Graham Gephart Photography and Writing

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Pulling into Chamonix, France, looking up at the Aiguille du Midi from our balcony at Hotel de l'Arve.

Top of the Aiguille du Midi tram station, over 9,000 feet above town.

Looking down on Chamonix valley, Aiguille du Midi and Mont Blanc from Brevent-Flegere on our 2nd day of skiing.

Walking through Chamonix, huge mountains in all directions.

Sampling French croissants and pain au chocolat before a day of skiing.

Looking down the arete from the top of the Aiguille du Midi tram. Clouds and heavy fog shut us out on the Vallee Blanche, while a group from the French military headed into the abyss to practice glacier rescue.

Roses left at the top of the Aiguille du Midi.

Waiting for the fog that never lifted, exit of the Aiguille du Midi tram.

Looking toward the summit of Mont Blanc.

Lulu and me with Mont Blanc in the background. A few pictures, then over to Grand Montets for some skiing.

Clouds clearing after a snowstorm overnight.

Top of the Grand Montets tram, taking the stairs down for runs onto the Argentiere glacier.

Lulu and our guide, Liz Smart, looking out across the Argentiere Glacier at Grand Montets.

Off piste skiing at Grand Montets, exiting along the side of the Argentiere Glacier.

The icefall at the end of the Argentiere Glacier.

Julia and Lulu at the top of Grand Montets.

A deliciously French lunch (wine-soaked bread, baked with cheese, meat, and egg) at the Refuge de Lognan.

After two days in the the fog, we escaped to Verbier with Liz. Looking out from the top before skiing.

Lulu with the Bec des Rosses in the background, about to ski down into the bowl between.

Lulu, Lauren, and Liz, getting our gear together for the train ride from Martigny to Zermatt, Switzerland.

Blue skies over Zermatt, with the imposing Matterhorn above town.

Looking back down from the top of the Zermatt tram.

Matterhorn on the right, Cervinia, Italy with lots of great skiing, food, and wine down in the valley below.

Lulu skiing down to Cervinia a few thousand feet below.

Apres-ski at the top of Cervinia, with a caffe corretto (espresso with grappa).

Lulu with the town of Zermatt way down in the valley below.

Lulu and Lauren toasting to good skiing at the Snow Boat in Zermatt.

Wandering around Zermatt, awesome little village with no cars, just pedestrians and little electric taxis.

Having said goodbye to Zermatt, Lulu, Julia, and I met up with Mike Hattrup and Martin Volken for a roadtrip to Italy for the second half of the trip in the Ortler Alps. Stopping here for a cappuccino on the way.

Driving through the Italian town of Bormio, getting closer to the Ortler Alps.

Having picked up Chris Barchet, Joe Pasteris and Puck Wheaton in Santa Caterina de Valfurva, we set out from the Rifugio Forni for a week of amazing backcountry touring in Italy.

Heading out from the Rifugio Forni up the valley to the Rifugio Branca.

The view from our deck of some of the accessible terrain from the Rifugio Branca.

Lulu, Puck, and Julia heading out for an afternoon of skiing from the Rifugio Branca.

Julia and Puck working their way up Pasquale on the first afternoon of the tour.

Looking across at our tour for the next day on the far right, Pizzo Tresero (11,790').

Chris, Puck, and Martin discussing lines.

Lulu and Julia excited for the first run.

Lulu with the glaciers of Palon de la Mare in the background.

All smiles heading for another lap higher up Pasquale.

Martin and Chris discussing ski options for day two back at the Branca.

Great food served every evening, with good wine and good company.

Passing the evening hours at Rifugio Branca.

Lulu, Mike, and Martin leading the way up to Pizzo Tresero on day two in the Ortler Alps.

Puck gaining the glacier bench on the way to Pizzo Tresero.

The group touring through beautiful glacier terrain.

Chris with Palon de la Mare in the background.

Joe gaining the summit ridge.

Julia approaching Pizzo Tresero, with our day four summit, Monte Cevedale as the pointy peak on the left.

Lulu and I at the summit of Pizzo Tresero.

Fist bumps for summits.

Enjoying the scenery for a few minutes on the top.

Endless terrain in the Ortler Alps.

Group partway down Tresero, with the summit now tucked in the clouds up above.

Puck Wheaton finds some nice powder on the slopes of Tresero.

Lulu skiing one of several big bowls on the descent back to the Rifugio Branca.

Graham skiing back to the Rifugio Branca.

Martin finding soft snow as we get closer to the valley floor.

Walking the hiking trail back into the Rifugio Branca for cold beers and good food at the end of the tour.

Looking back at our tracks off the lower two-thirds of the run from Pizzo Tresero

Relaxing at the Rifugio Branca.

Toasting with Bombardinos to another good day.

After a snow-filled day three, day four dawns clear and cold with a fresh coat.

Moon over San Matteo.

After dropping down into the valley floor, we start making our way up the next drainage to the next hut, Rifugio Pizzini.

Julia approaching Rifugio Pizzini with Gran Zebru towering overhead.

Lulu and Mike skinning up to the deck of Pizzini.

Packs lighter having left the overnight gear at Pizzini, we continued upward to Monte Cevedale.

Martin booting up the ridge.

Long-forgotten barbed wire from WWII conflicts over this region on the Italian-Austrian border. Rifugio Pizzini appears tiny in the upper left.

Chris and Joe up on the summit plateau, with Rifugio Casati on the ridge behind them.

Joe heading toward the summit of Monte Cevedale on the right.

Martin cracking a smile in the wind and spindrift at the ski depot while we switch over to boot crampons and ice axes for the final push.

Lulu, Chris, Joe, and Graham on the summit of Monte Cevedale, Italy (12,365').

Looking down our run on the Cedec Glacier back to the Rifugio Pizzini.

Cramponing back down the summit ridge to the ski depot, lots of company, but not much competition for fresh tracks on the descent.

Martin and Puck finding great powder alongside the icefall.

Puck, Julia, and Joe mid-descent.

Endless turns to the hut...

Another hearty day of touring, another hearty meal at the Pizzini.

After a couple more stormy days and excellent skiing in new snow, unfortunately it was time to leave. After a great descent from the Col Pale Rosse, Lulu walks out the bottom of the valley to the Rifugio Forni.

Joe Pasteris, Chris Barchet, Martin Volken, Puck Wheaton, Julia Richman, Mike Hattrup, and Lulu Gephart enjoying one last delicious Italian lunch at the Rifugio Forni to end a spectacular week of touring.

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