When I came to Chamonix, France, 30 years ago, the Mallory was a myth, something you’d hear whispers about a rare descent of every few years. No internet, no photos, no guidebooks. Sixty-five millimeter underfoot alpine race skis were the norm. Skiing off-piste was extremely physical.

The Mallory-Porter is an alpine climbing route following a series of couloirs, ramps, spines and snowfields on the north face of Aiguille du Midi. George Mallory and Ned Porter made the first ascent on August 5, 1919. The first ski descent of the Mallory was made by Daniel Chauchefoin, Yves Détry and Anselme Baud on May 5, 1977 after a massive winter. Legend has it, Anselme, who was working that day, saw the other two start to ski and promptly got another guide to look after his clients and rushed to catch his friends at the col.

Subscribe for access to this article plus the entire archive of The Ski Journal content—and receive a discount on all products.