Dry Glaciers Big Holes

The weather has been exceptionally good for a long period of time. The down side of this is that the glaciers are very icy and there are some enormous crevasses where I have never seen them before.
Robin Tarling and I have just spent four days climbing together. We started by climbing a rock route on the Brevent.
The next day we drove through the Mt Blanc Tunnel and took the cable car up to 3300 meters. We traversered the spectacular Aiguille de Entreves. We then slept the night at the Torino Refuge so that we could get an early start [4.30am] for the Aiguille du Rochfort.

This is where we encountered the huge crevasses - holes big enough to lose a house down. once we had negociated the glacier we found the ridge in very good condition and not a breath of wind.
To day we had an easier day rock climbing above Argentiere at Chezery where we finished with the Aiguillette d'Argentiere

Autumn Blasts

Charles Sherwood and I finished our week together by climbing the arrete du Doigt on Pt Percee. This was not our first plan but as the weather changed and it had snowed over night our we were left with little choice. This was a climb of two sides the south side bathed in sunshine the north side plastered in ice which made the rock climbing difficult/ impossible.

South Face of the Dibona 3130meters

One of the Ecrins best and spectacular rock climbs a must for any keen alpinist visiting the area.
As you walk up to the Soreiller hut below the peak you suddenly walk around the corner and there it is right above you. Charles and I climbed the classic south face route with its amazing tunnel pitch.

Fissure de Ailefroid and beer

After the Barres des Ecrins we needed an easier day, so after a relaxed breakfast we headed across the valley to climb the classic climb of Ailefoid. This is a huge gash in te massive cliff that dominates the village. It is quite unique for a French climb in that has very little bolted protection and you need to carry a full rack of gear.

Barres des Ecrins 4120 meters

The alarm went off at a grim 3.30am. After a quick breakfast we were out of the hut door at 4.00am. We scrambled down the scratchy path and on to the glacier. We strapped on our crampons roped up and set off. We immediately lost the path because all the snow had melted and we were left with glacier ice to follow around a maze of crevasses. Nevertheless we plodded in the right direction until we picked up the path in the snow higher up. After about an hour and a half the climb became a lot steeper and then came to sudden stop. Our progress halted by a monster crevasse. It was not simple to jump over it on the crevasse from the down hill side.
We continued until we arrived at the Dome des Ecrins where everyone else from the hut that morning was going. We turned our attention to the true Summit the Barres its- self. The climb moves from snow to a wonderful rocky scramble where we reached the top in about an hour from the col. We sat around on the top for about 20 minutes contemplating the knee smashing descent of 2300 vertical meters back to the car.

Charging the battery

Charles Sherwood and I headed down to the Ecrins for a change of scene. Our big plan was to climb the Barres des Ecrins. On our first day we walked up to the Glacier Blanc hut inorder to gain some acclimatisation. On our second day we plodded up to the Ecrins Hut. We arrived quite early in the day. On top of the flat top roof there was an exercise bike. Charles asked the guardian if he might have a go on the bike. She said of course and rushed up to the roof terrace where she plugged the bike into a battery!
Charles then diligently pedaled away for 45 minutes. Not a bad effort at 3100 meters

Father and Daughter climbing

Charles and Tabatha joined me for tow days alpine rock climbing before they embarked on their weeks paragliding course.
Tabatha had never climbed multi pitch alpine rock climbs before. So we headed up La Flegere where we climbed the Nez Rouge. A not too difficult rock climb which is a perfect introduction to alpine rock climbing. The only down side was that the mist came in restricting the fabulous view.
Nevertheless the next day we headed up Le Brevent where the view was crystal clear. We climbed the very mellow Micky et Moussia.

Aigulle du Van. Route with no name.

Again if you want a very good climb in a unique position high above the Emmosson Dam and you want to have the route all to your selves then head up to the Aigulle du Van.
This is what Chris Dovell and I did. Chris was fresh back from climbing Everest where his rock climbing skills were by his own admission under used.
The climb is on brand new bolts and is 7 pitches long. The descent is via a scramble off the summit back down to the Bar for a beer before heading back to Chamonix.

The Boulton Boy's

Albert Arthur and their Father Chris joined me for four days of alpine rock climbing. We had stunningly good weather for the entire time. If anything it was rather too hot at times. Especially when we climbed the stunning Aiguilette de Argentiere.

Back to Basics

Vanessa and Steve had completed a considerable amount of mountaineering both on skis and on foot. Nevertheless they felt had been left with a feeling that all the Guides who had taken them on their trips had provided them with great experiences but had taught them very little. They were very keen to go back to basics and learn the fundamental skills that underpin all mountaineering. We spent two days together: The first was on the Mer de Glace learning everything there is to know about crampons and ice axes plus belaying on ice.
My brief for the second day was to teach them the skills of safe crevasse rescue. We went to the top of the Grands Montets, found a suitable crevasse and the Steve and Vanessa took turns to jump into it while the other fished them out. They proved to each other it was possible to extract someone from a crevasse entirely on their own but it was not something they ever wanted to do for real.

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