The Vallee Blanche routes start at the top of the Aiguille du Midi (3812m), where after exiting the ice tunnel you are straight on to the ‘arête’. This is potentially one of the most dangerous points of the route as it is essentially a ridge edge which has a 50-degree pitch on both sides. In high season, a safety rope is placed along the descending path but it is still pretty intimidating knowing a safety rope is all that there is between you and the pea-sized buildings of Chamonix town centre.

Nikon D800 with Nikkor 24-70/2.8 | Exposure 1/200sec @ f/11 | ISO 100 | Focal Length 48mm
Start of the Vallee Blanche, by Ola Cedell

Award Winner: Photo of the Day | April 19
Award Score: 65 (Value 11.5, Clarity 11.5, Composition 18, Style 12, Skill 12)
Photo of the Day Award Category: Adventure Photography
Photograph Location: Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, Haute-Savoie | France

Photographer: Ola Cedell (Malmo, Sweden) Registered
Born in southern Sweden in 1969, Ola Cedell moved to Melbourne Australia in 1996, then to Aachen Germany in 2001, and returned back to southern Sweden in 2003. Food has been a big part of Cedell’s life, as he always enjoys tasting and trying new things. Besides his engineering career, he has been enjoying amateur photography since 1996. Nowadays, Landscape and food photography are his main categories, i.e. for the catering company Gazpacho. His inspiration comes form all around the world, but mainly in southern Sweden as well as France Alpes/Provence.

Portfolio: http://www.cedell.se
Website: http://www.gazpacho.se
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ola.cedell