It all started with a day on a little cliff above Argentière, rock climbing with my uncle. I even led on a 5a rope length, surprising myself. A climbing team doesn't become a team in a day, but we certainly achieved something on that day. If only that, we have learnt the hard way about each other's capabilities, as until now we were only comparing two different grading systems from our local climbing spots. My uncle can just about lead on routes where I can just about follow, so sounds like a good way to both get our challenges! 11 or 12 ibexes were around, making the day even more special in the Mont Blanc range scenery!
In May only the Aiguille du Midi lift is open, limiting thereby the options if you want to avoid spending the week on an approach march to your route, carrying water, tent, food etc... So on the Sunday we abseiled from the bridge between the north and central pitons of the Aiguille, then down a couloir to reach the base of an ice gully "La Passerelle", TD- with M5 mixed climbing. Very good warm-up hammering the ice tools into ice&snow and hooking on rocky edges. Up to 85° upright, just scary enough but relatively safe when you follow a guide! The top of the route is about the halfway point of the Arête des Cosmiques, so a little hike to the summit ends a perfect day!
The fine weather on monday saw my uncle and I for our first tour together in high-mountain without guides. We refined our rope techniques and protection placing flair in the Traverse of the Pointes Lachenal. Very nice acclimatisation day at 3600m above sea level. Quite an experience as well to be out there with your uncle!
Tuesday afternoon, having rested quietly, my guide and I get up to the Plan de l'aiguille to stay overnight at the refuge. 4am wake-up, and up the snow-covered moraines to the base of the "rectified" Mallory-Porter couloir. Followed by three parties of military high-mountain apprentices, we get up the couloir on easy snow slopes. Technically easy, only a good test of stamina and even of acclimatisation as you near the summit of this 1500m height gain route. Beautiful AD+ route, and in fantastic conditions that day, just the way you would want it to be!
This confidence build-up saw me accepting to attempt the Frendo spur on the Saturday. A clear night on Friday evening guaranteed decent re-freezing, but only partial as we experienced soft snow on the approach after a 3am wake-up. There were still lots of snow, making this "D" route with up to 5a free climbing easier on the rocky sections. Ice axe catching well in the ice/snow, and some rocky lengths coudl even be avoided by taking snowy slopes. There were still a fair few lengths of rock sections, to be climbed mostly with crampons. Rock climbing is definitely my weakness, although I can really notice some improvement against a year ago (OK I didn't even have my own climbing shoes back then!). At the end of it, after a couple of painful nkee hits and a bit of swearing, I joined my guide below the snow and ice top section. After a power break, we attacked the snowy upward arete with void on both sides, which I never realised could exist on the Frendo spur. There I noticed the acclimatisation difference with Wednesday, as at the same height and with more hours of climbing in the legs, I had no issue getting up the snowy slopes. Spending the Thursday resting at 3800m was definitely a good call! At the top of the route you have to get around a big piece of boulder, usually to the East, but because of the burning sun and its effect on the snow we took a right. On the western side, the snow was quite hard and in 4 rope lengths we reached the top. The last 60m length was a simple ice wall, maybe up to 70°... Good job we had our gully practice the sunday before! ANd all of a sudden you're on the magic ridge leading to the Aiguille du Midi, in the midst of all alpinists going back or going down, where guides salute each other, going in 30 seconds from total wilderness to a get together on the Midi ridge!
My holiday with Anja in Bretagne was fantastic, but as this blog is geared towards mountain stories it is here more relevant to tell you how fantastic my Chamonix week was. Later discussions made me realise that I could be disappointed by the Mera/Amphu Lhapcha/Island expedition I have in mind. There are no technical difficulties in those climbs, compared to what I've done this week. So I suppose I'm now on the hunt again for a summit to climb that will be one or two grades more technical, more challenging. Maybe the Baruntse just won back some credit? to be continued.......
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