Chamonix Week, Friday 4th September 2009 - Via Corda

With little prospect of getting to the higher mountains today, we opted for the rocky, scrambly, route of Via Corda above the Arveyron River. Gordon on the lower slabs of Via Corda, some of which despite the grade, anything up to severe higher up were occaisionally greasy, or as Mike did say, "it's all a bit round up here!" The route is great fun though with bolt runners most of the way and climbs several hundred metres. Looking down the gorge on the left of the route.

The route eventually finishes with a fine view above the foot of the Mer de Glace at a small Buvette below Montenvers, which was shut!!!

Would've been great to have a quick beer and enjoy the views! The higher reaches of the Mer de Glace. The Aguile le Dru at 3754m rising out of the mist.

Chamonix Week, Wednesday 2nd September 2009 - Mont Blanc?

We arrived at the Aguile du Midi cable car station in Chamonix, to be told that there was a power cut in the entire valley! So along with the other guides, clients and coachloads of Japanese tourists, we had to hang around for a while, waiting for any news on the cable car restarting.

Camera frenzy as the cable car finally gets under way!

View across to Mont Blanc du Tacul from the Midi.

At the top station, the Aguile du Midi (3842m), we had a quick look around before heading to the "snow cave" to gear up. We now had an extra guide with us as required on Mont Blanc; Paul who was an aspirant guide and a good laugh too!

Stepping out of the snow cave is a bit nerve racking for the uninitiated, ie, us! The snow crest has a bit of "down" on the Cosmiques hut side, and A LOT of "down" on the Chamonix side! But you also get your first views of the hut below Mont Blanc du Tacul. Looking back up to the Midi and the snow crest from the plateau. Close up of another team descending the crest. We had planned to traverse the Points Lachenal, but the weather was definitely changing, so we headed back towards the Cosmiques Hut and the ridge scramble that leads directly to the balcony. Overnight the weather really did change and it soon seemed inevitable that our chance of reaching Mont Blanc was off. In fact there was some doubt as to if the cable car would even operate! The strong winds and snow showers had kept up all night and we even told by the hut guardian to leave asp to try and get down in the only planned run of the cable car. Even the guardian and his staff abandoned the hut! So it was with some disappointment that we, along with the rest of the climbers, geared up and headed back to the snow crest and the Midi station.

Every one getting ready to leave the mountain.

The top station was rather bleak, eerie and empty of tourists as we waited, and waited, and waited for our eventual trip back down to the valley.

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!