| Climbing trip to the Alps, Arolla
and Argentiere. We climbed Aguille de la Tzar, Mont Blanc de Cheilon, Aguille de Tour and Mont Blanc via
Mont Maudit and Tacul. Check out loads more pictures in the Alps 2002 picture gallery.
Alps 2002 photo gallery |
| Reading. 2:30 am on Saturday morning and we pile into my
car and head off to Dover. 6 p.m and we arrive in Sion in Switzerland hoping
that we’re still on “Plan A” and Leggy is at the railway station. If we were
on “Plan B” Leggy wouldn’t know as the mobiles aren’t working. He’s there,
so we cram him and his gear into the car and drive the 41 km up the Val
d’Herens to Arolla with the mud flaps grating all the way. |
| Sunday dawns OK but the forecast is not too great and
there’s a lot of fresh snow on the East face of the peaks. We decide to
go up to the Bertol Hut to acclimatise and if the weather turns out to
be good do a further acclimatisation climb on the easier West face of
the Aguille de la Tzar. None of us had been to the Bertol hut before so
the walk in was all new, not to mention long.
When we got onto the glacier and looked up through a
break in the clouds to see the hut perched up on a cliff with clouds
swirling past it and looking oh so close, we didn’t believe the
altimeters saying we still had 400 m ascent to go. An hour later we
realised the altimeters were correct. We booked in and got a mild
bollocking from Freddie the guardian for not having a reservation. It
seems that the Swiss as well as the French huts now expect a
reservation. The hut’s quiet, there’s us, another dozen Brits doing the
Haute Route and two Belgians, Tim and Steph. Dinner is soup, lasagne and
peaches and plenty of it. Leggy has three helpings of everything. |
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| Despite the weather forecast, the next day is OK so we
set off towards the Tzar as a rope of 4. Route finding is relatively easy
although its hard to spot the best line downhill through the crevasses on a
convex slope. We get to the Tzar on guidebook time, which isn’t bad as its
our first day and we’ve all got mild headaches from the altitude. It goes as
a PD but looked more like a scramble. I say I’m not going up the last bit as
its pretty Baltic and there’s an icy wind blowing. The first guy up is going
to freeze his whatsits off waiting for the others, and there will be a wait
as we’ll need both ropes for a 40 m abseil. The other three gear up for the
climb, then back off at the start. They also realise that although the last
few meters are an easy climb (scramble?) its freezing and the views are
going to be of the inside of a cloud. Off we go down and head for the short
cut down the Col de la Tzar. |
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I go first and hack a trench through the cornice,
turn right to go around the bergshrund, get a poor sling on a rock
outcrop before heading left again to miss a rather large crevasse (it
was really a baby one, some of the ones we crossed earlier would swallow
a block of flats). Well, suffice to say Erol and Richard ended up in
said crevasse. Richard half climbs/is dragged out, but he’s hurt his
ankle “Its definitely not broken” he says. Gallantly he hobbles
down the glacier in obvious pain. On the moraine he takes his boot off
and its like someone had stuck half a grapefruit on the side of his
ankle. Now we’re on solid ground progress is a bit faster as he can use
his walking poles, but its still a long, slow and painful descent. The
next day (Tuesday) has an awful forecast so we do a recce of the
bouldering and cragging scene. There’s a large boulder that’s been
converted to an outdoor climbing wall complete with bolt on holds and a
“roadside” crag that’s ideal: i.e. bolted, and if the 2nd needs an
anchor, the towing hitch of your car’s right there. What more do you
want? The afternoon is spent starting off the sun tans and bouldering
(on a top rope!) on the rather large rock next to the Tzar Hotel. If
only all “rainy” days we this sunny! Tim teaches us a Belgian rope trick
– head first abseiling. |
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| That evening we take Richard down to Evolene to see the
doctor. 50 minutes and £180 later he emerges with a batch of x-rays,
metallic purple crutches and his leg in plaster – it was broken. We get food
for a barbie that Tim and Steph have set up, rather well I might add,
including tarpaulin and brassier, although it would have been quicker if
we’d bought charcoal rather than hunted through the woods for dead branches.
The highlight(?) was when Tim stripped down to his shreddies and chased
Leggy round the campsite with an ice axe. Wednesday is rather grim and wet,
not a lot happens other than a low level valley walk. |
| Thursday had a rather sad start as we take Richard
down to Sion to catch a train to Geneva and then hopefully a flight back
to London. We then sort out gear in sunshine and head off up to the Dix
hut, with only a minor cross country detour as I can’t follow a
footpath. Another great meal in the hut, although this time the hut’s
fairly full, and a blistering sun set over Mont Blanc d’Cheilon, which
we intend to traverse tomorrow. I know Erol wanted to bag some 4000ers,
but its only 130 m short, that’s close enough isn’t it? For those who’ve
still got their heads buried in the sand and don’t believe global
warming, well, glacial recession is happening rather fast. According to
a guy we met in the campsite, the last time he was in Arolla, 6 years
ago, the north face of the Pigne d Arolla was an ice face, now its snow
and rock. Two years ago when I was last at the Dix hut, the Col de
Cheilon was all glacier, now there’s a rock band at the top. Any way, I
digress. |
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| At breakfast the keen types are wearing their harnesses
but we still beat them out of the hut and look back at the strings of
trekkers heading up to the Pigne d’Arolla. We hang a right at the Col de la
Serpentine and flog up some dodgy snow slopes on the Cheilon. Its imperative
we stay well left as the cornices overhang the north face by several hundred
feet. Soon we’re on the rock crest and I make a complete idiot of myself by
getting the rope in an almighty tangle at the abseil. Down that then along
an oh so narrow rock crest on surprisingly sound rock. The exposure was
awesome, look right and there’s a 3000’ drop straight down the north face,
look left and its only a mere 1500’ drop onto the Serpentine glacier. Two
guided parties almost caught us up. We watched their technique and soon saw
why they were so fast. The guides soloed a few meters, then brought the two
clients up/along on a direct belay round a rock spike/block. When the
clients were seated comfortably the guides would then solo the next little
bit. But was I gutted when we got to the top. I was expecting a beautiful
alpine snow summit with a cross. The reality was a narrow rock ridge with a
faded 4” red cross painted on a bit of rock. It wasn’t really a summit, just
the highest point on a ridge. The descent was easier at PD but again it was
a narrow ridge consisting of rock, ice and cornices with very little in the
way of protection. The best method of staying alive was not to slip off.
Once that was over it was down a vague ridge, although on one section we had
to face in and front point downwards for a while, then a superb standing
glissade down from the col de Cheilon. We managed to glissade down the
entire glacier, about 1 km. A quick rest at the hut then off down to Arolla,
passing shed loads of marmots on the way. Great day, long, very long, but
the route was an absolute cracker and the weather was perfect. |
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| Well, that was it for Switzerland as we had to be in
Argentiere the next day to meet Stu and Lea. They eventually arrived at 10
pm, about 1 minute before the camp site shuts to vehicles. They pitch their
tent then we go and try and find food. Not easy as everywhere has stopped
serving food. Fortunately the “Snack Bar” hasn’t and they come up with some
superb hot sandwiches and pizzas, not to mention Guinness. It’s a great
place, the owner and the bar man are really friendly, it’s a shed load
better and cheaper than “The Office”. In fact it became our local during our
stay. |
| The forecast for Sunday is dodgy in the morning and crap
in the afternoon. We decide on a dash up the Petit Aguille Vert.
Unfortunately we arrive at the cable car station in a thunderstorm, so that
was that. Into Chamonix for gear shopping in the rain. We bump into this guy
Dave who we’d briefly met in the Bertol hut. His missus had gone home so he
was on his own and he clung like a limpet. We give him a lift to a campsite
where the rest of his climbing club are staying hoping that will be the last
of him. Not so. The next day is good with a good forecast for the day after
as well. Dave arrives at the tents and persuades Leggy to go up Mont Blanc
with him. Me, Erol, Stu and Lea have already decided on the Aguille du Tour
via the Table de Roc route. The Albert 1er hut is full so we decide to
bivvie. It’s my first Alpine bivvie so I’m dead keen. Dave and Leggy book
into the Tete Rousse hut, 2½ hours by the guide book below the Gouter Hut.
Boy are they letting themselves in for a long day. Up the cable car and
chair lift then a two hour sunny walk to the Albert 1er hut. Grab a bite to
eat, then head off a bit and find a bivvie spot. Fortunately many people
have bivvied up there before, so there’s several flat spaces with little
wind breaks dotted around if you look. Stu and Lea have brought a tent up,
Erol finds a snow patch and at long last gets the chance to use his snow
shovel as he levels a pitch for the tent. We cook dinner and settle down to
watch the sun set over the Aguille de Chardonay and the Tour Glacier. |
| The Forbes Arête looks a stunning route, I
definitely, definitely want to do that one day, it just looks the bizz.
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| Anyway, a warm and peaceful nights sleep ensues, then a
mad rush in the morning as the alarm on my watch has decided that its no
longer going to work. Nobody else thought to set their alarms. Off we go,
its Stu and Lea’s very first Alpine route. The guide book says the route is
“justifiably popular”. Unfortunately the reality is somewhat different. It
turns out that the guide book was written in 1990 when the initial culoir
was filled with neve. Now there’s no trace of snow or ice at all and its
horrible, loose and just plain dangerous. Anyway, we go up it rather slowly.
At the exit there’s a good scramble, then a bit more rock work and you
finally come out onto a narrow ridge. You take this on the left but its
still loose. You then skirt round a slab which some hooligan decides to take
direct. Its about a VS, which Erol effectively solos in big boots and pack.
Everyone else needs a pull on the rope to get up. Off up and towards the
table we go. Its a massive perched granite slab, similar to the Cantilever
on the Glyders. The same hooligan now tries to lead an E1 overhanging groove
oblivious to the guide book and the obvious route to the right. This time we
make him come down and go up the proper route. |
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The guide book says the move onto the top of the
table is a III, about a v diff. Ho, ho, ho, what a laugh the author had
that day. More like V A0. (VS with a pull on the in situ tat.) The guide
book then says to follow the ridge to the summit. What it fails to
mention is that the ridge is shall we say, rather narrow, extremely
exposed, and requires a 15’ ‘au cheval’ manoeuvre. (Sit on the ridge,
one leg each side and shuffle across.) At this point, Lea who is already
tired, freaks out at the exposure and has to be belayed the whole way.
Eventually we get to the top and get a great view over the Mont Blanc
massif, including a lenticular cloud slap bang on the summit of Mont
Blanc. The route is a real sandbag, the guide book says PD, but it’s
solid AD; the Cheilon traverse we did the other week was easier and
that’s AD. The route “down” actually follows the ridge upwards, then
drops down via an easy scramble onto the Trient glacier. |
| Given Lea’s state I don’t want to go down the Col
Purtscheller, especially when I saw some rock fall go down it, and want the
longer but easier Col de Tour descent. Unfortunately my navigation wasn’t
quite what it should have been (and it didn’t help with the French maps
being marked incorrectly) and we missed the Col de Tour descent. We arrived
at what I thought was the Col de Tour, took one look at it and carried on
and ended up at the Col de Saleina, which looked fine and which I mistook
for the Col de Tour. We go down it, keeping a tight rope on Lea and hope
that the snow bridge over the bergshrund will hold our weight. It crumbles a
bit but we get over. I’m not 100% sure where we are, but if we go right we
either end up on the Tour glacier or come to the col Fenetre du Tour which
will take us onto the Tour glacier. Off we go, over some stone fall debris
and contour upwards until we can see the Fenetre du Tour. The route looks
hard, given the snow condition I’m not too sure I could make it, given Lea’s
condition (completely cream crackered), there’s no way in a million years
she’s going to make it. It’s also very late, getting on for 7 pm, so I make
a decision. I say its time to call it a day, get off the glacier and go for
the Saleina hut. Erol’s not happy, he thinks we can do it but I persuade him
otherwise. At least we’ll arrive late enough at the hut that they’ll fit us
in regardless of how full they are. |
| So, off we go with the hut visible in the distance,
the glacier descent looks easy. Oh no it wasn’t. The Saleina Glacier is
horribly crevassed, we get onto the dry glacier and end up in a crevasse
maze. We try to go down the middle, can’t. Try to go right. Eventually
we get over towards the right and see that there’s some monsters down
there, no way down through there. We work back towards the middle again
and try to go left, only to end up in the middle again. I say “I bet
they’re all out on the hut balcony watching us and having a good laugh.” Erol has a
go at route finding and eventually leads us out through the maze onto the
left hand side of the glacier. Down we go, cross over the glacier again
lower down where its not crevassed, and off up the moraine slopes to the
hut. Fortunately, the path is well marked and is no where near as long and
horrible as it looked from higher up. We arrive at 8:45 to be greeted by the
guardian with a big jug of sweet tea. Yes he can fit us in, yes he can do us
a meal. |
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| The guardian was an absolute star. He saw that Lea was in a
bit of a state and looked after her well. Soup, ravioli and green bean salad
for dinner, washed down with loads of water as everyone was severely
dehydrated. For Stu and Lea’s first hut, they couldn’t have picked a better
hut. It was immaculately clean, comfortable, had wide corridors, good
lighting, clean non-smelly toilets and wasn’t crowded. Everybody in there
was relaxed, in the morning there was no mad rush to get out. Quite a
welcome relief from some other huts. The guardian also had a look at our
route and made some derisory remark (the Saleina hut is in Switzerland)
about the French maps, basically they’re wrong, he says its not possible to
cross the Fenetre du Tour. |
| So, the next morning we have a leisurely (by Alpine standards) 7 a.m.
start and head off up the glacier again. Unfortunately, it hadn’t frozen
overnight so the snow was in poor condition. Even on the correct route up
the glacier there were lots of crevasses, everyone put a leg through a snow
bridge. I manage to go right in one, it was my rucksack that jammed and
stopped me with my head just poking out above the surface. Too much slack in
the rope I’m afraid, I’d have gone another 2’ before the rope would have
stopped me. Slowly we work up to the Col de Saleina, Lea has to keep
stopping to try and calm herself down. Fortunately the snow in the col is
still in shade and is frozen, its in really good condition and Lea actually
enjoyed the climb up. Then over and round to the Col du Tour, this time
taking extreme care with the map reading. At the col we realise that we were
actually at the Col du Tour last night, but the descent still looks
appalling. We do a thorough recce and see a way down to the right. There
were four people on it but they didn’t look like they were enjoying
themselves. We decide to give it a go when two others arrive. They say that
there’s no way down here and the route is over to the North. So, off we go
to the next col, the Col sup du Tour, and sure enough, this is the easy way
down. So much for the maps! Now we can see the hut, Lea relaxes and perks up
and in no time we’re back at the bivvie site. The snow patch where Lea and
Stu’s tent is still pitched has gone, there’s only a bit left right
underneath the tent where it was shaded. |
| Well, we broke Clive’s record from last year. We arrive back at the
campsite 24 hours late, having spent the night in the wrong country, to find
Leggy hiding from Dave, “The guy’s an absolute leach…” They’d got up Mont
Blanc and it had only taken them 1½ hours from the Tete Rousse to the Gouter
Hut. Leggy said you needed to be absolutely desperate to climb Mont Blanc to
go up that way. Its just a never ending snow plod and although the exposed
bit of the Grand Culoir is short, its like Russian Roulette with all the
rock fall. |
| The next day is a rest day and we have an easy day’s cragging at Les
Gaillands. The entertainment is watching the Frogs try and kill each other.
There’s the usual stuff with throwing ropes down and abseiling over people,
but the best was when they decided to swap belayers with the leader ½ way up
a route. Just unclip the belay device, pass the rope to someone else, thread
the figure of eight, clip it in and carry on paying rope out. Simple really,
just hope that the guy doesn’t fall off in the process. |
| After much debate, and with the best weather forecast
you’re ever going to get, not to mention a full moon, we decided to do Mont
Blanc from a bivvie at the Midi Station. With a midnight start it was going
to be a short night and we’d met a bloke who said that he was OK up there
without any bivvie kit. That clinched it. Pre pack food, take mineral water
up and leave the empty bottles in the bin up there, very cheap (disposable)
kip mat for a modicum of comfort, and other than the clothes your in, that’s
it. So we go for a sensible training regime the night before and get blind
drunk playing a drinking game called Captain Puff (taught to us by Tim, the
mad Belgian). I dip out from the climb as my knee had been really aching the
previous day and was no better. Erol and Leggy go for it, Stu and Lea go ice
bouldering on the Mere de Glace. Unfortunately, the Chamonix traffic decides
its going to have a bad day and I drop Erol and Leggy off at the
telepherique with only a minute to spare before the last uplift. They left
at midnight as planned, well ahead of the hordes from the Cosmiques hut,
then decided on a change of plan and took in the summits of Mont Tacul and
Mont Maudit on the way. This provided a little technical interest on an
otherwise bland snow plod. They summitted at about 9 am, and went down the
Gouter Ridge as we didn’t know if the snow bridges were intact on the Grand
Mullets descent. They finally arrived at the down lift at 4 pm, a somewhat
long 16 hour route. But Erol had finally, after 3 years of trying, climbed
Mont Blanc, and they’d done three 4000ers in a single day. It was Leggy’s
2nd ascent of Mont Blanc in a week. Well done boys. |
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| Well, that was it, one last visit to the snack bar, then the long drive
back home. And boy was it long. The sun beat down all day, it was 39.7ºC in
the car with the windows down but the French motorways are superb so it was
80-85 all the way. Until we got within 10 miles of the M25 that is, then it
was back to the usual traffic jams. |
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