Spring is ski touring season for the higher summits of the alps. As an exception this year’s May, the forecast promised a non-rainy Sunday last weekend. What? No rain? Ok, Daniel Arndt and me got rain, but only at day one, as we made our soaked ascend to the hut, carrying our skis mostly on our backs. But Sunday was brilliant.
Mt. Grand Combin is one of the higher alpine peaks in the french speaking part of Valais. It’s quite remote, discrete and heavily packed with glacier shields. Since the most logical route is very prone to massive ice fall (we speak of huge ice blocks crashing down), the safest way leads over a 400m high, 40-45° steep ice flank, mostly snow-covered in winter. The crux is to climb the blank ice zone at the seracs under the summit snow cap. The rest is easy, skiing down the flank was pure fun.
This photo shows the serac zone, the mountain below is Combin de Corbassière, at the horizon you can see (ltr) Dent de Morcles, Les Diablerets, Wildhorn and Wildstrubel. I guess my friends Athena Carey, Deborah Vos, Johan Peijnenburg and Charles Lupica captured Mt. Grand Combin on many of their wonderful photographs.
Milena Ilieva
16 May 2012fantastic shot and mood here….
Johan Peijnenburg
16 May 2012I did Wilfried Haferland, but definitely not from this position! Impressed!
Athena Carey
16 May 2012Wilfried Haferland this is icy blue and beautiful! I can almost smell the fresh air. 🙂
Daniel Arndt
16 May 2012Great shot Wilfried Haferland and a memorable climb up a big mountain!
Dalibor Pačić
16 May 2012Well, Wilfried Haferland , my friend, I don&39;t know what could I say… 😀
Just don&39;t know. Except a tear in my eye. Maybe GREAT! 🙂
We went this saturday for some trekking/scrambling route – I had a temperature and headache, and on top of it forgot my camera in the car. :-S
But I took some shots with Josip&39;s camera, it&39;s in his album. 😉
Regards.
Charles Lupica
16 May 2012Wilfried Haferland magnificent.
Ada M
16 May 2012Wilfried Haferland this takes my breath away! SUPERB!!!
Deborah Vos
16 May 2012Beautiful image Wilfried Haferland, but remember I only take pictures of the people taking pictures 😉
Anthony Sutton
16 May 2012awesome shot
Jerry Johnson
16 May 2012Your amazing photos are always perfectly balanced Wilfried Haferland! And as just one example of this, the textures in the snow on the lower right side of the photo match the textures in the clouds exactly. That is a fantastic effect my friend! Thanks for sharing.
jany viala
16 May 2012splendid. The Alps are beautiful. Thank you showed us and comment. Nice picture.
Melinda Koncz
17 May 2012After the trip, let&39;s face it, remains this amazing view and colors- I have to repeat, your Blue and White photos rocks!- so all the rainy/carrying skies scenes must be now a funny motive to remember the ascent. It has to be always something out of track in the tours, like Dalibor Pačić leaving his camera in the car, to make things more interesting. Bottom line…great photo like always!
Sumit Sen
17 May 2012Lovely shot!
Mykal Hall
17 May 2012Lovely blue tones just like you love it mate and the patterns in the clouds match the patterns on the snow covered slopped mountain. :)))
Dawid Martynowski
18 May 2012Great shot my friend Wonderful view Wilfried Haferland
Johan Swanepoel
18 May 2012Fabulous Wilfried Haferland
Javier Esvall
18 May 2012Wow, Fabulous
Patrice PVK
18 May 2012I love this blue… Very nice.
Jean-Michel Taconné
19 May 2012Superb ! Great work. I like this light and this blue so refreshing.
MAURIZIO PONTINI
28 May 2012Wonderful scene and colors
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Milena Ilieva – Thank you very much!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Johan Peijnenburg – Thanks, it was really a great trip (with much more good shots) 😉
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Athena Carey – Thank you very much, I always love to read your comments as they are really unique… much appreciated!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Dalibor Pačić – Dalibor, I know this feeling! Glad you could make some shots anyway, my friend! Thank you!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Charles Lupica – Thank you, Charles!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Ada M – Thank you (the air is already quite thin there) 🙂
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Deborah Vos – I know, Debby! But I&39;m sure Grand Combin is somewhere to be seen in the background of one or more of your photographer&39;s photos ;-)! Thank you!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Anthony Sutton – Thank you!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Jerry Johnson – Thank you so much, Jerry! I always admire your sense for the details. Great, my friend!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012jany viala – Pleasure is on my side! Thank you very much!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Melinda Koncz – Thank you very much Melinda, you&39;re so right! Glad you like my photography…!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Sumit Sen – Thank you very much, Sumit!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Mykal Hall – Mykal, thanks for your detailed view! Glad you like it, mate!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Dawid Martynowski – Thank you very much, my friend!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Johan Swanepoel – Thank you very much!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Javier Esvall – Thank you, Javier!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Patrice PVK – Many thanks!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Jean-Michel Taconné – Thank you, Jean-Michel!
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012MAURIZIO PONTINI – Many thanks my friend!
Deborah Vos
30 May 2012Wilfried Haferland The only photographer that might be in that picture is Johan Peijnenburg probably, but the thing is I got myself a new toy… I am a bit like you guys with your new camera&39;s… But mine has a better zoom ;-))
Wilfried Haferland
30 May 2012Deborah Vos – I absolutely hope to learn more about that "toy" soon…!
markus rienzner
8 Jun 2012Impressive!
Wilfried Haferland
8 Jun 2012markus rienzner – hey, glad you like it. Thanks!
Annette Junge Daugaard
18 Jun 2012~❤❤❤~ fantastic too
Markus Landsmann
19 Jun 2012Krasses blau Wilfried Haferland
Alexandre Fagundes de Fagundes
23 Jun 2012Brilliant image Wilfried Haferland , congrats
Wilfried Haferland
27 Jun 2012Alexandre Fagundes de Fagundes – Thank you!
Anna Rimovska
18 Jan 2014wonderful view a shot!