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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Chamonix
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    1,019

    TR: (NSR) Chamonix Summer Climbing In Review Part Deux

    The Alps are now covered in about of meter of fresh at altitude. I clicked on my skis for the first time this weekend and enjoyed knee-waist deep blower pow at Saas Fee (see "Snow for the Euros"). A good time to call the summer climbing season "finished" and flip through some of the highlights.

    Since I last checked into TGR (See TR: (NSR) Chamonix Summer Climbing In Review, July 1, 2007) I managed to pry myself from my computer desk job most weekends to up high. Pulled off a few climbs in the Mont Blanc range despite pretty dismal weather and conditions, a few more climbs in the Ecrins, and some trips to Switzerland.


    Richard on "Danse Avec Le Pilier" - 6c, 350m, Ecrins, France


    Back at the refuge. Thankfully no girls in sight.


    Martin on the approach, Triolet Basin, Italy, on a beautiful warm morning in August


    Climber on the route next to ours, Triolet


    Matias pushing through one of the 5.10 pitches of "Reglette da Ballo" (6c, TD+, 360m)


    Sunset from the Trient refuge - along the Haute Route, although we were there to do this:


    "Traverse of the Aiguilles Dorees" - (D, 6a)


    Another sunrise in Switzerland... on the approach to:


    "Traverse des Aiguilles d'Arolla" (D, 4+), Arolla Valley

    Then back to Chamonix, for another wonderful weekend of Chamonix granite at the refuge de Requin. Sunset from the refuge over the Drus and Aiguille Verte:



    We hit up the classic "Arete Ryan" (D, 5/5+), a nice elegant line that finishes direct on the summit of the Aiguille du Plan, highest of the Chamonix Aiguilles. Richard pushing the bounds of what you want to do in mountaineering boots:



    Then off to Swiss Vaud, for a lovely sunny summertime day on the "Fortresse du Vide" (6b+, 370m) on the Dent de Morcles. Agnes holding her own with the boys:



    Basking in sunshine at the summit:



    One more sunny "wow I love summer" day in the Ecrins - Agnes following up "Pas d'Asile pour Pazuzu" (TD+, 6a, 400m) at Les Bans:



    And now back in Cham' Valley, for the most direct way up to Le Brevent, on "Poeme a Lou" (6b+, 210m) - here's Paul on one of the 6a+ pitches:



    And with weather again bad in Chamonix Valley, back down to the Ecrins to do the "Traverse des Aretes de Siolouze" (D, 5+) - here's Gethin on one of the many photogenic towers along the long ridgeline. What a joy to see the sunrise from such a spot:



    And with Autumn in the air, we finally found Chamonix in good condition for some more crack climbing. Here's me on "Amazonia" (6a+, 370m):



    And Yoshi and I at the summit, with matching helmets:



    A quick swim on one of the last warm days, down at the "Mont Blanc Beach" ("Plage du Mont Blanc") in Sallanches:



    A quick pizza dinner:



    (We're not sure if there IS a translation for "P.C" in French.)

    ... and back up high, for an adventure up "Osez Josephine" (6a, 400m), the only successful climb this summer on the Chamonix side of the Aiguilles (Red Piller of the Aiguille de la Blaitiere):



    ... if you could consider stumbling around in circles, at 9 PM, in thick pea soup fog, trying desperately to locate the Aiguille du Midi midstation a "success".

    And now completely into Fall, down jacket weather, days super short and mornings super cold, we bivvied up at the Aiguille du Midi to run up Mont Blanc. Will and Athilla enjoying the sunset from one of the Midi tunnels:



    And some of the best photos are the easiest to capture. Me posing in the sunset from the Midi:



    And pointing the camera the other way, another "I love Chamonix" moment, captured in film:



    Depart midnight, pass about 150 people along the trail and arrive at the summit of Mont Blanc, 15,774 ft, to freeze my ass off for 45 minutes waiting for the sun to rise. When it did, it was pretty impressive:


    Alone at the summit at dawn! Quite a moving experience!

    Pre-dawn over Italy from the highest point in Europe:


    Some other climbers finally arrive, in very high spirits. Hugs and handshakes. Some falling tears...


    Mont Blanc casts a shadow over all of Europe at sunrise. Geneva, still behind the shadow of the big one, 100km away:


    And now the last climb of the season, a wicked line up Mont Maudit:


    The last sunrise of the summer, midway up the climb:


    Marching ever upward, well above 14,000ft:


    Paradise found... for climbers:


    We had an adventure that day getting off Mont Maudit as it had snowed about a foot during our climb and the night before. Breaking trail down deep powder snow on the Mont Blanc du Tacul gave me a little "i want to ski" twinge. It then proceeded to snow, snow, and snow even more, for a whole week. Goodbye summer, hello ski season!

    Lots more text and photos at my blog: http://birtle.com/Blog

    See you on the slopes!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    California
    Posts
    2,822
    wow, nicely done
    Three fundamentals of every extreme skier, total disregard for personal saftey, amphetamines, and lots and lots of malt liquor......-jack handy

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Upper Left, USA
    Posts
    2,151

    Thumbs up

    Excellent TR! I was entertained.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    In the rain
    Posts
    1,621
    Nice one Brian....

    Knowledge is Powder

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    das heights
    Posts
    2,542
    that's f'ing ridiculous.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Deep Playa
    Posts
    4,824
    Quote Originally Posted by bbirtle View Post
    Thankfully no girls in sight.
    Not a big fan of the ladies are we?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    utar
    Posts
    2,743
    So cool!
    Quote Originally Posted by SpinalTap View Post
    I'm really troubled by whatever pictures the Don had to search through to arrive at that one...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Eagle River Alaska
    Posts
    10,964
    BADASS!!!
    Its not that I suck at spelling, its that I just don't care

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Chilli-crack
    Posts
    397
    sick
    5678

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Norte del río
    Posts
    2,212
    A+ for presentation
    A+ for effort.

    Looks like you had a great Summer Brian.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    1,027
    can you hear me yawning?















    it's the altitude i guess..

    very impressive indeed. and that shot of mont blanc casting a shadow on the morning mist made me smile.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    219
    Too many nice pictures!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    closer
    Posts
    5,669
    tres noice.
    It's a war of the mind and we're armed to the teeth.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    verbier, milan, isla de pascua
    Posts
    4,806
    truly rad. chapeau!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Le Lavancher pour le weekend
    Posts
    3,337
    WOW hello vertigo.

    [QUOTE=bbirtle;1452719]
    'waxman is correct, and so far with 40+ days of tasting them there is no way my tongue can tell the difference between wood, and plastic made to taste like wood...but i'm a weirdo and lick my gear...' -kidwoo

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