Photo courtesy of Kim Havell
Adding to her list of conquests, pro skier Kim Havell recently tackled one of the Alps' most beautiful valleys, Mont Blanc, in Chamonix, France.
“Home to some of the highest and best concentrations of glacier-ridden steep skiing and alpine ice and rock routes on our planet, it is a hotbed for the elite mountain community,” says Kim, in a story she wrote for National Geographic Adventure last week.
Photo courtesy of Kim Havell
“The valley ebbs and flows with a ‘who’s who’ of the best of the best, and it is a proving ground for those who wish to test their own merit.” Kim states that those who are new to Chamonix often end up “Chamified, completely entranced with all this valley has to offer.”
Kim spent the past few weeks savoring the enchanting lure of the Alps, starting with her Salomon Freeski Mountain Collective team meetings in Annecy and then quickly heading up the mountain to La Clusaz for resort testing.
From there Kim and a few brave comrades took off to Chamonix.
“We spread ourselves across the valley, touring out from all the main resorts and sampling a small sliver of what this mind-blowing area has to offer.”
Photo courtesy of Kim Havell
Kim was able to hit up Hellbroner, Les Grand Montetes, Les Houches and the Aiguille du Midi.
Photo courtesy of Kim Havell
When asked how she felt about the conquest, she replied, most humbly, “I felt the same way that many had before, I just wanted to stay and explore some more, and more, and more.”
For the original National Geographic article, please visit: http://adventureblog.nationalgeographic.com/2012/04/06/skiing-chamonix-france-a-french-education/
Images courtesy of Kim Havell, National Geographic
