The Incredible South Pillar of Mt Aiguille

 

classic alpine cows from the car park

We came to be standing at the foot of the mighty south pillar of the Mont Aiguille because our climbing options were being continually reduced by bad weather.

Charles Sherwood and I had started our 10 days climbing together by firstly heading to the Oberland where we spent two nights in the Engelhornhutte.

sunset from the Engelhornhutte

  From here we climbed the south ridge of the Stimlilock and then the next day the south face of the Rosenlauistock.  Both were classic brilliant climbs which we had to ourselves.  It was only when we were returning to the Hut after the climb that it started raining. 

Charles on the summit of the Simelstock

Returning to the Engelhornhutte just before the rain

 By the time we were back at the car it was tipping it down.  We had had two days of climbing in spectacular surroundings, but were now faced with a lot of forecasted bad weather. It had been our plan to kick on from here and finish some of the four thousander meter peaks that reamianed for us to climb in the area

We reluctantly left the Oberland and headed back to Chamonix for a rethink.

On our third day we drove to the Vercors in torrential rain.  The reason we were going there was that the weather forecast was suposedly getting better - well better than the alps.  We checked into the local hotel at the foot of Mt Aiguille.  We then drank a beer while watching the lashing rain, all the time I was hoping we had not made a bad choice of venue.

The next morning the rain had stopped but there was a thick mist clinging to the mountains.  It was debatable if the climb would be dry enough.  But we set off anyway because the forecast was for better weather.

 After about two hours walk up through the broad-leaf forest we arrived at the foot of the climb.  It was still misty and cold.  The weather added to the sense of forbidding because the face is awe inspiring.  Above us circled sevral golden eagles, but to us the they could have been ominous vultures...

Our spirits were improved when I spotted some friendly blue paint marking the start of the first pitch.  

Screen shot of the topo showing the pitch grades

What's more the rock wasn't wet.  The first three pitches are not difficult, instead they serve to lead you into the middle of this massive face zig zagging around various overhangs.  The net result is that when you start the difficult climbing you are already several hundred meters above the start, and over a thousand meters above the village.  The climbing is very much dolomitic in style and "very old school."  That is to say lots of shaky holds, loose rock and questionable pitons. It needed a good steady grown-up approach to the climbing - be steady and do nothing in a hurried fashion. A sports climb plastered in bolts it defiantly is not.  It was becoming a climb of grandeur.  The situations it was providing were as good as any.  

It is all impressively steep.  

We steadily made our way up to the start of the crux pitch by following a delicate traverse above a huge overhang.  I belayed and shouted for Charles to follow.  It was while waiting for him  that I got splatted with drops of water which were  trickling from the crack above.  The key section of the climb we really needed to be dry was the one overhanging my head.

While Charles gingerly traversed across to the belay, I pondered what to do next.  Now, because of the traverse above the overhang, it would make retreat, at best, highly complicated because it would involve a diagonal escaping rappel.

Charles experincing some significant exposure

 Contiuning, as is often the case, was the least worst option.  The one thing the wet crack had in its favour was it contained lots of old wobbly rusty pitons and rotten wooden wedges.  Possibly/maybe, okay for pulling on , but probably not for falling on.  I set off and struggled up the crack eventually arriving at its top. I was somewhat wet, but delighted to have negotiated the crux, meaning the rest of the climb would be less challenging.  Nevertheless the subsequent pitch [although dry] was harder  and without the generous supply of pitons.   

Charles on one of the many tricky traverses

A final pitch did lead us to the end of the main climbing, but the exit was more gravel quarry than climb. 

The exit from the final pitch is loose

 With the climbing completed, we packed our bags changed out of our rock boots and firstly headed around the high balcon path, before joining and  scrambling up the descent path of the normal route and onto the summit plateau. 

The magnificient arch on the route to the summit plateau

 Here we encountered a herd of Bouqutin - some of which looked as if they were up for a fight.  Thier horns suggesting that they might win.  

guarding the path...

So with the eagles soaring above us and the animals closing in on us, the whole place took on a wildlife theme park vibe- but the difference was that this was the real deal.  It was a truely unique setting we had climbed onto.  We walked across the meadow to the summit.  

It was 5.00pm.  The weather had indeed cleared up providing us with views towards Grenoble where we could make out the outskirts of the city and the Ecrins to the east. 

Charles on the summit with Les Ecrins masiff in the background

 All that remained was the small detail of getting back down. Leaving the top is far from simple. Thankfully having climbed the normal route of Mont Aiguille several times over the last few years, I knew the descent  well.  We scrambled down the descent gulley before making the two rappells[ the second one being quite tricky].

Charles on the tricky rappel

 From where we picked up the path and just managed to get back to the car without recourse to headlamps [packed just in case] then a short drive back to the hotel where we made it just before they stopped serving dinner.  A full 12 hour day and  a climb that would hold its own with some of the most aesthetically rewarding that I have climbed in a while.

The next day the weather was showing no signs of improving in the alps - so we headed further south to Opierre which is an hours beautiful drive.  The town and area is one of the most important sport rock climbing areas in France.  We stayed a couple of nights at the very comfortable Les Ceans hotel which is about 5 km out side of the main village.

West Pillar Ascle

Charles on the classic Le Maitre de la Danse

The weather was good, yet un seasonably cool with a lot of wind on the exposed ridges, but out of the wind it was delightful.

Meanwhile back in the alps they were being subjected to another weather record ; The coldest September weather snap of the 21st Century.  What this meant was that the mountains as low as 2000 meters had been plastered in snow leaving significantly reduced options, yet we did manage a day climbing at Dorenez just outside Martigny and on our final day the snow cleared enough to venture upto Plan Praz at Le Brevent and climb the mellow sports-route Spitomaniak.

Charles Sherwood leading the Crux pitch of Spitomaniak

Mt Blanc seen from the belay of Spitomaniack

No People No Rain Just 10 days of varied alpine climbing

 

A flowery belay anchor.

John Young and I climbed together for ten days.  During that time every single climb we did, we had to our our selves, nor did we once have to put a rain jacket on.  Admittedly there was a bit of luck with the weather because on our first day the forecast was a little iffy and we changed from our original plan and downgraded the challange incase it did start raining.  Which it ultimately did not.  We started by climbing above Flegere on the Petit Floria. In the valley it didn't look promising but we punched through the cloud base.  It was a little windy but we had the climb to our selves.

Above the clouds at La Flegere

John on 2nd pitch Athena 5b

The next day we drove around to Switzerland with the intention of climbing the "newish" route called Thor on the Tour du Bavon.  Unfortunately, possibly because it was a new route we didnt have all the upto date,nor correct intel of where it actually started.  Once we did find the start we felt that we hadn't left ourseleves enough time to actually safely climb the route -[and get back down.]. Instead we ended up going on a  big acclimatisation hike.  We  then continued on to the wonderful Hotel Italia at the col du Grand St Bernard where we spent the night and continued to help us acclimatise.

The lost valley below Tour Bavon

The next day we had a leisurely start before driving to just past Aosta,  from where we drove up the road to Brissogne, here the road ran out  so we drove up a track which stopped at a very noisy hydro-power station.

We packed our bags, John completed the mission critical job of decanting the wine and we set of up the steep but beautiful path to the Bivacco Menabreaz.  

The Sommelier in action

The signpost read 4 hours, the thermometer read 30c.  It was going to be tough.  It was tough. Yet we arrived at probably is the best bivy hut I have ever been too.  It had everything.  Perfect setting, and immaculate facilities. Plus a lake for a swim. Apparntly it used to be a Royal Hunting Lodge back in the day when Italy had a functioning Royal Family.  Eventually another man turned up, but other than that we had total piece.

The bivy hut

view across the lake to Mt Emelius

Sunsets behind the bivy hut

Our plan for the next day was to climb the East Ridge of Mt Emilius. This was a giant day;  Breakfast was at 5.00am and we were away soon after.  Probably a little too soon because while following the path in the dark was okay - 98% of the route has no desernable track, so  as soon as we left the main path  we struggled despite having head torches.  Once it was light we made good progress making our way to the col and the start of the climbing.  The ridge is straight forward yet in a wonderful remote setting.  It was not until we reached the summit that we saw our first person of the day.

First sun catches the summit

Mt Emilius with the remains of a glacier.

John on the upper east ridge

We descended by the south ridge which is the normal route.  There were other parties scrambling up, but it was comparitively quiet.  

Looking towards Mt Blanc from the summit 

Half way down the ridge there are 3 towers called the Three Cappuccinos. 

Three Cappo's

 This was our prompt to leave the main route and return to solitude and  back to the Bivvy Hut.  The descent from this point on was often horrible.  A mixture of vertical shale followed by uncooperative loose boulders, non of which suggested a coherent path, but rather a rough direction we thought we needed to follow.  We started to wilt.  At the foot of one of the many beautiful glacial lakes, we rediscovered a vague path which eventually lead us back to the idyllic bivy hut.  We arrived back at 1.00pm. 

Returning to the bivy hut [just right of the lake

 Now, if this had been a hut with a guardian and therefore food and drink, we would have probably stayed another night and walked down the next day.  But having no more food, we opted to walk back down. We left around 2.00pm As is so often the case with very steep paths its takes as long to walk down as it does to ascend.  

This  proved to be the case, it was long and brutal and it got hotter and stickier as we descended.  To make matters worse while returning to Chamonix we drove straight into a three hour queue for the Mt Blanc Tunnel.

Our next day was a shorter more relaxed one.  We went to the beautiful shaded crag above Finhault and finished with a late lunch back down in the village.

1979 MG Midget climbing transport for the day

John climbing 6a pitch

On Saturday 24th   Refreshed from our previous day, we headed up La Flegere again.  This time to climb the brilliant route  "Les Pontes de Jounce' on the Aiguille Pourrie. 

John on the final hard pitch 5c

We had company 

John rapping off the tower

 Everything about the climb was good ; its position the quality of the climbing and the solitude.  Yet,what was not brilliant was the Compagnie du Mt Blanc deciding that today was the day to close the lifts an hour earlier than the day before.  It was while standing on the summit of the Aiguille du Pourrie at 3.30pm, the reality hit.  We were not going to catch the final gondola which was now at  4.30pm, not 5.30pm  So for the second time in 3 days we were faced with a brutal descent.  I choose to take us via Le Brevent. Just incase the gondola was running.  It wasn't. However the next sucker punch came just as we descended below the lift station because the Fuckers started up the lift to take the workers down.   The descent was exhaugsting, but eventually we were rescued with a call  by my wife who drove her car up the piste and provided us with bottles of Badoit.

We took the next two days off.  

We reconvened on the Tuesday and headed off to the Bernese Oberland , more specifically the Engelhorn hutte.  Our plan was to traverse the Kliene and Gross Simelstock- an absolute Swiss mountain classic.

Engelhorn hutte in the evening sun

Gross Simelstock

The Hut is beautiful and the guardian was delightful. It only takes an hour to walk in from the car park . Strangely there were two Chamonix Mountain Guides staying there with their clients and climbing some of the routes near to the Hut.  The weather was beautiful and we eat dinner outside on the veranda.

The next morning we left the Hut at about 7.00am.  The path starts  abruptly by taking a steep path right out side the Hut.  We left wearing only T -shirts.  It took about an hour to get to the start of the ridge.  Despite it being the classic climb of the area there was very little in the way of clues to find the best line.  It was a question of just following our noses.  But soon the ridge narrowed and it became obvious where to go.  We moved together with about 20 meters of rope between us, clipping the few bolts when we found them.

John on the lower pitches 

It took about 2 hours to climb the Kliene Simelstock.  We rappelled off its summit and set about climbing the Grosse.  The climbing now becomes more intense and although not hard it was nescessary to pitch the climbing, especially the chimney pitch which has an awkward exit...

John on the summit ridge

Another 2 hours of climbing found us on the summit.   Locating the 1st of the 3 key rappells involved some head-scratching mommnets,  but once found everything linked up, until we found ourselves in yet another unfathamoble boulder field, which had become the theme of this years climbing trip together.

Yet eventually we found the key passage and a final 20 meter rappel put us back on the path to the Hut which we arrived back at about 2.30pm.

John on the summit

John rappelling from the summit

An hour later we were back at the car.  We stayed the night at the Gasthaus Zwirgi.  Strangely it took the Hoteliers a while to decide if they wanted to host us, [despite us being the only guests.]. Yet eventually they seemed to warm to us.  The hotel is in a beautiful situation, modern and the food was good.  What's more [and completely un beknown to us] the hotel sits above the river that feed the Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes met his death.  Thus allowing us some classic tourism.

On our penultimate day, after breakfast on the terrace of the hotel, we drove around to the Stockhorn and climbed the west ridge.  This is a simple climb yet in a magnificient position added to which it arrives at the top of the cable car station, leaving no decernable descent.  Something John and I were happy about.

West ridge of the Stockhorn

We concluded, our ten days climbing together back in Chamonix, more specifically on the climb called "Tartiflette" above Plans Praz at Le Brevent.  Although we were the only climbers on our route, it would not be strictly true to say we were alone.  Near to us were a group of the French Foiegn Legion who were using the crag to practice Commando style cliff storming scenarios.  I shared a belay with one of them and had an enlightening conversation.  It transpired that he was in the Foreign Legion, but was infact French by birth.  There is often quite a back story when a Frenchman [or infact anyone] who  is this Battalion. Unfortunately I didnt get to hear his particular one.

Final pitch of Tartiflette 5c

Mt Blanc looking massive seen from the climb.