Having just returned from yet another fabulous Alpine-Oasis Alpine Mountaineering week out in the mountains - this one has certainly given us something to chew over...
We had a team of 6 from Ireland who had come over to the Alps specifically to climb Mont Blanc - and they had been training for this for a while and collecting money for charity...
The weather pretty much up to their arrival had been too hot in the valley...which meant trouble up on the mountain...
Essentially what I believe had been happening over a period of weeks on Mont Blanc is that the ice was thawing - which holds the rocks in place...quicker than it usually does...and then when the night-time temperature was also higher than normal it meant that the ice didn't re-freeze as quickly or as efficiently as previously...and therefore at some stage about a week or so ago - there was a big rock fall...
The reports of the rock fall were spread throughout the climbing and Mountain Guide community...and the Office du Haute Montagne in Chamonix were suggesting that the route was too dangerous and that you should not attempt it....
The huts (Tete Rousse and Gouter) were still open and clearly some people were still attempting the route...and there were reports of the Cosmiques Refuge filling up quickly - as this is another potential route up the mountain - although a lot longer and harder....
Our Mountain Guides made the decision not to attempt the climb ....and so we had to re-think our plans and find a suitable alternative climb...
The first few days of the week were not affected anyway as we had always planned on getting some altitude and some "ice -school" training (use of crampons and ice axe, crevasse rescue etc) and to do this we headed up to the Tre la Tete Refuge from our Alpine base in the beautiful village of Les Contamines...and from there onwards and upwards to the Conscrit Refuge...one of the best mountain refuges (and most expensive) there is....
After 2 nights on the mountain and several excursions up to the Col de Miage and Mont Tondu the team re-appeared in Contamines for a quick breather...
The plans had all been torn apart and put back together - and after a short rest we picked up our other Mountain Guides and headed down to Passy for one of the best via-ferratas ever...what a head-game...you know you're safe - but you're also sure you're about to fall off....
The next day we loaded up and drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Courmayeur (Italy) and onto Pont...where we booted up and climbed for a couple of hours up to the Chabod Refuge...
After a belly full of pasta (well we are in Italy), early night - and ready for a 4am start...
The morning is dark but warm - and we start our climb at about 5am - the objective being the summit of Grand Paradiso (4100m) - a beautiful mountain with spectacular views...
Everyone summits...in glorious weather - and some of the crew even do the via-ferrata on the way up...
A long descent back down to Pont for a welcome and well deserved beer....
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