There’s a version of a Chamonix trip where everything goes to plan — lifts open, visibility good, big descents ticked off the list. This wasn’t that trip. What we got instead was two weeks of relentless snowfall, closures, avalanche warnings, and the kind of conditions that force you to get creative. I wouldn’t change a thing.

The Drive Down

We left West Yorkshire on the 6th of February — a convoy of kit bags, boot bags, and enough snacks for the crossing. The drive takes you through Geneva and up into the valley, and there’s a moment as you leave the motorway and the mountains start closing in around you where everything feels worth it.