* According to Anna who works at Garage and comes from Chamonix
Chamonix Mont-Blanc – the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924…. more commonly known simply as CHX is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. The Chamonix commune is well known and loved by skiers and mountain enthusiasts of all types, and via the cable car lift to the Aiguille du Midi it is possible to access the world famous off-piste skirun of the Vallée Blanche.
From there, you can access to the best spot to find some of the purest crystals in the world.
‘There is a old tradition in Chamonix; the search for crystals – the search for rocks that crystallised during the formation of the Alps.’
‘This is something that has been passed from generation to generation, which led the first crystal hunters to become the first guides in Chamonix. The crystals are, in a way, the soul of the mountain.’
‘It’s about both what’s seen and what’s hidden. When I look deep into a piece of quartz – when I take the time to look at it, I see all of the history behind it; that brought us to its discovery. The story of its quest.’
– Stephane Dan, Mountain Guide and Famous Crystal Hunter
‘What I’m looking for is the perfect line, to be closet to the edge while remaining in control. I’m lucky to live in the alps, where the potential is incredible. As a matter of fact this season we found an entire bowl with lines everywhere. We didn’t even know this area existed. So it’s still possible to find unridden spots, even where you live. Through all my years of snowboarding this is what I think is the best. No matter what I always found an area to progress.’
– Emilien Badoux, Swiss Snowboarder
Clip from ‘Stepping Stones’ – a 26mm backcountry film by Olivier Pictet.
