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.

Mark the Mountain Guide gets his own website

Over the weekend the Mark the Mountain Guide went live. You can now download your own computer wallpaper and buy the book direct from the website.

Wrong sort of Snow

Peter Little started the week with some brilliant weather and rock climbing. We then did the Traverses of the Aiguille de Entreve. On Wednesday we had a mellow day doing a Via Ferratta above Plateau de Assey. Andrea came along too. On Thursday we drove over to Martigny and climbed the spectacular Tichodrome - one of the must do rock climbs in the Valais.
Then it snowed- we have about 10 cm in the garden this morning.

Autumn is here

Autumn nearly always one of the best times to climb in the Alps. No one around and the cooler weather makes it much safer too. Wendy Crabb and I had three very good days together. On our first day we climbed my new favourite peak the aigullie du Van, then we climbed the aiguille du Toule on the Italian ridge of the Valley Blanche. On Sunday we climbed the long rock climb the Via Cordia. We saw two people on our routes the entire time.

Patagonia blog features Mark the Mountain Guide

Just a head of the US release of the book Patagonia have been kind enough to review the book.

Not enough snow to ski. Too much snow to walk the Haute Route

Stephen Yeates, Viv Hickman and Steve & Fiona Trantrum and I set off to try and finish the second half of the Haute Route. We took an extreme taxi ride to the door of the Chanrion Hut. This was no ordinary taxi driver check out the link. The next day we set off for the Dix Hut but had to turn round at the col de Lire Rose because there was too much snow to cross it safely. We returned to the Chanrion Hut and called the Dix Hut to let them know we could not make it. With alarming surprise the Dix Hut did not seem to grasp we turned round for safety reasons. Which suggests the Guardian knows little about mountains
We quickly came up with a plan B - called back the taxi and headed up to the Brunnet Hut which is run by a very strict women. The next day Monday we traversed to the Cabane de Mille which enjoyed spectacular views towards the Mt Blanc massif. On Tuesday we had a very pleasant walk into Liddes where once again we picked up our taxi back to Martigny for lunch at Plan Cerises.
On our final day we all went rock climbing in Chamonix in beautiful autum sunshine

Mont Blanc 4810 meters

I made a very rare trip up MT Blanc this morning. It was made very easy by having fantastic conditions a full moon and a super fit client Robin Tarling. [I put rocks in his ruck-sack to slow him down.] We arrived on the summit in just over 3 hours as dawn broke. It was cold so we did not hang around but raced back to the Gouter Hut for a well earned omlette.

Pigne d'Arolla 3795 meters

John Eastgate and I climbed the Pigne d'Arolla from the village of Arolla yesterday. We drove round from Chamonix and walked up to the Vignettes Hut. It took about four hours and it was touch and go whether we got wet. After a pleasnt night we had the entire ascent to our selves and saw no one all day. The photo show the dramatic situation of the Vignettes Hut.

Lots and Lots of Rock climbing

The weather went a bit bonkers so Roger Cunliffe's and my plan to climb the Matterhorn had to be postponed until next year. Instead we had some fantastic rock climbing. On our first day we climbed the Tichodrome near Martigny. On Tuesday we Traversed the Aigulle de Entreve. Wednesday we climbed in the Aigulle Rouge. Thursday it chucked it down so we did a lot of rope work. On Friday we climbed one of the best rock routes of the season on the lonely Aigulle du Van above the Emosson Dam. On Saturday we squeezed in the long climb Les Razmokets before it started to rain.