These pics are from the Valle Blanche, a 20 km route descending from below Mont Blanc in the French Alps. Mont Blanc is the highest point in Europe, at 4810 m (15,780'). Our journey began at Helbronner (3466 m) from the Italian side, descended across the Valle Blanche Glacier and Mer de Glace, then down to Chamonix, France. Along the way we crossed snowbridges over numerous crevasse, skiied downhill and cross-country, had lunch on the glacier, were lowered by rope over a 10 m ice face and hiked up to a chalet about 200 m or so to ... (more)