Tag: Vivian Bruchez

One aspect of the route, the Whillans Ramp, is a long, exposed, and steep thread of snow bisecting the mountain’s eastern wall. Aside from the ramp and hanging snowfield below, this is a big wall theater visited more by alpinists than ski-mountaineers. 

The line was first skied in 2012 by legendary skier Andreas Fransson. (You can read about Fransson’s thoughts on the line here. It is an excellent read.) He considered the one of his most, if not the most, technical descent he had skied. This is of note considering his legacy of steep skiing, including Denali’s South Face. 

Bruchez, Jules Socié, and Aurélien Lardy completed the second descent of the ramp on the 21st, while the following day, they opened new adjacent ski terrain, calling it the “Mini-Whillans.