TR: (NSR) Chamonix Summer Climbing In Review Part Deux
The Alps are now covered in about of meter of fresh at altitude. I clicked on my skis for the first time this weekend and enjoyed knee-waist deep blower pow at Saas Fee (see "Snow for the Euros"). A good time to call the summer climbing season "finished" and flip through some of the highlights.
Since I last checked into TGR (See TR: (NSR) Chamonix Summer Climbing In Review, July 1, 2007) I managed to pry myself from my computer desk job most weekends to up high. Pulled off a few climbs in the Mont Blanc range despite pretty dismal weather and conditions, a few more climbs in the Ecrins, and some trips to Switzerland.
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Richard on "Danse Avec Le Pilier" - 6c, 350m, Ecrins, France
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Back at the refuge. Thankfully no girls in sight.
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Martin on the approach, Triolet Basin, Italy, on a beautiful warm morning in August
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Climber on the route next to ours, Triolet
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Matias pushing through one of the 5.10 pitches of "Reglette da Ballo" (6c, TD+, 360m)
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Sunset from the Trient refuge - along the Haute Route, although we were there to do this:
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"Traverse of the Aiguilles Dorees" - (D, 6a)
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Another sunrise in Switzerland... on the approach to:
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"Traverse des Aiguilles d'Arolla" (D, 4+), Arolla Valley
Then back to Chamonix, for another wonderful weekend of Chamonix granite at the refuge de Requin. Sunset from the refuge over the Drus and Aiguille Verte:
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We hit up the classic "Arete Ryan" (D, 5/5+), a nice elegant line that finishes direct on the summit of the Aiguille du Plan, highest of the Chamonix Aiguilles. Richard pushing the bounds of what you want to do in mountaineering boots:
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Then off to Swiss Vaud, for a lovely sunny summertime day on the "Fortresse du Vide" (6b+, 370m) on the Dent de Morcles. Agnes holding her own with the boys:
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Basking in sunshine at the summit:
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One more sunny "wow I love summer" day in the Ecrins - Agnes following up "Pas d'Asile pour Pazuzu" (TD+, 6a, 400m) at Les Bans:
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And now back in Cham' Valley, for the most direct way up to Le Brevent, on "Poeme a Lou" (6b+, 210m) - here's Paul on one of the 6a+ pitches:
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And with weather again bad in Chamonix Valley, back down to the Ecrins to do the "Traverse des Aretes de Siolouze" (D, 5+) - here's Gethin on one of the many photogenic towers along the long ridgeline. What a joy to see the sunrise from such a spot:
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And with Autumn in the air, we finally found Chamonix in good condition for some more crack climbing. Here's me on "Amazonia" (6a+, 370m):
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And Yoshi and I at the summit, with matching helmets:
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A quick swim on one of the last warm days, down at the "Mont Blanc Beach" ("Plage du Mont Blanc") in Sallanches:
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A quick pizza dinner:
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(We're not sure if there IS a translation for "P.C" in French.)
... and back up high, for an adventure up "Osez Josephine" (6a, 400m), the only successful climb this summer on the Chamonix side of the Aiguilles (Red Piller of the Aiguille de la Blaitiere):
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... if you could consider stumbling around in circles, at 9 PM, in thick pea soup fog, trying desperately to locate the Aiguille du Midi midstation a "success". :eek:
And now completely into Fall, down jacket weather, days super short and mornings super cold, we bivvied up at the Aiguille du Midi to run up Mont Blanc. Will and Athilla enjoying the sunset from one of the Midi tunnels:
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And some of the best photos are the easiest to capture. Me posing in the sunset from the Midi:
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And pointing the camera the other way, another "I love Chamonix" moment, captured in film:
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Depart midnight, pass about 150 people along the trail and arrive at the summit of Mont Blanc, 15,774 ft, to freeze my ass off for 45 minutes waiting for the sun to rise. When it did, it was pretty impressive:
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Alone at the summit at dawn! Quite a moving experience!
Pre-dawn over Italy from the highest point in Europe:
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Some other climbers finally arrive, in very high spirits. Hugs and handshakes. Some falling tears...
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Mont Blanc casts a shadow over all of Europe at sunrise. Geneva, still behind the shadow of the big one, 100km away:
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And now the last climb of the season, a wicked line up Mont Maudit:
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The last sunrise of the summer, midway up the climb:
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Marching ever upward, well above 14,000ft:
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Paradise found... for climbers:
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We had an adventure that day getting off Mont Maudit as it had snowed about a foot during our climb and the night before. Breaking trail down deep powder snow on the Mont Blanc du Tacul gave me a little "i want to ski" twinge. It then proceeded to snow, snow, and snow even more, for a whole week. Goodbye summer, hello ski season!
Lots more text and photos at my blog: http://birtle.com/Blog
See you on the slopes! :cool:
