Highest Book Shop in Europe 3613meters/11,860feet

Yesterday Florence and I made a delivery of several copies of Mark the Mountain Guide to the Cosmiques Refuge, where they are now on sale to passing Mountaineers who want souveiners to take back home for their children.
The delivery was not super simple. It required negociating a knife edge Ridge then crossing a glacier to then a short climb up to refuge where we spent the night.

This morning we left the refuge at just before 9.00am and climbed back the way we had come in just under an hour which is fast even for my eight year old "book porter."

Not so dry anywhere

We started the week on a dry note and it went fairly damp pretty quickly. This shot of the sun resting over the Minch was briefly glimpsed after a deluge on the Cuillin, Corie Lagan section of an attempted traverse.

The day had started well enough with a pleasant boat trip into Loch Scavaig, until around , mid-afternoon when the clouds closed in. On our second day after a dry bivouac, we made it as far as Sgurr Mhadaidh before the damp conditions and slippery rock forced a retreat.

Forced away from Skye to the relative dryness of Glen Nevis, we managed a few good routes in between the showers.

Abseiling today on Agags Groove.


Today the weather had forecast a clearing from the west. It cleared many times, only to be replaced by more showers!


Fairly damp on Agags Groove today.

Road to Gd St Bernard starts to be ploughed

Francis Bridgeman and I spent four days ski touring. The last couple of days we headed up the the Grand St Bernard. I was staggered how much snow was up there. To day as we descended the "Council were about to undertake the mamouth task of opening the road for the summer.

Buckets of Snow

So every year I end up saying I am staggered by how often we get stacks of snow in late April. I shouldn't be suprised because it seems to happen reguarly.
Plan A was to do some ski touring with Elizabeth and Robin Tarling. This didn't happen due to a huge dump of snow. Instead we skied off piste on our first day. The next we went for a wonderful day tour on the Arpille , but not before we got the Land Rover stuck in deep snow. On our final day we had the whole of La Flegere to our selves for the best skiing I have ever known there.

Good Spring Skiing

After the mega melting the conditions stabilized and we got some good spring skiing conditions. Reuben and Antony Berg skied at Les Grands Montets. The next day we went up the Aiguille du Midi and skied the magnificent Enver du Plan which was in great condition.
On our third day we did the classic Chamonix ski tour the col du Berard again getting a great spring snow descent. It was particularly satisfying fr me because I was asked by a visiting American Guide if I was in fact the author of the Mark the Mountain Guide Books?! I almost felt famous.
Antony had to leave for work commitments which was a pity because it snowed 30cm. Reuben and I had planned to go hut to hut ski touring but had to make do with powder skiing

Snow has vanished

Well from having one of the best snow seasons for years and talk of the season going on for ever the snow has gone from the valley and we are now mowing the grass.
Since the last post I have been flat out and have totally overlooked the blog. I have been doing a mixture of things. I spent two days with Francis Bridgeman and many of his relatives. We had very good skiing off the top of Grands Montets and learning how to use Avalanche safety equipment. We then had a very good descent of the Valley Blanche.
Next Andrew Montgomery joined me for four days skiing. We had a couple of days skiing off piste and a couple of days ski touring. One from the lift system at Les Contamines and another in Combloux.

Florence does it again

Florence Seaton won the Chamonix mini Coup beating her best friend Erica into second place. Florence was in 2nd place after the first run , but came back with a stunning second run to clinch first place by 700th of a second!

Skiing but not as we know it.

Hard to describe what happenend but Jeff Brown and Faerthen Felix and I turned up in Courmayeur for a rendezvous with a helicopter. The plan was to use it to catapult us upwards so we could ski the north face of Mt Blanc. First problem was the pilot never turned up. Just as we were about to leave someone turned up who said he could fly a helicopter. So an hour and half later we took off and landed in a crazy place just below the Pitons Italian. We were faced with a narrow ridge and some thought provoking rock climbing. This was interspaced with some thigh deep trail breaking. Eventually we arrived below the Vallot hut where the writing was on the wall. Too much wind and not enough time meant we needed a plan B. Something different was what we came up with and that was to ski the Gouter Couloir. This is the standard way climbers attempt MT blanc in the summer, where hundreds of climbers pass each day. Today there was no one. The entry into the couloir was very steep and rocky, further down it mellowed out and we got sensational skiing into the ski resort of Les Houches where we picked up the piste and skied to the valley floor.

Too Much Snow Halts Haute Route.

Tom Leeming,Henry Grant, Alex Law, Charlie Langton and I had to abandon the Haute Route at the Montfort hut above Verbier. This was not before battling with cold windy conditions over to the Trient Hut. The Col Du Chardonnet was particularly blowy.
However the consolation prize was as good if not better than the Haute Route. We skied exceptional powder in Tzoumas, then Combloux [twice].All the boys agreed it was the best skiing they had ever had. We were also joined by Aspirant Guide Rob Jarvis who enjoyed himself very much too. Then Les Grands Montets. On our final day Walter joined us for a ski tour on the Mt Arpille above Martigny.

Three Countries in Three days on skis

Bill Mills and Greg Knott were very keen to attempt a tough challeging hut to hut ski tour which did not involve being with lots of other skiers.
So we did just that. At first we had to climb the col du Chardonnet . At the Col we came across a traffic jam at the top of the rappell. So we avoided that by climbing higher and descending the upper col. We then left everyone else and headed for the un manned hut the Saliena. We arrived and had to dig out the door.
Next day we traveresed the "Three Swiss Cols" to the village of La Fouly. This is one of the best days ski touring imaginable and again we saw no one. We were planning to stay at the hotel run by Andre. A unique transvsetite Mountain Guide. However Andre had retired and unsurprisingly moved to Tialand.
Any way the next day we climbed over the col du Ferret and dropped down into Italy. Skiing all the way to La Palud where we took the lift up and skied the Valley Blanche all the way back to Chamonix

Another 30 cm of fluffy white stuff.

Stacy Williams timed it right by arriving for some off piste skiing just after 30 cm of fresh snow. We left the Chamonix Valley and headed for Combloux where we had exceptional skiing. The lifts were slow to open because of the avalanche risk. When they did open several leemings killed them selves [8 in one day] by just charging down loads of steep gullies filled with deadly snow.
A couple of days later I had my first ever Russian clients Duma and Tanya. They were very good skiers who skied like there was no tomorrow and were quite a hand ful.

Mixed Weather comes good and Walter hits the powder.

Reuben and Fiona Berg were joined by their daughter Rachel for 6 days skiing. At first the weather was warm and the snow suffered. Thankfully half way through the week it snowed and everything came good again. On our final day we were joined by Walter for a ski tour high above Martigny on the Arpille.

A Recipe for the best skiing on the Planet

You need four highly motivated members of the Gibou Club Peter Folkman, David Freud, Peter Ward and Ian Ansell. You need a helicopter provided by Air Glacier and a support driver Roy.
Then you need good weather and fresh snow.
We had a warm up day skiing exceptional snow off the back of Combloux then we started the heliskiing with a drop on the Trient Plateau and skied all the way down the Combe Orny to Orsieres. 2280 vertical meters in powder all the way to the waiting helicopter. We did it again and took an even better line than the first time.
Next day we skied from the summit of the Petit Combin down the north east face [Les Follats] to meet Roy and the mini bus. In the after noon we flew to Pigne d'arrolla and skied past the Vignettes Refuge to the village of Arolla .
Day 3 We had two flights to the Pigne. On the second we managed to fiddle our way into the Tsijore Nouve one of the most sought after ski descents in the Alps. It was in exceptional condition.
On our final day we did it again although not before two failed attempts to land due to mist and high wind. Air Glacier even drove the fuel tanker from Sion so that the Lama could fly on very little fuel and save weight.
For our last run we flew back to the plateau du Trient and then skied into the village of Trient where Roy was again there to meet uswith the mini bus

Wonderful Weather

Maighread Condon Simmons and I spent a week skiing together in perfect conditions. On one special day we were joined by Walter for his first big ski tour.

Gibou at the Bobbie Burns

Photos from the Bobbie Burns Lodge have started to arrive at our house. The best came from Will Pedder who recorded the first ever Gibou [Head Plant] Click on the link to see the You Tube clip.

It Takes real skill to find snow like this

Anyone can ski powder. It takes real skill to ski snow like this. This snow was found at the bottom of a gulley behind Le Tour heading down to the hamlet of Treint.
Mind you Stephen Yeates, Mike Woolford and John Donner did actually find some good descents. We spent a day skiing off the back of Combloux, a day skiing the back of Le Tour. On our final day we started at Les Grands Montets skiing off the top. However the snow was not good due to too much wind. So we went back to Le Tour where the snow was [mostly] good.

If skiing is better than this then I don't know what it would look like

Jane & I are just back from 6 days Helicopter skiing with Canadian Mountain Holidays CMH at the Bobbie Burns Lodge. We were part of the Gibou Helicopter ski group lead by Peter Folkman. Other great friends were there such as Charles Sherwood and many more.
To start the weather was very cold -30. The skiing was merely fantastic. By the end of the week it had warmed up and snowed. If skiing could be any better then as Charles said I don't know what it would look like.

Its all about the location

We have been skiing all over the alps this week enjoying some of the best conditions for ages. This has helped Leo Cackett build his new portfolio. Here are some photos he has taken this week. For more info go to www.leocackett.com

Chamonix's Classic ski tour

Francis Bridgeman and I did the classic col du Crochue Col du Berard ski tour. This was Francis second ski tour and gave him a taster of skining, using couteau, climbing steep gullies and of course skiing some untracked snow. In spite of the fact it hadn't snowed this year.

350 years of skiing in one group

The Flying Grannies reconvened in Klosters for five days off piste skiing. They did not see a cloud all week, the snow was great and the Grannies carved it up all over the place. When they used it up they went looking for it by skinning up and over the Plandgorx and then skiing the stuning descent down to Kublis. They left their poor Guide bruised and battered and need of a rest.

Lost Ski- Found Ski

So Stacy and his friend Mark joined me for a days off- piste skiing at Le Tour. Every thing was going swimmingly until Stacy lost a ski in very deep snow. We searched for it. An hour passed then another. We decided to cut our loses get back to safety, hire some more skis and make the most of the day. [Which we did.]
Stacy was charged the stupid sum of €610 for the ski.
We pondered how we were going to find the ski. I planned to hire a metal detector. This was going to be a hassle so I found the next best thing a wife. Jane arrived at the site of the lost ski and found it in about a minute. Both skis are back in the shop and Stacy has been promised his money back.

Harvey's first overnight ski tour

Harvey Dovell plus me and his Dad trekked up to the Grand St Bernard Monastery where we spent a wonderful night, being wined and dined by the Monks. It was cold but still and clear. This morning we skied back down the Comb des Morts had a cup of coffee and then took the Super ST Bernard gondola. from the top we scramled into Italy and then skied the stunning descent to Etroubles. Lunch was at the famous Croix Blanche. We then took a taxi back through the Gd St Bernard tunnel picked up the car and cruised back to Chamonix ending a couple of perfect days adventure.

Back up to Full Speed

I started the winter skiing season with two outstanding days skiing. Tom Xavier and Henry and I threaded our way through the Breche du Crochue and skied perfect snow on slopes which just kept on unfolding in front of us. It was hard to imagine it being better.
Yesterday the boys decided they were up for a big day. We left the house at 7.30am and started skinning at 8.30am well above Sallanches. 1350 meters higher up we peeled the skins off as we stood on the summit of Les Quatre Tetes. We even met the Chamonix Pizza man on the summit.
We then skied the north face. Although the snow was no where as good as the previous day it was okay. We were back at the Land Rover an hour after leaving the summit. It was then that the most memorable part of the day started as I reversed the car down a very icy track and got it well and truely stuck in a ditch covered in snow. Two hours later and some admirable team work we had dug the car out and attached chains to all four wheels, transforming the Land Rover into an unstoppable tractor. The boys did not miss their flights and will be back with their families for Christmas.

Italian Ice Climbing

To day Alan Kimber amd I drove through the Mt Blanc tunnel towards Aosta and headed up to the tiny village of Cogne where we climbed the pleasant Cascade du Liaz. Four pitches, one quite steep and one just steep.

Serious amounts of snow

The British Mountain Guides are having their annual dinner here in Chamonix at the weekend and my friend Alan Kimber is staying with us. To day he was out in the garden buildingt snow shelters.

Big Snow and it's still only November

It has snowed about half a meter, its cold and it's all looking very good.

Rock Climbing in the autum sunshine

If you choose the right crags ones that faces the sun then rock climbing us very pleasant on the valley crags. I managed to nip out a couple of times in the last week once with Jane and one with a fellow Guide Jean Christophe Beche. He climbs at a much higher standard than me and I stuggled...

The Dovell's Day Out

Chris Dovell and I have climbed a considerable amount of famous alpine peaks together. Including the Eiger Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. To day we went out with Kim and their son Harvey. We climbed the very long via Cordia in beautiful Autumn sunshine.

Jane wants sponsors.

Jane is going to run in the London Marathon next April. Click on the widget to foind out more about the charity Outward Bound.