. most time off the mountain is spent researching where to explore them next.

So aside from his mountain badassery, Martial is also incredibly generous, as he has been lodging me! and i dont think that i could have been any more fortunate or undeserving!







These are Martials charming daughters Claire (left) and Emmmmaaaa (right). having a father like Martial you can imagine how fiery they can be ( they are half Italian), and what talented skiers! ( more photos below)


Years ago i visited this family in Florence, Toscany, and still have beautiful memories. Martials wife, Lucia, (above) created the best meal i have had in my life to this day! Every thing on the table was caught hunted, grown etc on their property ( pasta, wine, olive oil, salad, pheasant, grappa, fruits veges etc etc!)  Lucia is one of the most beautifully kind people i have ever met.


It was with this family that i had one of many of the best ski experiences of my life: La Vallée Blanche.

Two straight days of solid snowfall, ended on a beautiful clear and cold dawn. with not a cloud in the ski and a true 60cm of fresh powder, a family ski day was quick set in motion for this beautiful adventure. i'll leave you with the photos: