Chamonix

Argentière campsite

The time has come! My coccyx has thankfully all healed, we have packed (19kg each! phew!), braved Easyjet and made it to Chamonix! Excitement was brewing from the moment we touched down, with heads out of the window all the way from Geneva looking in awe at the majestic limestone cliffs of the valley the road cuts though wondering whether these have ever been climbed (as of yet I am still none the wiser!). We then entered the valley. The sun was shining and both Adam and I were looking at all the peaks and trying to name the few we knew/remembered from when we were MTBing here when we were younger with the parents. Peaks were blurring in and out of view, though the unmistakeable Dru was a prominent landmark throughout the way to the Argentière campsite where we pitched camp, grabbed a very overpriced pizza and caught up with James, Alisdair and Owen with what they had been up to be arrived (James = conville, Alisdair = Mont Blanc, Owen = everything between!). We then bedded down eager to make the most of our time in the valley.


Day 1 = Errands and Wet Sport Climbs

After a disruptive nights sleep - who puts alpine cows with bells on in a field next to a campsite!!!! - we rose to lovely morning sunrise over the Aiguilles Rouges. Unfortunately we had to spend the morning in Chamonix spending lots of lovely Euro on food and un baguettes si vu plait.

Unfortunately by the time we got back early afternoon it started spitting. Not put off we packed everything away, grabbed sport climbing gear and headed to La Joux.

(Note if you are in Argentière the quickest way is to walk along the river or road to La Grassonet then head up the signed path. Much quicker than the 20 min walk from the La Lavacher crossroad).

Adam seconding a route pre heavy rain!

The climbing was good, though was undoubtedly better in the dry (day 9), relying on many undercuts for hands and smeary feet on the wet holds. I lead a 5+ and a 5b and Adam a scary 4+ wet padding slab. A fine effort (I found it hard to second, whilst Adam was fine). The rain got worse as we climbed though until it was really heavy. No coincidence then that it was only Adam and I at the crag... until  an equally desperate Swedish couple rocked up desperate to get some climbing in also.







Day 2 = Conville Day 1

Adam looking a bit apprehensive!

After meeting at 08.30 and meeting the rest of the course we were separated into three groups of three. Adam and I were split on the basis of experience (though we all did the same routes anyway!), with myself being grouped with Seth and Matt. We then headed up La Flegere cable car and Index chairlift for a day of skill training. This covered some ground I already knew from Scottish Winter such as ice axe arresting and snow belays, though also covered moving together over mixed ground, roping up and taking coils, glassaiding, and crevasse walking (5-7m in a group of 3 and 6-10m in a pair) and rescue. This was a productive day in scorchio weather in a setting looking right over at the Dru and the Blanc. 


We did look a bit stupid in the campsite that night though practising these skills.

The Dru (minus the Bonatti Pillar after the early 2000's rockfall)

Index chairlift

Day 3 = Conville Day 2

Approach snow slope

After learning the skills on day 1 we were all immediately ushered onto the PD rock ridge Traversée des Crochues back on the Aiguilles Rouges to put these skills into practice. Today's main take home message though was the need to move quick, place only necessary gear, move appropriately (together, distances or pitch) and keep one step ahead of all other parties (even if you only get to eat half your lunch)! We caught the first Index lift up and moved pretty quickly over the snow slopes to stay ahead of another large group behind us.


 On the ridge itself my group steamed off ahead moving well in our mountain boots, leaving Adam's group about 5 minutes behind by lunch due to a certain bumbly party member. Nevertheless despite going well our guide Simon was always pushing us to move faster in his sarcastic ways. To this day though I still don't know why I screwed up that screwgate - I won't do it again!

Adam leading Alex and Fran up to the peak

Big exposure round the corner

Simon probably telling us to move faster!!!

Alpine Adam

Day 4 = Conville Day 4
On our final day we took the Midi lift up to get on another PD ridge, but this time within a more mixed alpine environment. The route chosen was the L'arete A Laurence on the Aiguille du Midi, which rather nicely/weirdly ends in the Cosmiques hut! To get to the route we had to descend the arête from the station, an arête which first instilled a desire when I first laid eyes on it at 16 years old to get into alpine climbing (we were in Cham on a family MTB holiday). I should also admit I was scared in equal measures due to the incredible exposure! Whilst descending and in hindsight it seems that these feelings still remain in equal measure.

Midi Arête

Pointe Lachenal

Matt leading off on the Aguille du Plan

The ridge itself takes a while to get going and although pretty short is worth a potter on with a nice well protected hand traverse or foot traverse. This could be done when the weather isn't brilliant - especially if you are staying in the hut overnight. It was also my first time moving over so much rock in crampons on a route which was good practice for me. Today Adam's group were ahead of us this time as we stopped on the way up for a practice crevasse rescue on the glacier.

Cosmique hut on the route and Adam's group at the end of the ridge. The Midi station is seen in the distance

Midi Lift

Matt and Seth decided to spend the night on the midi plan in the tent, so we left them and Simon and I raced back up the Midi Arête to the teleferique where I thanked him and drew an end to the thoroughly enjoyable and informative Conville. I should mention since Adam only had a 2 season sleeping bag we weren't overly keen on a bivvi and didn't want to waste 2 days on the lift passes.







Day 5 = Sunny Sport Climbing
Adam and I took the bus down to Les Gaillands (aka. the gaylands) where roadside sport climbing is in abundance to everyone. The day again was another scorcher, with temperatures in the dizzying heights of 32 degrees! Positively tropical! Adam lead a route on the main sector which was nice, though we immediately decided the next lot should be in more shade, so we headed to the forested sector. Here although the routes were still in the sun they are lower and shade can easily be retreated to between routes.

Les Gaillands main sector

We climbed here until the heat became unbearable and took a siesta trying to guess the name of a French dog. The owner wasn't impressed though and removed the dog away from us :-( I can confirm that it isn't caused Pierre, Jean Claude, Phillipe, Woof or Barkers. James then turned up after getting back from the Midi and we went for an ice cream in town.


Day 6 = Wet!
Today was very wet. It was still dry in the morning, so James, Owen, Adam and I, along with a group from Bristol University got an early bus back down to the Galliands.

Two routes later (two 5's I think) the rain started to come down, at first lightly - enough that all the French people left, leaving only the English behind - then heavy so we all got soaked. We pottered about under a tree and did a bit of no-hand climbing waiting for it to stop though it never did. No amount of English spirit could stop this rain from falling.

Equally non content, the Bristol lot set up a slackline and then a highline! Its no surprise that I'm terrible after not being on one for 2 years!

Highline and opportunistic climbing in rain breaks!

Wet!

Rain Love!

Loving it!

There is a lesson here... when the French leave, so should you!


Day 7 = L'Index SE Ridge, Aiguilles Rouges
Heading up the Index chairlift with Adam and Owen, we started to wonder whether we should have braved the cloud and come up to climb SSE Arête of the Index. As we went higher the cloud never cleared. It was like we were heading into the lost world of Jurassic Park. At the top of the lift we decided to go for the SE Arête. We were first up the route and I lead off behind the block and up the route, taking in the enjoyable 4b/c crux move. Adam and Owen then followed up simultaneously and we continued up the route in a similar fashion swapping leads.

Atmospheric

Welcome to Jurassic Park!

The route itself is pretty easy and steady, though with the cloud rolling in and out we all had a great atmospheric experience as you glimpsed the route and surroundings as we went. Much like climbing on Skye! A point on this route to note is that if you don't look close you'll climb past many good pegs and the belays - well at least we did!

 The Ridge and Owen and Adam on Pitch 1










An English couple followed us up, and by the time we were down (after an eventful abseil involving sorting the ropes out half way down on a swinging traverse, Adam having to ice axe arrest in the gulley, and some major good bumslide action) multiple parties could be seen on the route. Always nice to beat the crowds! Adam and I then went for a bit of sightseeing with the lift passes and went up the Monitvers train to the Mer de Glace. Nice!

Tourists Delight

Day 8 = North-West Ridge, Petite Aiguille Verte

Route goes up and down the rocky band on the right

Adam and Justina coming up

Adam, Justina (who just finished her conville) and I tackled the Petite Aiguille Verte this morning before the forecast heavy clouds of the afternoon rolled in. This was the first time each of us were alone and had to make the decisions on how to move across the terrain appropriately. There were a few teething problems, and it would be a lie to say that everything was smooth, but we figured it out in the end. On the approach glacier we got the distances and ropework right and moved pretty quickly to the upper slopes as the snow had a lovely hard crust on.

Traffic Jam, including the Glasgow granddads

We then adjusted the rope coils out to allow me to lead off more effectively, with rope lengths of ~12m between us with hand coils being taken as necessary. The upper slopes were pretty much just ice in places, so some good old fashioned ice bashing with the axes was required. I belayed Justina up this part as she was a bit nervous.

These slopes lead to the upper rock ridge which we moved across in crampons. A few sections were pitched along the ridge (though if I was just climbing with Adam we would probably not have!). By the time we were at the top the guides who were on the cable car after us had caught us up and a traffic queue was forming. We had to wait around ten minutes before we could get to the top due to traffic on the decent abseil. However this did mean we met two lovely old boys from Glasgow who were 61 and 75 and still going strong. We descended the ridge back down with them with more than a fair bit of banter along the way. The did pull away from us on the two abseils sections as there were 3 of us and we weren't moving as quick as I would have liked, especially down the mid to low snow slopes and were at the teleferique about ten minutes ahead of us. On a plus note we did beat the clouds though only just!
I'm sure more experience will get us faster, especially when only climbing as a pair.

Summit with beards

James and Owen left today, although Adam's university mates had arrived.

Day 9 = La Joux
Last day in Chamonix :-( Lift passes all used up :-( Only one thing to do then - head back to La Joux for some more sport climbing. Adam and I climbed a few worthwhile routes (5+ and 6a's) though we didn't push it, and Justina a few easier ones within her capacity. The grades here seem to be round about though not consistent across the crag and in some sections there are some hairy runouts to the chains at the top!
It started showering in the afternoon so we decided to get a bit of food at Midnight Express in Cham, where we were joined by a bird with impeccable table manners.

We got picked up at 18:00, transferred to Geneva and were back to the usual life by Friday morning :-(
On a plus the weather was pants for the next few days so there were only a few feelings of what if we stayed longer.

All in all, an amazing trip was had and we will definitely be continuing with Alpine climbing and mountaineering in the future!