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05-01-2006, 11:24 AM
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武雷庵
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chamonix
Posts: 1,034
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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.
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...
Good weather... check! High haze becoming thick high clouds later.
Can you spot the Matterhorn?
A fine day for a bit of ski mountaineering.
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, 11:26 AM
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7k and out.
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ...gone.
Posts: 6,794
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Easier than Breithorn?
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05-01-2006, 11:31 AM
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武雷庵
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chamonix
Posts: 1,034
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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.
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.
Tom on the final stretch, which involves some light scrambling.
Making my best attempt to blasphamize at the summit cross.
The obligitory group photo...
(Continues...)
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05-01-2006, 11:35 AM
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武雷庵
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chamonix
Posts: 1,034
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...and we're off!
And hey, this snow is not bad!
No, it is NOT BAD AT ALL!
Slight traverse required with some pretty cool exposure - seracs providing the danger on the top and a big friggin crevasse providing the danger below.
And now Idris wants to go exploring...
(Continues...)
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05-01-2006, 11:40 AM
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武雷庵
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chamonix
Posts: 1,034
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My what an interesting little tunnel have you found Idris?
What's on the other side?
OK!
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, 11:50 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: North Vancouver
Posts: 4,026
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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, 12:02 PM
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Utard once again
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: In the shadow of the Wasatch
Posts: 10,255
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Awesome. I love the increasing frequency of the Euro TR. More please...............
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When in doubt-go higher.
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05-01-2006, 12:13 PM
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Poopiehead
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 4,092
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NOICE! 
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05-01-2006, 12:17 PM
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Como Estas, Bitches!
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Denver, Co.
Posts: 1,118
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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, 12:20 PM
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Bored
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Norte del río
Posts: 2,008
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Last edited by Hayduke; 05-01-2006 at 12:27 PM.
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05-01-2006, 12:23 PM
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I belong with the snow...
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Where the Butte is Crested
Posts: 3,037
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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, 01:28 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: zurich
Posts: 990
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very nice!!
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05-01-2006, 02:37 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: North Vancouver/Whistler
Posts: 5,025
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nice TR - excuse my ignorance - what's a GEED?
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05-01-2006, 02:38 PM
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Dexterous as Fuck (tm)
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: London : the L is for Value!
Posts: 4,679
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Izz French for GUIIDEE
edg
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Do 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, 03:08 PM
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武雷庵
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chamonix
Posts: 1,034
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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, 03:09 PM
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Dexterous as Fuck (tm)
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: London : the L is for Value!
Posts: 4,679
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Come on, we could all do with a good arrogant guide story. What was his comment, at least?
edg
__________________
Do 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, 03:14 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: North Vancouver/Whistler
Posts: 5,025
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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, 03:14 PM
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No I'm not an Australian
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Seattle
Posts: 7,012
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by edg
Come on, we could all do with a good arrogant guide story. What was his comment, at least?
edg
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Seconded......
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05-01-2006, 03:23 PM
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武雷庵
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chamonix
Posts: 1,034
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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, 01:15 AM
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my avatar is 2 big 2 fit
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: So IN Groomers
Posts: 997
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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, 01:50 AM
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Hand built by robots
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,389
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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, 02:10 AM
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in milito'o i trust
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: verbier, milan, isla de pascua
Posts: 3,389
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C o o L TR!
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05-02-2006, 02:16 AM
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sucks on the internet
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Eurozone
Posts: 2,181
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Nice backyard behind the Midi, awesome scenery!
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05-02-2006, 02:44 AM
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Good to be gettin' some
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Leysin, Switzerland
Posts: 1,234
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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!!!
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Ski, Bike, Climb.
Resistence is futile.
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05-02-2006, 03:22 PM
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Looking at the mountains
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: In the rain
Posts: 1,575
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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.
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