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2 weeks in chamonix

Robb

7-Aug-2007
9:49:32 AM

quick trip report and link to photos.
just spent 2 weeks in Chamonix in the french alps doing some rock and alpine climbing.
photos here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_baker/sets/72157601263330560/

A day after arriving in Cham the weather looked good for the weekend so decided to head up Mont
Blanc. Some acclimatisation would have been nice, but went anyway. walked the few hours to the tete
rousse hut 3200m then after a few hours rest I left at midnight in a tshirt, was at the goutier hut by 2
am and past the crux climbing. I donned a shell jacket for the windy summit ridge and was on top by
6am. after a few naps on the way down, i was back in town by 3pm.
after a rest day, i headed out with a few crew from the campsite to do cool ridge scramble. 10 minutes
from the campsite and 600m long. no harder than grade 10 i guess and doable in sneakers. lots of fun.
its called Via Corda Alpine and fully bolted by the french authorities.
My english mate Ross from Sheffield had just completed a cool triathlon challenge in a 5 person relay
team. Swim the Channel, ride to cham then climb mt blanc.
Now I had a partner, we climbed a fun 6 pitch route on the Agulle de l'M with a 2 hour approach from a
secret hut bivi.
the next good spell of weather, we managed an ascent of the classic Frendo Spur 1200m with a good
sprinkling of snow. A cold bivi ensured the beautiful snow ridge was hard in the morning. a beautiful
well recommended climb.tough descent though. 10 minutes in the cable car and we were back int eh
valley eating ice cream.
Next day we headed up to Envers hut for some stunning multipitch granite routes. Good friends from
adelaide stevie and katie had already been there for a few days. did two classic routes in 2 days. Guy
Ann. 6a+ 350m and le Piege 200m 6b+. amazing granite in an amazing place. then crammed the golf
full of 4 people
and all their gear and headed back to calais and under the tunnel to sunny england. must get back
soon......

nmonteith

7-Aug-2007
11:05:46 AM

On 7/08/2007 beefy wrote:
> so
>decided to head up Mont
>Blanc. Some acclimatisation would have been nice, but went anyway. walked
>the few hours to the tete
>rousse hut 3200m then after a few hours rest I left at midnight in a tshirt,
>was at the goutier hut by 2
>am and past the crux climbing. I donned a shell jacket for the windy summit
>ridge and was on top by
>6am. after a few naps on the way down, i was back in town by 3pm.

Good recipe for a headache! I did the same, but forgot the shell jacket so got a mild case of frost-nip.
It burned so much all i wanted to do was 'cool' it with snow. :-)

IdratherbeclimbingM9

7-Aug-2007
11:35:19 AM

Good stuff beefy. Thanks for posting the link.

>Ross demonstrating the caterpillar knot
here.

... appears to be a clovehitch? or prussik? on a sling, to keep it from moving around within the gate of the krab possibly as an extension for clipping at a belay?/aid?/via ferrata?

What is this knot used for?
:)

TLockwood

7-Aug-2007
12:31:08 PM

yeah cheers for sharing the pics! certainly brings a spark to the life of a uni student midweek.

dr_fil_good

7-Aug-2007
1:02:37 PM

Awesome Rob! Ain't it a brilliant place to climb? Just stunning and relaxing (well, the most relaxing mountaineering you'll get). Brings back good memories ... it's amazing how different that place is ... looks like you couldn't convince Rich to buy some axes and crampons in Chamonix.

When you go back, you must do the Plan Midi Ridge, goodah fun, rad exposure, especially if you limit it just to the north faces.

once again, kudos, and those photos brought back good memories!

simey

7-Aug-2007
2:30:51 PM

On 7/08/2007 beefy wrote:
>My english mate Ross from Sheffield had just completed a cool triathlon challenge in a 5 person relay team. Swim the Channel, ride to cham then climb mt blanc.

Sounds interesting. Imagine ticking all of that by yourself, without being in a 5 person relay team!

Robb

7-Aug-2007
5:36:21 PM

the caterpillar knot is a phenonmenon. our mate tim uses it to equalise his anchor setups when he has
lots of sh-t pieces. when he gets confused linking them.
i wouldnt recommend using it at all.

On 7/08/2007 Idratherbeclimbing wrote:
>Good stuff beefy. Thanks for posting the link.
>
>>Ross demonstrating the caterpillar knot
>here
>/A>.
>
>... appears to be a clovehitch? or prussik? on a sling, to keep it from
>moving around within the gate of the krab possibly as an extension for
>clipping at a belay?/aid?/via ferrata?
>
>What is this knot used for?
>:)
>
>

mousey

7-Aug-2007
6:00:29 PM

On 7/08/2007 simey wrote:
>On 7/08/2007 beefy wrote:
>>My english mate Ross from Sheffield had just completed a cool triathlon
>challenge in a 5 person relay team. Swim the Channel, ride to cham then
>climb mt blanc.
>
>Sounds interesting. Imagine ticking all of that by yourself, without being
>in a 5 person relay team!
>

sounds very 'goran kropp' style... would be a great challenge!!!

Robb

7-Aug-2007
6:07:17 PM

the swim was apparently stupidly hard. really cold. my mate had quit his job to lern to swim properly
before the challenge. awesome effort.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

8-Aug-2007
7:46:48 AM

>i wouldnt recommend using it at all.

Thanks beefy.

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