Chamonix Week, Sunday 30th August 2009 - Les Grandes Montets

Our first day inthe Alps with Mike Pescod from Abacus Mountaineering was in the Les Grandes Montets area in Argentiere, not far from Chamonix.

We headed up from Lognan to the glacier, then around to North facing slopes where we could practice crevasse rescues.

We then zig-zagged our way round more crevasses to aim for the icy but not very steep slope up to the scrambly North Ridge to the summit at 3275m.

Stevie on the North Ridge.

Group shot at the top staion of Les Grandes Montets, with Mont Blanc in the background, before luckily catching the last telepherique down of the season!

Ben Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin, 16th August 2009

Just me and the Guner today trying to get some mileage for Mont Blanc in two weeks time. With the forecast being pants, we opted for the shorter drive to Ardvorlich House on the banks of Loch Earn and north of Ben Vorlich. With 17km and 1200m of height gain, we figured it would make a wothwhile short day instead of driving all the way to Glencoe or the Ben just to get wet! As it was. we were the first people on the hill and had the best of the strong winds and clag that obscured any views until we finally made it to the top! It was a battle of wits as to who would turn round first as we struggled up the long drag to Ben Vorlich's summit at 985m. We were just about on the verge of what it seemed possible to stand up in with the forecast 50/60/70 mph Westerlies on our right shoulders.

After a slight directional miscalculation on the summit, due to being too lazy to look at the map and take a bearing, the clouds cleared so we could finally see where we were!

Looking across to Stuc a Chroin from, err slightly north of the summit of Ben Vorlich.

Still breezy on the summit!

Looking North to the Tarmachans on the left and the Lawers range on the right.

From the sumit of Ben Vorlich, we descended SW to Bealach an Dubh Choirein, before heading up to Stuc a Chroin's summit at 975m. Although it looks like a true scramblers route, there are numerous ways up, all easy, scrambly paths with short rocky sections that are not even graded (a 1/2 if at all). Scrambling isn't the Gunner's first choice of route choice, but this was excellent ground to get a feel for it and he breezed the final two thirds before stopping for a brew on the summit. We then headed back N/NW for about 600m, before locating the small cairn that marks the descent path that skirts below the Eastern crags of Ben Vorlich, and rejoins the ascent path.

Looking back up to Ben Vorlich from Ardvorlich.

Happy Yorkshire Day (belated - Saturday 1st August 2009)

Just found this nice blog, "Yorkshire Blog", about err, Yorkshire! Also like the idea of a Happy Yorkshire Day, especially as it being happy and a Yorkshireman don't normally go well together! So if your'e not "Yorkshire", then take a look and enjoy the great photos.

More Mont Blanc training, Thursday 6th August 2009

Not much to report, just another four hour bash from Hillend Ski Centre for me and the Gunner, over to Allermuir and beyond (Black Hill) and back. Very hot today and surprisingly hard considering we were on the "easy" side of the Pentlands!!!

Happy Birthday Sir Christian Bonington, 6th August, 2009

Sir Christian John Storey Bonington was 75 yesterday (born 6 August 1934 in Hampstead, London).

Chris is still at it, he's just had a trip cragging in Lofoten then rushed off to China on Berghaus business. Next year sees him on a celebratory trek to Annapurna to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his, Richard Grant's and Sherpa Ang Nyima's first ascent of Annapurna II (7937 metres) in 1960. (taken from UKC News)

Mont Blanc training, Sunday, 1st August 2009

Well it's just under four weeks to go now before we head off for Mont Blanc with Mike (Pescod) from Abacus mountaineering. Apart from the usual gym stuff and the normal trips out and about (apart from the Wickerman!), me and the Gunner snatched a quick four hours up the Pentlands last Thursday afternoon, then myself and Mark managed another four hours this morning at 7am!!! Not bad considering we weren't heading further afield. Hopefully over the next four weeks I should get out at least to the Pentlands on a Thursday and the next three Sundays to Glencoe etc ???

Wickerman, Friday 24th-Saturday 25th July 2009

No mountains this weekend, just music, beer and dancing at the Wickerman Festival near Dundrennan (near Kircudbright).

First time at Wicker for myself and Lorna, plus Ben and his pal Chris. We all enjoyed almost everything; even stuff your'e not into is worth a listen and some polite applause :)

In no paticular order of "jumping around on the spot-abilty" were;

Zion Train Human League

More from Jim (twice)

UK Subs (not a single swear word - that i noticed - fair play)

Counterfiet Clash

Bad Manners

Billy Bragg (more a sitting thing)

Burn the negative

Idlewild

Utah Saints

and everynight finished in the Headphone Disco!!!

If we had a gripe, and I know you shouldn't expect much sleep, but maybe swapping the Acoustic Tent with The Bass Camp would keep the noise over by the young folks in their field, and a little less noise for us slightly older persons???

Prices? Well £3.20 for a pint isn't over the top but a little less would go a long way. Maybe that would stop people bringing their own, which shouldn't be a problem anyway.

Food was also on the "ok we're on holiday type thing, but could easily be on the cheaper side", and I'm sure the traders will still survive!

However, all in all we had a great time and hope to be back next year :)

Making something to drink?

Main stage, bar and Headphone disco tent.

The jobby truck doing his rounds!

Idlewild on the main stage.

Uk Subs in the Scooter tent, with Charlie on fine form and enjoying himself!

A rather blurry Human League.

Three handsome young men!

The Wickerman himself before his burning.

Everybody dancing to the Utah Saints.

Ben and Chris trying to look cool in the Headphone Disco.

Lorna (left) and the rest of the tent doing their thing in the Headphone Disco.

The Wickerman finally "gets it!"

Ben, the lightweight, clearly breaching road safety laws on the way home.

Coniston; Raven Tor, Thursday 9th July 2009

With a reasonable forecast for the day, we opted for climbing the grade 4 scramble of Raven Tor, which lies just south east of Levers Water, rather than Easy Terrace on Dow Crag as we 'd been there before.

As usual the Cicerone guides can be difficult to interptret sometimes, with things like "obvious red scree shute" and "a small (non existant to us) cairn marks the start of the route".

However we set off up what we thought was the correct "rib of rock on a central buttress", only to find it a little too easy as it should've been harder - for us!

Although it looks steep , which it was in certain places, the rock has plenty of holds and you do get a sense of being on a big crag. However it just didn't seem difficult enough!

As the guide says though, scrappy scrambling can be found almost anywhere and made as easy or as hard as you like. So, after we finished we went back down and selected another possible candidate for the correct route and tried that!

Coniston, Great Carrs and back, Tuesday 7th July 20090

With the forecasts being so unpredicatable, myself and Lorna decided to head for the hills, starting once again at the Walna Scar road car park. From there we went north, up past The Pudding Stone and on past Levers Water, up to Black Sails, the point between Swirl How and Wetherlam.

Looking back over Levers Water on our way up to Black Sails, with Raven Tor on the right. From Black Sails, we went west up the rocky path on the Prison Band to the summit of Swirl How at 804m, and then north again to Great Carrs at 788m.

On the summit of Great Carrs stands a memorial to the crew of a Halifax Bomber that crashed in 1944, with what remains of the wreckage.

The eight crew members are named on the memorial with the youngest being just 19.

The view of the Langdales with Pavey Ark centre of the picture.

Looking south again to our next stop; the top of Dow Crag at 778m over to the right, with Brim Fell and Coniston Old Man on the left. After Dow Crag it was down to the old Walna Scar road and then east back to the car park.

Coniston, Sunday July 5th 2009; scrambling on The Bell

This was Tam and Susannes first visit to the Lakes and also their first scramble on the grade I "The Bell", a short walk from the car park at the top of the Walna Scar road out of Coniston.

The Bell as seen from the car park.

Tam and Susanne making light work of their first scramble! From the top we made our way back to the car park and then headed out towards Goats Water below Dow Crag. We stopped just short of Goats Water for a bite before Lorna, Tam and Susanne headed back to the car, whilst I headed up past Dow Crag.

Dow Crag with the grade III, Easy Terrace starting left of the blue stretcher box up a right slanting rake.

A closer view of Easy Terrace and two climbers on D Buttress. From Goats Water I climbed the steep path up to Goats Hause before turning South East to make for the summit of Coniston Old Man at 803m.

Looking across from the Old Man trig point to the Scafell's.

Looking down over Low Water, with Levers Water just visible behind the southern side of Raven Tor (sloping down from left to right). Above and left of Raven Tor is Great How Crags 776m, Swirl How 804m and Great Carrs 788m respectively. High on the right is Wetherlam at 762m.