mountain environment
Rocks
I have mentioned rocks a lot. As you walked up the rock-coated glacier you noticed the rocks and mineral characteristics change. In fact, you would suddenly hit a patch of a certain type of rock, then that type would slowly be replaced by another distinct rock type. Since the rocks are all broken apart rather than one huge body, there is a lot more exposed surface area and so you see way more interesting things not yet destroyed by weathering. Sometimes there was shale smooth shiny, other times granite, other times rusty looking ore. Then I started to find green shiny rocks which on closer inspection had veins of asbestos fibres! The instances of asbestos slowly increased until I found large bodies of it that I could break away with the tip of my ski pole (walking stick). Asbestos floating on a river of ice was a total surprise. It slowly faded out and was replaced by rocks with crystal growth. So many small rocks all relatively recently broken apart meant lost of crystals. After 15 minutes of close searching I found several perfectly formed sprouts of crystal fingers, like the ones hippies collect for no rational reason at all. The biggest find had clear hexagonal crystal fingers, pointed at the end and 2cm long. There were also a few rocks that had been broken open by the glacier pressure to reveal their hollow interior and lumpy white crystal lining. In one spot you can stand on a moving river of ice surrounded by spectacular seracs, look directly up to the summit of the highest peak in the Alps and down to the ground and find perfect crystals and other eye catching minerals. To top it off, on the way up I encountered a herd of 24 Ibex traversing the moraine to the side of the glacier.
Glacier du Miage is one of the richest experiences that Mont Blanc has to offer and this 5 hour diversion was the best bit of touring I did all season, better than any couloir or powder.
One of the lines I plan on riding next spring ends in this exact spot, so I will most certainly return and enjoy this area from a different approach and perspective.
Glacier du Miage is one of the richest experiences that Mont Blanc has to offer and this 5 hour diversion was the best bit of touring I did all season, better than any couloir or powder.
One of the lines I plan on riding next spring ends in this exact spot, so I will most certainly return and enjoy this area from a different approach and perspective.
Ibex on the edge of the moraine
My campsite near the moraine ponds
Looking along the steep morain ridge
Back down the moraine edge showing the inner moraine lip. That's geography being made. Patches of covered ice are visible.
Better light and longer view down the glacier and along the moraine
Looking up the glacier, almost entirely covered in rocks and boulders. If you look at a map you will see that the glacier almost cuts the entire Mont Blanc massif in half. It is the easiest way to get into the stomach of this amazing place.
From half way up, the view back down. Great snowboarding in the north facing bowls across the distant valley.
Up over the violent seracs and in the blurry distance is the reverse side of the Mont Blanc summit, 2400m higher.
Same again, ice, crevasses and the distant Mont Blanc summit.
From the tip of the last rocky finger looking back down. I am 2/3rds up the glacier.