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05-01-2006, 10:24 AM #1
TR: Mont Blanc du Tacul 2006.05.01
After six days of chaining myself to my desk to catch up on work it was high time to get back on the mountain. I dialed up Idris and Patagonian Thomas and we set off up the Mont Blanch du Tacul for a little morning exercise.
Attachment 12939
Idris motoring up. See that huge serac fall right over top of the Grands Mullets normal route up Mont Blanc in the background? Scary stuff out here...
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Good weather... check! High haze becoming thick high clouds later.
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Can you spot the Matterhorn?
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A fine day for a bit of ski mountaineering.
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Aiguille du Midi to 3842m, slight descent and traverse to 3500m, and then straight up to 4171m. 4000m peaks don't come much easier.
(Continued...)
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05-01-2006, 10:26 AM #2
Easier than Breithorn?
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05-01-2006, 10:31 AM #3
Attachment 12943
We are not alone on this mountain. The French GEED to the left of me has just made some nasty remarks to me and Thomas and is about to get the verbal beating of his mountaineering career... story for another day.
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Cresting the ridgeline, the Mont Maudit comes into view. We had hoped to shoot for this one today but the face is looking pretty hairy even for a ski descent, let alone a ski climb up. Save it for better conditions.
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Tom on the final stretch, which involves some light scrambling.
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Making my best attempt to blasphamize at the summit cross.
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The obligitory group photo...
(Continues...)
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05-01-2006, 10:35 AM #4
...and we're off!
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And hey, this snow is not bad!
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No, it is NOT BAD AT ALL!
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Slight traverse required with some pretty cool exposure - seracs providing the danger on the top and a big friggin crevasse providing the danger below.
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And now Idris wants to go exploring...
(Continues...)
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05-01-2006, 10:40 AM #5
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My what an interesting little tunnel have you found Idris?
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What's on the other side?
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OK!
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Well, that was a cool little detour!
And finally a little ramble down the Vallee Blanche gets us some nice spring cruising snow to finish it off before we chow down on lunch on the little Montenvers train back. Nice day!
Thanks Idris and Thomas. See you for the next one.
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05-01-2006, 10:50 AM #6Registered User
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Nice little morning ski.
It must have been cold Tom's actually wearing a hat.
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05-01-2006, 11:02 AM #7
Awesome. I love the increasing frequency of the Euro TR. More please...............
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05-01-2006, 11:13 AM #8
NOICE!
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05-01-2006, 11:17 AM #9
You suck for having that in your back yard. I cant wait until I win the powerball so I can buy a house in Cham.
Nice photos, keep em coming!
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05-01-2006, 11:20 AM #10
Watch out for those Seracs Brian. Here's a few shots I took from the valley floor a year ago. I'd not want to be under one of those when they go.
Another sweet TR btw, keep 'em coming.....
Last edited by Hayduke; 05-01-2006 at 11:27 AM.
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05-01-2006, 11:23 AM #11
Sweet! Thanks for sharing! That Mount Maudit does look pretty hairy!
So, what were you arguing with the French GEED about? I want to hear the story-
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05-01-2006, 12:28 PM #12Registered User
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very nice!!
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05-01-2006, 01:37 PM #13
nice TR - excuse my ignorance - what's a GEED?
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05-01-2006, 01:38 PM #14
Izz French for GUIIDEE
edgDo you realize that you've just posted an admission of ignorance so breathtaking that it disqualifies you from commenting on any political or economic threads from here on out?
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05-01-2006, 02:08 PM #15
Bad Roo - Yeah I thought about it and I guess I'd rank 1) Breithorn 2) Allalinhorn 3) Tacul as easiest with lift access.
LE GEED! Naah I don't want to rehash the whole negative story. I've had enough of arrogant European guides (although they aren't all bad) this winter, last year, the year before... and just went ballistic when he made some smart ass remark to us.
Hayduke - Yeah man all those routes are pretty dodgy... the Tacul that we did, the Maudit, and the Mont Blanc by Grands Mullets. They're all super exposed to serac fall the whole time. I think I want to do the Maudit once and then be done with all those.
By the way, Idris took half these shoots so he gets a lot of the photo credits.
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05-01-2006, 02:09 PM #16
Come on, we could all do with a good arrogant guide story. What was his comment, at least?
edgDo you realize that you've just posted an admission of ignorance so breathtaking that it disqualifies you from commenting on any political or economic threads from here on out?
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05-01-2006, 02:14 PM #17
ah ok - I have a good arrogant guide story passed on 2nd hand by someone doing the Spearhead but i won't pollute bbirtle's thread
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05-01-2006, 02:14 PM #18
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05-01-2006, 02:23 PM #19
Naah best to move on. You keep telling all your friends about the incident and it lives and lives... keeps the angry vibes going... even though I think I was right and I also think he got a serious beating on this one (Idris could tell you he was there) everybody loses a little in any argument on the mountain. I'd like to think I could blow it off if it happens again...
But I would like to hear LeeLau's story!
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05-02-2006, 12:15 AM #20my avatar is 2 big 2 fit
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Nice photos and action. Little too close to the edge for me! Be careful.
GEED...y'all don't speak french do ya? Could have used me as I can swear blue and throw out some good insults in french.
Turf Wars...Pro vs Amateurs...Locals vs tourists...etc. Best to play deaf (or, je ne parle pas francais, monsieur), keep truckin' and let his negativity pass by.
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05-02-2006, 12:50 AM #21Registered User
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Beautiful report. To all the glacier experts out there... is it possible to tell roughly how many seasons of ice this is based on the dirt/dust layers in the photo?
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05-02-2006, 01:10 AM #22
C o o L TR!
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05-02-2006, 01:16 AM #23sucks on the internet
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Nice backyard behind the Midi, awesome scenery!
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05-02-2006, 01:44 AM #24
Nice TR B.
Great pics.
I imagine being so close to the crevasses was a rush. Always is for me.
I picked out the Horn!!!Ski, Bike, Climb.
Resistence is futile.
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05-02-2006, 02:22 PM #25
Taken this evening from home
Our route up in Red. Our decent in Blue. The arrow points to the summits location.
On the top was dammed chilly. About -10C and blowing 50kph or more.
By the time we made it down to Montonvers our lovely powder from on high had gone from Corn to Polenta and then very weak soup.Knowledge is Powder
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