Last Thursday me an Chris went up and did a quick lap on the Cosmiques from the first bin, our original plan was to climb the Eperon des Cosmiques roiute which is about 8 pitches up one of the buttresses on the south face of the midi. Unfortunately due to the recent warm temperatures the approach gully had melted out leaving a lot of very precairous looking loose rock, so we bailed and legged it down to the bottom of the Cosmiques Arete which we in 1.5hrs from bottom to top, soloing up to the crux slab where we roped up. We got the sad news as we topped out at the lift station that Dave Ridout, a very prominant figure in both our scouting backgrounds had passed away that morning. While sad, it was quite a fitting place for us to receive the news, and I'm sure he would of agreed. RIP Dave.
I've done a bit of sport cragging at the crag thats about 10 minutes walk from Chris an Andrea's place, for a local crag its pretty good, with routes up to about 3 pitches. I did l'Arete with Heather one afternoon which was a nice route at about 5c.
Over the weekend I went for a big walk, for some fitness training, and due to the fact I was short of a partner for climbing. Up from Les Pelerins to the Plan station and then a lovely traverse along underneath the Chamonix Aiguilles at about 2400m, before dropping down to the Montenvers station and walking back down to the valley.
Me leading, about 8 pitches up the Chappelle route, just before the South Shoulder.
Tuesday I got out with a friend of Heather's, Mike who's Swedish. We headed up the Flegere cable car and then the Index chair on the Aiguille Rouge on the other side of the valley first and headed for the classic Chappelle route on La Gliere. The route is 14 pitches with most in the 4c-5b range, apart from the final pitch which is 6a, but probably a soft 6a at that. Its partly equipped meaning that most of the belays are bolted, and theres pegs here and there on the route where you most need them. We managed to do it in just over 4 hours from bottom to top which for 14 pitches I was pretty happy with considering we'd never climbed together. We had a awesome view of the massif over the top of the cloud inversion all day, Mont Blanc, Aig Verte, Grande Jorrasse etc. - getting very inspired for the next few weeks.
Climbing the 'Razor Edge' pitch on the Chappelle route. Mont Blanc in the Background.
Wednesday me an Chris took the first bin up the Aigille Midi to do the Midi - Plan traverse. I had it in my head that it was going to be a bit of scary walk, which was probably underestimating it as it gets AD in the guide. It starts off following a series of narrow snow ridges that extend from the one that extends down from th lift station. Eventually you reach a rock buttress whcih you pass on the Chamonix side, the climbing its probably Scottish I/II but it pretty exposed and you woulden't want to fall. Another bit of a snow plod leads to an easy mixed couloir and then the rock ridge which calls for a bit of concentration with some more exposed moves. From the end of the ridge 3 abseils get you down to the glacier again where you head up to the plan. You can return to the midi station the way you came but we decided to decend the Requin glacier down to the Requin hut on the Mer de Glace and out to the Montenvers train station. The Mer de Glace was a little tedious with a bit of zig zaggin having to be done through the crevasses below the Envers de Aiguille, we were glad on a ice cream and coke when we got to the station.
Yesterday the weather was pretty bad so I had a bit of rest day, going to the Petit Kitchen for lunch, and then some browsing round Chamonix. I'm about to head out to Gaillands with Mike today for some rock climbing, and hoping to get up on the Chamonix Aiguiiles from the Plan lift tomarrow with Brian, but we'll see as the snow line is down to 2400ish at the moment. Unfortunately the Frendo is out of condition with rock getting covered in snow from time to time with these storms and more importantly the ice at the top being in really bad condition, I'm still optimistic that it might come back in but realitically it might be next year before I get it done, I'm begining to think spring may be a better time for the mixed routes...
