Vallee Blanche - Epic!

Lew and I were up and out nice and early, the day started early at 8.45 up the telepherique to the Aiguille du Midi. 3rd bin up the mountain which we almost missed as we were booked on number 14, in hindsight 12 was the 1st to leave - we should have checked :)

At the top a beautiful sunny day perfect for ski touring, both looking forward to a great day...

We walked through the tunnel in the mountain to start our adventure. As anyone who knows Lew, it was safety first and we roped up together to walk down the ridge to start our adventure.

Skis on and across the top of the Vallee Blanche we went, under the south face of the Aiguille du Midi, the east face of Mont Blanc du Tacul and the north face of the Tour Ronde - Stunning!

Then put skins on our skis and skied uphill for 2hrs to the top of the opposite side of the vallee to the Combe du la Vierge (Combe of the Virgin), next to the Refugio Torino (Italy). Where we layed down fresh tracks in the pristein powder - heaven!

This is where the real adventure starts...

As we entered the Vallee Blanche again, it was decided we should cross over the plateau to the left side of the vallee to join a track, instead of going along the right side where the conditions were unknown, so we start to shuffle across the half a mile in line with each other with Lew 3ft in front of me.

All of a sudden the ground opens up ... the snow calapsess and Lew disappears!!! Half way across a snow bridge over a crevasse the snow gave way... it was a split second and he was gone... Fuck !!!!

I was stood just infront of the disturbed patch of snow on the left! You can see the tracks where we were following each other! Lew had fallen 15m down and along a crevasse!

I was stood there 5ft from the crevasse! Call mountain rescue! I had found my phone which felt like it took forever to find in the many pockets of my jacket. I was stood in the middle of the vallee waving at small planes and helicopters. About 20 mins later one buzzed me! All the time I'm shouting at Lew and I can faintly here him shouting back, so he's alive!! 10 minutes later 2 mountain rescue team are dropped by the helicopter, they secure the scene and me, making sure I'm not stood on top of another cravas. Ropes to harnesses and snow stakes in the snow before they get to work finding Lew. They fix up ropes and start to lower one of them into the Crevasse... making sure that it was safe to do so. 30 mins on... another member of the team arrives to help with winch equipment... and a then another guy with a power pack... buy this time 2hrs had passed there are 4 mountain rescue guys including a doctor, 4 sacks of kit and the helicopter has been in and out 4 times... They finally slowly start to winch the rescue guy out of the cravas with Lew... 20 mins later Lew finally reaches the surface! At this point I know he's alive but in what state? The rescue guy keeps talking to him on the ice telling him not to sleep! I wasn't close enough to see his face as they wisked me off the ice - free ride in a helicoptor :) (I asked if I could take pictures during the rescue, they said no - I think just in case he died!)

I came back to the appartment and waited for Stu to get back so I could get in and change my boots and get money for taxi to hospital (95euro!).

By the time Lew was taken off the ice it was 4 o'clock and he'd been under the ice for 2 1/2 hours - 2 with the rescue guy!! His body temperature had fallen to 34 degrees, so needed warming up! Don't ask how they took the core temperature :)

I got to the hospital about 5.30, they wouldn't let me see him for 10 mins as they stitched his lip up. After that I was allowed in, bandages accross his forehead... 4 inch open wound on his chin, blood spead around and a neck brace on (even less pretty than usual). He'd already had a full body scan was lucid and talking even if in a bit of shock. The doctor came and spoke to me said they were waiting for full body CT scan results and I would have to leave them for a while whilst they stitched him up, they said it would take a while!!! 2hrs 15 mins later they finished putting the 60 stitches in! chin, mouth, eye brows and a few in his head, cuts and bruises everywhere else. The results of the body scan came back and all else seemed ok. So I chatted to him for a bit... buy this time 9pm he was obviously staying in! So took his bloody cloths home for pizza with waiting masses and a few drinks!!!

I don't think they took me to hospital with Lew due to the amount of open wounds and potentially critical condition... think they kept me out the way... next day returned to hospital and got there just before the bandages came off (got a great pic!).

Looking better as much as you can with lots of stitches cuts and bruises and a broken nose...
After the accident Lew was worried about his looks... :) a day later he is more worried about his leg, although not broken (their is a small insignificant crack in his fibula) it is swollen up big and they think there maybe some serious ligament damage in a brace at mo.
Lew will have his stitches removed next Monday and an MRI scan on his knee next friday. We brought him home last night, where he enjoyed a couple of G&Ts!!! In agony this morning, had to get his pain killers and crutches from Pharmacy, which was closed last night :)

I've been very lucky with not a scratch, if both had gone down... would probably still be there now :(
Unfortunately lew lost his skis and pack full of kit... somewhere in a glacier, all replacable!

Lew now back at the chalet recovering, not looking forward to potential knee surgery and rehab but very happy to still be with us :)

Truly Epic - Skiing/Crevasse/Rescue/Stitches and Surviving!!!!