tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67365433620556584022024-03-13T04:50:47.843-07:00ally swinton blogAlly Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-91476160691140413632017-04-11T05:25:00.003-07:002017-04-11T05:25:54.506-07:00New Sponsorship - Camp, Cassin & Tendon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z17-XAajldY/WOzHE30X7hI/AAAAAAAADY4/NRIc5iUNcg4UPcugxRT9IDj37inVQfWBACLcB/s1600/P1020541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z17-XAajldY/WOzHE30X7hI/AAAAAAAADY4/NRIc5iUNcg4UPcugxRT9IDj37inVQfWBACLcB/s640/P1020541.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm excited to say that I'm now sponsored by Camp/Cassin for my climbing equipment and also from Tendon for my climbing ropes. Having these companies support me will help in a huge way with. This has came about through the support from Allcord, which I owe a great deal of gratitude to.<br />
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To have a company to support me with ropes is truly a big step for me in my climbing and guiding career. Sounds cheesy but when you start using ropes for work and they start to be wearing out quicker than you realised then it can get quite expensive. <br />
The rope that a climber uses can probably be said to be the most useful and essential piece of equipment they have. If you forget your rock shoes you can climb something easier in your boots or trainers. If you forget your harness you could go old school and tie onto the rope directly, If you forget the cams or wires you could take a note from Czech and make knotted protection for in the cracks. All these are quite extreme examples but the point I'm making is that even if you remembered the harness, cams and the rock shoes. Without a rope you are totally on your own and would be hard to continue climbing in a safe manner. <br />
Having Tendon support me will allow me to focus a lot more on the practical matters of climbing and guiding clients. Knowing that I'll be using a product of great quality puts the thought of my equipment further back in the mind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riccardo Cassin, Alpine Godfather</td></tr>
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Camp/Cassin were originally two separate companies. Cassin Was owned by the legendary Riccardo Cassin who was friends with the family that owned Camp. Just before he passed away at the age of 100!! He sold the companies to Camp which I think has a certain beauty to it. Both companies are from the same region in Italy. The Cassin part of the company holds the more technical and robust tools for climbing.<br />
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When the word Riccardo Cassin is mentioned there will probably be so many images/routes that come to mind. The company, that is named after the Alpine godfather Ricarddo Cassin, has managed to keep the robust, functional and dynamic image that the man himself had. Riccardo Cassin has probably got his name on some of the most iconic mountains in the world. From Lecco to Alaska, and the Dolomite to the Himalayas. Doesn't matter how difficult you climb there is probably a Ricardo Cassin route that is on your tick list.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the lightness but also strength of the Camp Alpina ice axe.</td></tr>
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He gave so much to the climbing world and and from the few of his routes that I have climbed I can say that his passion showed within his routes. To find the line that the mountain or rock face offers you takes skill and a keen eye. I believe that the company Cassin has kept this passion within the climbing equipment that they design and create. To produce an axe or Crampon that can allow climbers to move dynamically in the mountains must take an incredible amount of skill as well as a skillful eye for the work.<br />
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Camp is probably more know for it's focus on lightweight equipment, though still keeping all the strength and function that is needed from it. I've been using Camp equipment for many years mostly for my Skimo racing and lightweight mountaineering in the Alps. The funny thing is that when I was a young boy I can remember seeing the Camp climbing logo in my fathers climbing gear cupboard, even as a boy I could tell that a company with a logo of a wolf on it has to be pretty bad <br />
ass. <br />
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I've used the XLC 390- automatic crampons (pictured above on my feet) for a while and think they are amazing for a super lightweight crampon. The harness I'm wearing in the photo is the Alpine Flash. The comfort for a very lightweight harness was was I noticed the most. I was using it in Scotland for winter climbing, and due to it having 5 gear loops made racking the gear even easier.<br />
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Massive thank you again to Allcord, Camp/Cassin & Tendon. Looking forward to using and trusting their equipment on my future adventures.<br />
CheersAlly Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-12579673551582796222016-08-03T04:33:00.001-07:002016-08-03T04:33:44.254-07:00Brouillard Integral - Mt Blanc<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a while since I had a proper mission in the mountains, and had been a while since I had climbed with my buddy Jon Griffith. So it made complete sense to combine these two together.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deciding what gear we can take and leave in the carpark/campsite. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpine light and fast. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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I have been pretty busy this winter and Spring with work and Guides stuff (blog to come soon about this, Which I'm sure you are all just sitting on the edge of your seats in anticipation for..). Due to being busy and conditions not actually that great in the Mt Blanc Massif for a while, I just wasn't getting much done in the mountains. I'm not going to be in the Alps this summer as I have my summer guides training test in North Wales. Knowing that I was leaving I really wanted to try and get a nice juicy climb ticked off. I came up with a few easier ideas but as always Jon came up with an interesting, to say the least, idea. The idea was to climb the Brouillard Integral in a single push from the bottom of the valley to the top of Mt Blanc and down the other side. The route is a long chunky branch that comes down on the left side of the South face of Mt Blanc (Italian side). It consists of very steep grassy slopes, loose scree, phenomenal rock ridges, snow, ice and many many meters of ascent. I must admit the Brouillard, or should I say the ''ruddy-ard'', ridge hasn't always been on my to do list. However Jon had been wanting to do it for a few years so I knew it must be something pretty wild and unique. At least if I did this big route with him, then I could tell him to leave me out of his crazy ideas for a while.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why do we do this silly sport...? <span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wee froggie that I found.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midnight scrambles. Yey!</td></tr>
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Jon and I headed through to Italy the afternoon before we were due to start our escapade. We fueled up on some pizza and sugary cans of pop, then decided to go spy out where the route goes and how we get to the start of it. We had to climb up a slope next to the road in order to get a good view from a far. It looked fairly simple and we scoped out a decent easy line of where to go to reach the base of the route. On the way down the slope back to the car I was greeted by a doggy. I presumed this was a happy fluffy cuddly doggy, so there for when to give it a nice belly rub. I do think this was a happy fluffy cuddly doggy or that he wanted a belly rub. Instead he decided to leap at me then bite down onto my thigh. The Italian owner didn't seem too fussed about what happened instead just gave a little shrug of the shoulders. I was so sure it was one of they fluffy cuddly dogs. Anyways we headed back to the carpark for some sleep. quite hard heading to bed at 8 O'clock knowing we were getting up at midnight. I think I got a few hours sleep.<br />
We headed of in the morning around 1am full of confident about knowing they way from the previous nights scoping mission. In the first 2 minutes from when we left the path we were totally lost. What we thought was going to take 15-30mins. Took us 1.5 hours... At least there was cool wild life of little frogies and wild trout to entertain us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon looking where to climb.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the Aiguille rouges. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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Eventually we found the toe of the buttress and started hiking up the steep grassy slope. This wasn't just like going up a section of steep slope for a while. It's angle was constant, the terrain didn't change much, it seemed to go on for ever and was... basically boring.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my morning bronze on. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon farting out a big cloud to push him up the rock. </td></tr>
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After what seemed like an eternity of being on the eliminator from Gladiators. We started to get some proper fun scrambling on rock. This section is actually called the Aiguilles Rouges. Most climbers will associate that with the area above Chamonix. The rock was of the same nature and felt great to be moving up and down on the ridge. By now the Sun was rising and was treating us to it's glorious display. We were starting to feel like making progress and feeling confident. Then we hit the snow line.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-22lDLfa21tE/V6HFs4RdGRI/AAAAAAAADVI/Yc7X_EpmSLoZAy6QOAeHXQhIjevLKeoewCLcB/s1600/P1100789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-22lDLfa21tE/V6HFs4RdGRI/AAAAAAAADVI/Yc7X_EpmSLoZAy6QOAeHXQhIjevLKeoewCLcB/s640/P1100789.JPG" width="360" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some fun exposed climbing. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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With so much snow in the mountains we had two chances. Either the snow would be well frozen and we could walk on the top of it (much faster). Or it could be soft, useless and would have the feeling of swimming through a slush puppy. Interestingly the first snow slope we came to was well frozen and we cruised it. Filling us with mass amount of confidence and comfort. We could already imagine the beer back in Cham. However in some sort of cruel manner the next snow crest we had to climb had become useless and we were digging a trench up the slope. All of a sudden that beer taste in my mouth had diapered. The remainder of the middle section to the Col Emile Rey was just horrendous. Parts of it were ok, but in the areas where a fall could be quite scary and serious was generally where the snow would collapse. Thankfully Jon took on all of this section. As much as he says he gets scared and says that he hates it, deep down I know he loves it. By now our feet were completely soaked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q59gl2rs5BQ/V6HMdEt8ZQI/AAAAAAAADWA/HfkwuiE4E3E4-wZDz1UBA59hUMcZOHQcwCLcB/s1600/_7040181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q59gl2rs5BQ/V6HMdEt8ZQI/AAAAAAAADWA/HfkwuiE4E3E4-wZDz1UBA59hUMcZOHQcwCLcB/s640/_7040181.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still a long way to go. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SLOG!! Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tired but happy. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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On arrival to the Col Emile Rey, where the route steepens up into a proper piece of climbing, I could see the water pouring down the route. Patches of thin ice and rotting snow did not provide me with confidence. Knowing that I would be out in front for a while was given me the old Alpine butterflies (technical term). Jon made his way to the belay, after fighting through some sketchy and deep slushy snow, and brought me over. Now was my turn to take us up this steep wall of nastyness. I went over to where the main line goes, but after having water run down my sleeves and being hit on the head by falling ice I decided that this was not the way to go up. I retreated back and looked for an alternative. Jon says I was rather sweary at this point. I like to think I remained cool calm and collected. Up to the left was a small section of ice. To me me it looked like a massive column of death ice, at least WI8 or harder... Jon said I'd be fine. I hate ice. Anyways I made my way up the wee ice pitch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself heading up to the wee ice pitch. the main waterfall line is to the right.<br />Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself climbing the wee ice pitch. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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After the ice pitch there was a few more pitches of easy climbing, mixed in with some more of our favorite snow. I literally tug a trench up the slope. This brough us out to the last large snow slope that would take take us to the top of Pointe Louis Amedee. (Which is kind of the top of the route, however you still have to carry on to Mont Blanc du Courmayuer then Mt Blanc) Both Jon and myself were not really looking forward to this slope as I think we had this feeling that it was just going to be such bad snow. And digging a trench up a steep slope for 300m was not making us jump around with glee. I started making my way up the slope and all I could keep thinking was ''so far so good''. The snow seemed to have frozen more and I was able to make a nice steady book pack up the slope. The snow got a bit cruddy towards to the top, but thankfully it went pretty well. I somehow seemed to fine some energy and made good pase up the slope, i'm thinking this was down to the fact that I knew Jon would take over at the top and lead the way to Mt Blanc de Courmayuer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon following up after the ice fall pitches.</td></tr>
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We both were so happy to be finished with the main part of the route. We were fairly confident, having both been along to Mt Blanc de Courmayuer, that it would be fairly cruisy. But no.. this route didn't wanna stop just there. Instead we had to deal with a few more collapsing cornices and strong cold winds. This is where going in a light and fast alpine style can bite you in the bum. Ok so it's not big Himalayan mountains. But we both had really wet feet and wearing all our layers. low on food and hadn't really been drinking much water all day. I was starting to get really tired. And if something happened to us then things could have turned pretty shitty in a small amount of time. Lucky for me Jon is like a baby Yak. He got a solid head and can just keep on trucking along.<br />
One of my biggest regrets on this route was that whilst we were making our way to Mont Blanc de Courmayuer I could see this amazing shot of Jon climbing in the sunset and the rope was being blown fully out to the side by the wind, given it a very Patagonian feel to it. I actually remember thinking 'Wow, that would be an awesome shot''. Sadly though I was to lazy to get the camera of the side of my harness and snap the shot up. That made me realise the difference in strengths between me and Jon. I might be a slightly stronger rock climber and maybe bit faster at running. But he has the strength to keep going and even when it's harsh and miserable, he'll get his camera out and take a picture to capture that moment. The guy has a big book to prove it as well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulh_UvfL1fc/V6HNJuBqqoI/AAAAAAAADWg/Jy25QcdcI24ZF_Pq-BN782O48ssogmjAgCLcB/s1600/_7050400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulh_UvfL1fc/V6HNJuBqqoI/AAAAAAAADWg/Jy25QcdcI24ZF_Pq-BN782O48ssogmjAgCLcB/s640/_7050400.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably one of my new favorite shots from Jon. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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Jon did a great job of breaking trail up to Mont Blanc de Courmayuer, but he did an even better job of taken us up to Mt Blanc. By now it was dark, the wind was gusting around 60-70kph, hands and feet were cold and my knee was starting to play up again. I really wanted to stop but I knew we had to just keep trucking along. Luckily Jon knew that as well and he just kept pulling the rope along that we were tired to.<br />
We reached the summit at midnight. We had been awake for 24 hrs and on the go non stop. At the summit there was no shake of hands, pat on the back or even a smile. We didn't even stop to look at each other. We just walked over it and started heading down to the Gouter hut. The winds didn't die down at all on the way to the hut. We thought it might have just been blown on the summit. At the hut we managed to get a bed and some food. Slept for a few hours and made our way down to Cham the next morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14rxsRH53BQ/V6HLvjLKyBI/AAAAAAAADVk/gPGi40oz1qEX-7_P5_jLE5LR9SywLkYyACLcB/s1600/Brouillard%2BPano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-14rxsRH53BQ/V6HLvjLKyBI/AAAAAAAADVk/gPGi40oz1qEX-7_P5_jLE5LR9SywLkYyACLcB/s640/Brouillard%2BPano.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the summit of Mt Blanc's shadow on the left. Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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It was a wild trip. Thankfully now I'm in Wales training for my Summer Guides test and Jon is in Chamonix waiting for his child to be born. So I think I might be to avoid his crazy ideas, for a while...Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-28396344207379710362015-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:002015-10-06T13:02:27.531-07:00The walker Spur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Courage... Determination... Raw Talent... Discipline... Drive... Self-confidence... These are all great characteristics of amazing athletes. Athletes also can have specific areas that they excel in such as power, strength, speed, balance... I regard mines to be my ''Off the couch performance''!<br />
It's maybe not something I should be proud of, but is there any other test of endurance than sitting on your bum for a while then going for a jolly over the Grandes Jorasses?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training on the couch...</td></tr>
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The reason I was on my bum for a while was that I was back in Scotland for the month of June for various reasons including a climbing trip to Pabby and Mingulay. Also I was trying to do some lifey stuff, like looking for a job... Go on laugh as much as you want, but yes I do work sometimes! So the week before I came out to Cham I was on the slaptop constantly. With the kitchen only a few meters away, I'd be lying if I said my diet was something to be proud of.<br />
My friend Callum asked if I fancied flying out to Cham for a quite hit on the Walker Spur. With a small weather window we'd have to be fast. As it turned out Callum couldn't make it due to various reasons. However now the seed was planted in my head. It was just by chance that my folks were driving out to Cham for a holiday in a few days time. So I asked around my Chamonix friends to see who'd be keen for the Walker. Ginger Ben wasn't too hard to pursued. The only down side was that I'd be arriving late Wednesday night and there was bad weather coming in on the Friday. Therefor we'd have to start early Thursday morning in Chamonix, hike up to the Mer de Glace, walk into the Jorasses, climb up the Walker spur and descend safely down the back. In a single push. This would for sure be a test of my ''off the couch performance''.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top half of the Grandes Jorasses catching the sunrise.</td></tr>
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I drove out from the UK over two days and arrived in Chamonix around 9pm. After a bit of organising my gear I made it to bed for 10:30pm. Not before setting the alarm. You know it's gonna be a long day when your alarm tells you your gonna have 3 hours sleep, and that's at best...<br />
Ben picked me up outside my house, then we drove to les Bois where we had a swift re-pack of our gear. Picking up my bag of the floor was exciting not because of the adventure ahead, but because of how light the bag was. I love doing these big long missions in the mountains whilst carrying nothing. It has to be the best way to go Alpine climbing.<br />
We left the car at 2.15 am and made our way up to Montenvers train station. This was the part of the whole day ahead I was not looking forward to. The climbing on the Walker will be fine, once I get there... So this first hour of hiking up a steep path and onto the Mer de Glace was gonna be the test of just how fit or unfit I got on that couch.<br />
Thankfully Ben, who always seams to be in shape, had just finished his guides course to be accepted onto the French Guide scheme. (applause) Which meant I had a chance to keep up with him!<br />
Hiking up to Montenvers turned out to be fine which obviously boosted the confidence about the rest of the day ahead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben having a rumage in his sac on the Leschaux Glacier.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can a get a woop woop?!!</td></tr>
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Even though Ben and Myself have walked & skied on the Mer de Glace many times, we still manage to get lost on the bloody thing. Luckily we didn't loose much time on it. After the remaining walk up the Leschaux glacier, we made it to the foot of the Jorasses just as the sun was coming up. The Jorasses's big looming walls were starting to become a reality of what we had lined up for the day. To say I felt super fresh after the walk-in to the base, I'd be lying. At least now though I only had to climb up... We weren't planning to bivvy on the face or at the top, so we had to keep moving.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing the end of our long morning approach.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Walker Spur.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben leading the way to the start of the Walker.</td></tr>
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Ben set off first and as I followed on the mellow terrain at the bottom of the spur, I had an instant reminder of what Summer Alpinism is all about. Loose rocks and shit protection. Why we do this, I just do not know. I honestly do not do not like Summer Alpinism that much. It's hot loose and takes ages to walk everywhere. Winter Alpinism however is soo much better... Cold, dark and you can ski around. But I hate the cold and I'm scared of the dark! Anyways...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a great photo, but shows you the steepness of the Grandes Jorasses. Ben just ahead of me.</td></tr>
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There was one team just ahead of us which we mange to catch up after the 'Rebuffat corner'. This is probably the first main rock climbing pitch. I would say it was like a Cairngorm E2 style of pitch. What looked to be great cracks, turned out to be thin seams. So take a few small wires for this pitch if you climb it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben at the end of the Rebufat corner.</td></tr>
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After that pitch we traversed horizontally around on loosish rocks to the 75m ''Ken & Diedre'' pitch. Ben took over here as he's a big 'Corrie' fan. for his block of leads/simul-climb.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben super excited as usual.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the 75m 'Ken & Diedre' pitch.</td></tr>
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After this I took for my block of leads/simul-climbing, which took us through the pendulum pitch. We thought the quickest way to do this was for the me to climb to the belay, from which you pendulum off, clip onto that and then be lowered down to the next belay. Ben then came over and I lowered him down to me. He quickly untied the rope and pulled it down. Then I set off again for some more climbing on loose blocks, Yey!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the 75m Diedre.</td></tr>
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Ben took over at the start of the Grey slabs, which started with a really fun bulgy E1 pitch. It looked intimidating but there seemed to be really good holds on it. It felt pretty good to do some nice enjoyable climbing on the route rather than just scrambling around on precarious rock. This seemed to be the theme on the Walker. There would be some scrambly loose stuff followed by a nice section of solid enjoyable rock then back into sections of loose again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on an amazing pitch at the start of the grey slabs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben leaving the belay in the Grey Slab area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still a lot of loose stuff around on the route.</td></tr>
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I took over again after the Grey Slabs. By now the time was about 2 in the afternoon and things were heating up. There was so much rock crashing down either side of the Walker spur. Mostly it was accumulated in the Colton-mac area. However even though I knew it was all happening pretty far away. I would still shit myself when I heard happening, and I would instantly freeze and sheepishly look above me to make sure it wasn't happening above me.<br />
I climbed a really enjoyable E1 pitch that brought me to a long rock spur that lead us to the main headwall of the Walker. We just simul-climbed the majority of this. Until we reached the Red Chimney. Due to me not looking where I was going, I managed to climb into the wrong start to the red chimney. I found myself in a nasty wee spot where everything was pretty loose. It's a horrible position to be in. It'd be bad to rip a block off and for me to fall off, but more importantly I did't want to knock anything down onto Ben. We climbed the chimney in a few short pitches so that we could find shelter for the belayer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben following on the crest. Phenomenal views.</td></tr>
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Once I popped out of the main part of the Red Chimney I traversed out right. There is a continuation of the red chimney above that yo do not want to take as there is normally a constant flow of rocks falling down it. It's fairly obvious where to head out right. It was made even more obvious to me as there was two abandoned sacs which looked fairly fresh. I presumed they had been rescued.<br />
After the Red Chimney Ben took over for the last block of leads. He traversed across a awesome slab underneath the red tower. The slab is smooth but you just walk across it. This brought us to the home stretch, which thankfully was fairly steady and quite enjoyable. Though by now I was starting to feel a wee bit tired. and being at sea level for the past wee while didn't really help my breathing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah FOTO!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headwall area. </td></tr>
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The very last steps on the Walker Spur is great. A few snow steps and you then pop straight onto the summit of the Grandes Jorasses. We topped out just before 7pm. The route took us around 12hrs from the base. I had only had a 1 liter of water since I left Chamonix. So it was time to get the stove out and make another liter. We chilled on the top for a bit, but it wasn't super warm. In fact I think I was more warm the last time I was there last October. So after i had made my water and got our 'Summit Selfie' shot, we made or way down.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit Selfie!! Yes we have team jackets, so what...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Bocalate hut.</td></tr>
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Last Autumn the descent was really swift as you could down climb a gully next to the serac. However in the summer the descent takes that bit longer as you have to down climb the rock spurs. But it actually wasn't too bad, and we were down at the Boccalate hut for 11pm. It took us roughly 21 hours from where we left the car to climb up and over the Joarasses and down the other side to the hut. What was really fun about the hike up and over the Jorasses, was that I hadn't seen Ben in a while so we just had a good chin wag the whole way. After spending the night in the hut, along with a few Argentine's who had just climbed Manitua, we made our way down the remaining hour to the Italian valley floor. The path that you walk out on conveniently finishes at a bar. We thought it'd be rude not to have a beer. 4 beers and 2 plates of fries later, we left the pub to head back to Cham. <br />
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Here's a wee video Ben made of the day;<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dysnQUMiWcHf8xPDYNl6Qn1eZePWBWGxwaVY1epQEp7zWKWO-YxHmLByjMMeSBYynqwcIvbhcm1OsjTLrCrxA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-18955307735731977932015-05-01T06:58:00.001-07:002015-05-01T06:58:40.783-07:00North Couloir Direct - Dru<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rzBL50XUfo/VUNeLDw6-lI/AAAAAAAADNA/SOvhQhqrJa8/s1600/P1090253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rzBL50XUfo/VUNeLDw6-lI/AAAAAAAADNA/SOvhQhqrJa8/s1600/P1090253.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a><br />
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It isn't often that you will descend a route before you ever climb up the thing. However when I climbed the <a href="http://allyswinton.blogspot.fr/2012/11/lesuer-route-dru.html" target="_blank">Lesuer</a> route on the Dru a few years back, the easiest and safest descent is rappelling the Dru Couloir Direct. It was dark and whilst hanging in the air, due to it's steepness of the route, only the beam of my head torch would light up small sections of the route. I couldn't imagine how big your forearms would have to be to climb something this wild. Turns out not not big at all, cause Calum and I climbed it the other day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum checking out the Dru the night before.</td></tr>
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The Dru Couloir is such a striking feature, however it can only been seen from an angle. Most easily seen from the top station of Grandes Montes. Though you don't really get the true value of it until your within it's grasp. Even from Grandes Montes you still can't quite see the main difficulties, which is actually quite unique scenario for the Mt Blanc Massiff. Most of the time you can see the whole of a route from a far with out actually having to be on the route itself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom of the route, but still impossible to<br />see the start of the route.</td></tr>
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The route can be split into 3 sections. The 300m approach slopes, which consist of 60 degree ice that curve up to the right and brings you to the base of the difficulties. Then there is about 250m of hard climbing. We climbed it in 4 pitches, and I find it best to describe it in Scottish Winter grades. P1;VII,7 P2;VI,5 P3;VII,7 P4; VII,8. These Are just my thoughts, and would be slightly harder in fresher conditions, as the ice was nicely hooked out for us. Nevertheless still very pumpy climbing. After the Difficulties you have the main section of the Dru Couloir. about 300m of 65 degree ice. Which has a steep step straight after the hard pitches, then another step at the 'S bends' of the Couloir.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum enjoy the very chilled bivvy spot.</td></tr>
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Since I've returned to Chamonix for the Spring I've mostly been Ski touring for my Guides application. Which has been slightly annoying due to the great weather windows there has been since I arrived. However it had to be done and was actually really good fun doing the tours. I had been ski touring with Calum Muskett and we were both keen to climb something big after we were finished with the touring. I did one more tour with my mate Dave in the Silvretta region, whilst Calum went to climb the North face of the Eiger. Calum got back from the Eiger on Thursday morning and due to Friday being the last good day of weather, we headed up on the last bin on Thursday afternoon. Thankfully due our cabin crew we managed to get in one last bit of training before the route...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last bit training with the Cabin crew.</td></tr>
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Due to the amount of people climbing the route recently there is a lovely track to the bivvy spot and to the bottom of the route. The bivvy spot is very pleseant with awesome views of the Dru, Mt Blanc and over Chamonix. We got into our bags early but unfortunately it was snowing slightly, and I didn't have a bivvy bag. So I had to keep shoogling to flakes of my bag. Nobody likes damp down.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading to bivvy spot.<br />Photo; Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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We woke and after making our breakfast and downing some liquid, set off for the route just after 5am. I was so pleased that no one else was going for the route that day. It just takes so much stress out of the situation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum settling in for the night.</td></tr>
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After the Bergshrund it was into climb mode. Uncoiled both the ropes and I tied onto the top ends. Like I said earlier the first 300m slopes were simul climbed. As the slope curves right you get your first sight of the difficulties. It's basically a 200m chimney/slot with a steep icy finish. I carried on up the ast 100m of slopes to the first belay at the bottom of the difficulties.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum at the end of the initial slopes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the first belay.</td></tr>
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My head sometimes wins a battle that I fight with it at times, and when it does I just freeze up and can't climb. When I got to the first belay and was bringing up Calum, I felt good and just wanted to carry on climbing. The first pitch started off with a steep wee chimney that was maybe about Scottish V,5 to a ledge. It then carries up over a steep bulge. The cracks in the bulge that climb are pretty poor and most of the time your hooking on small flakes of rock. Very tenuous climbing that I thought was about Scottish VII,7.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to be first hard pitch down.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum on the crux bulge of the first pitch.</td></tr>
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Calum grab the kit, ditched the bag and carried on with the second pitch. It looked fairly straight forward, but the protection wasn't the greatest and had a few awkward moves. This brought us to below the main part of the route, and it steepens up quite a bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum at the crux of the second pitch</td></tr>
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I took the third pitch on. Which I heard was meant to be pretty bold, however I thought the protection on the whole route was really good. The pitch consisted mainly of a few grooves at the bottom then a main chimney/groove that has a ice runnel at the back. The pitch was almost a full 60m. I was trashed at the end of it. Forearms and biceps were cramping up like mad. Bringing Calum up gave me plenty of time to look at the final crux pitch. Sometimes I'm like a wee kid. Actually I'm always like a wee kid, but what I'm trying to say is that I always want what everyone else has. So now that i knew Calum was getting this final pitch, which looked amazing, I wanted it. Calum was nice enough to offer it. However I was struggling to take the rope in through the belay device due to cramping arms, so it was probably for the best that Calum climbed it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum near the top of the third pitch.</td></tr>
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Caum swiftly grabbed the remaining gear from me, which I think was a carabiner due to using all the kit on the previous enduring pitch. He climbed the final pitch really well. It mainly consists of a chimney that you press your back against, whilst torquing your right axe and crampon in a crack and hooking and pushing with the left side. Eventually the chimney stops and your forces you out onto a smear of ice on the right wall, then you have to pull out over a bulge of ice at the same time. Thankfully it was pretty well hooked which makes it feel slightly more comfortable, don't get me wrong it still pumpy as hell. the climbing was wild and pumpy, but like I said earlier, I thought it felt pretty well protected. So I thought the final pitch was maybe Scottish VII,8. If it was in leaner or fresher conditions I could imagine it being VIII,8.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum starting up the forth (crux) pitch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum couldn't resist getting a picture of me. Can't blame him.<br />Photo; Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My belay stance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum on the ice at the end of the pitch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bit of exposure on the crux ice!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself exiting the crux ice pitch.<br />Photo; Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the belay at the end of the crux pitch.<br />Photo; Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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After the steep mixed climbing it was just ice for the next 300m. The first pitch after the cruxes, was a small steep wall of ice. Looked relatively easy, but once I get involved it was a wee bit more than what I thought. The ice/neive was pretty poor, and now the cramp in my arms had come back. I took my time climbing through that section.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGrNIywTCKQ/VUNfh6GtYXI/AAAAAAAADOA/7B1br_ZVYII/s1600/P1140097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGrNIywTCKQ/VUNfh6GtYXI/AAAAAAAADOA/7B1br_ZVYII/s1600/P1140097.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cruddy ice section after the mix pitches.<br />Photo; Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calum following at the end of that pitch.</td></tr>
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Calum was nice enough to take over for two pitches to give my arms a wee break. One really cool thing about this upper couloir, is that we abseil back down the exact same way. So we just clipped the bag, with all the mix rack, onto one of the lower in-situ V-threads. Then we'd collect it on the way back down.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit shot</td></tr>
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The upper couloir is fine, but it's just very tiring constantly climbing at the same angle. We reached the top at 5.30. So we pretty much took about 12 hours, which isn't the fastest. But Calum had just done the Eiger two days previous and I'm... well... I'm just me! It's a great route to rap down, as everything is already in place. Which means you get down very swiftly. We were back at the bivvy spot for 7. Then we had the slog back up to the GM top station. It's probably one of the coolest routes I've ever climbed. Cheers Calum for the fun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And down we go...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last few abseils.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening light on the dru.</td></tr>
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<br />Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-71977664183617256332015-01-27T08:49:00.000-08:002015-01-27T08:49:07.601-08:00Ventriloquist - Coire an Lochain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few days after climbing the <a href="http://allyswinton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/auricle-coire-lochain-cairngorms.html" target="_blank">Auricle</a> with Mike & Ry, I traveled back up to the Gorms with Gav. We slept in the Cairngorm carpark in the back of his estate car, which was pretty comfortable. I manage to sweet talk him into doing <i>Ventriloquist VII,7 </i>with me. It was the original plan when I climbed with Mike & Ry on the Sunday, so it was still tickling away in my head. Also managing to get a good look at it from Auricle made me even more keen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav starting up the first pitch.</td></tr>
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The walk in to the crag was brutal. The wind was on constant 'in your face' mode. I looked at the forecast the day before and saw that it was to be Southerly's. Which would be great, as it would mean we would be sheltered at the crag. That never happened though. the wind always manged to find us which ever aspect we were climbing on. Anyways, we got to the bottom of the crag and seen Will Sim with a client. So it was good to finally catch up with him briefly. Gav & I geared up and got ready to start climbing. As Gav got to the bottom of the face he said that he was un-sure about leading any of the pitches, as it was prob a bit too much for him. Which I understood and was happy with.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav on the first step of the first pitch.</td></tr>
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I headed up the first pitch which I thought was going to be around V,6 or something. I was wrong. It has the same IV,4 start as for Auricle then splits off rightwards and climbs over two bulges. The first was really awkward then the second was this overhanging offwidth. Not exactly what I had in mind for the warm up pitch. I manage to squeeze and pull my way up it and pulled onto the ubber belay ledge belay the crux wall. Gav managed to climb the first pitch well, Luckily I was able to haul the bag up for him which made his life easier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav starting up the second step of the first pitch.</td></tr>
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I then rearranged the belay, racked up and set off up the 10m crux wall. It starts off up these steps and then climbs this obvious crack. That begins with a pleasant thin crack, where you get perfect hooks and gear. Then it suddenly changes into a 7 inch wide offwidth crack. In which you have to hook some frozen mud and sidepulls. I managed to get a few hexes in, as well as some large cams which I think would have held. I was a jibbering wreck whilst climbing it though. My head just wasn't settled and I was feeling really pumpped, but I got through and was so grateful for the massive spike at the top of the crack that I just wrapped my arms around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on the main crux pitch.<br />Photo; Gav Swinton </td></tr>
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Gav followed up the pitch. Again he was pleased to have the bag hauled up. The next pitch was another shorty, up a few corners. You could link these into two, but I thought it'd be good to pull the bag up for Gav.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to get rid of the pump.<br />Photo; Gav Swinton</td></tr>
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The last few pitches were still pretty pumpy, and now I was starting to feel pretty tired as well as cramping up. The 4th pitch has a few steep bulges in it, then I traversed out right and crab crawled back and forth on a slabby patch. Gav managed o follow with relative ease.<br />
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The last small pitch was a chimney which was climbed in the dark. Gav had the misfortune of his batteries running out on his headtorch, so had to climb in complete darkness. Lucky for me it was super windy on the plateau, so I couldn't hear any of his foul lanuage.<br />
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The route was awesome, and was pleased to climb it with my Dad. He did mention that he gets to choose the next route though.Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-17237191940756365632015-01-26T05:35:00.000-08:002015-01-26T05:35:25.199-08:00Auricle, Coire an Lochain (Cairngorms)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Frozen eye lashes, numb noses and frosty mono brows were the running theme of our days climbing in Lochain last week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mike and Myself waiting patiently for the gates Ryan Mchenry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Queue of cars waiting to get into the hills.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Probably the coolest guy in the Gorms.<br />Photo; Ryan Mchenry </td></tr>
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Ry and myself headed up to Aviemore last Saturday night, but rather than sleep in his Fiat Panda we were welcomed into Mike's parents home in Carrbridge. Was so nice getting a proper sleep in a comfy bed, as well as having a relaxing breakfast and a leisurely start. Unfortunately though we were stopped by the snow gates at Loch Morlich, which delayed us by an hour and a bit. Our Original plans were to go for Ventriloquist VII,7 on No.1 buttress. However after the delay with the snow gate and the slow walk in due to some deep powder in places, we didn't get climbing till 12pm. So rather than have a super long day we thought we'd get on the slightly easier Auricle VI,7. Ry had climbed this route before so he knew what the climbing was like and how good it was, so was happy to go for another round on it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Myself heading into the Lochain.<br />Photo; Ryan Mchenry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ry and Mike making there way to the bottom of the crag.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mike starting to get his frost on.<br />Photo; Ryan Mchenry</td></tr>
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Mike set off first up the first pitch which was probably about IV,4. This brings you to the bottom of the very obvious open book corner of Auricle. He set up his belay then brought Ry and myself up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Myself starting up the 2nd pitch.<br />Photo; Ryan Mchenry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Photo; Ryan Mchenry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Photo; Ryan Mchenry</td></tr>
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I then grabbed the kit from Mike and got involved with the short but pumpy corner. It starts of with these moves between chock stones. So gives it a very dry-tooling feel to it. Then you pull out left from a small cave and have a few thin moves to the next chock stone. The faces were covered in a nice frosting of hoar frost. Which made everything look pretty, but every time I would brush against the stuff it would blow back into my face. Blinding me and generally frosting my face up. A last wee squeeze through a small chimney brings you to a massive belay ledge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mike in the last squeeze bit of the 2nd pitch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Photo; Ryan Mchenry</td></tr>
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Ry took on the last pitch, again, as he climbed the last time he done the route. So we thought it'd be faster. The quicker we climb, the quicker we can go home! The pitch starts quite steeply from the belay, but every hook is massive. Again giving it a very fun sporty feeling to it. Then there's a slabby corner which brings you to a very awkward chimney squeeze. Made even more awkward with bags on. A few small steps brings you to the easy ground at the top. Then all that was left was the walk off down Fiacaill ridge. Which none of us had done before, and I think we built it up in our minds to be this mega Alpine ridge. Something like the Peautry Integral... Turned it wasn't.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ry starting up the 3rd pitch.</td></tr>
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Mega fun day out and was pleased with how we all climbed the thing fairly swiftly. Making it back to the car for 5. Cheers Boys for a fun day out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ry, Mike & myself at the top.</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-24570451933658740552015-01-06T16:04:00.002-08:002015-01-06T16:04:37.384-08:00Return to the motherland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I try to find the clues of where to go. The vague footprints that someone before me had left is a good indicator. <i>''Are we almost there?''</i> I look up briefly to try find my bearings, but immediately interrupted by a piercing wind on my face that makes me shy away. One step in front of the other is all I could do. the cathedral'as the guard the corries entrance tower over me.....</div>
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Wait a minute!! I can't write this flowery shite.... I'm back in Scotland! They'll beat me up for talking like this.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fine Scottish view...</td></tr>
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Litter on the streets, cars everywhere, people looking miserable and+ grey damp weather that soaks into the bones. Yup I'm home and I'm loving it! Returning back to Scotland after spending 4 years in Chamonix has been amazing. Sure I've had wee trips back home but never properly lived in the UK for a while. My main reason I've come home is for the Scottish Winter climbing. The past 4 years I've spent trying to gain as much height as quickly as possible. measuring my gains in thousands of meters. Now, I'll be spending my days trying to climb 20m pitches, whilst being blasted by spin drift. And that's on a good day. </div>
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I moved to Dundee around the start of October and went into working at the local climbing wall straight away. A bunch of my mates all live in or around Dundee so I figured it'd be a good place to be based. Obviously the winter climbing hadn't started by then. So I caught the tail end of the rock season, and got a fine day up at the Pass of Ballater with a crew of people for my first day out. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on <i>Ton Ton Macoute.</i><br />Photo; Phil Ebert</td></tr>
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There was quite a lull between rock and winter season. Luckily though I was kept busy with a couple of talks I had to do. These were to be my first ever talks about my climbing in front of people. The first was for the annual dinner meet for a climbing club I used to be in. Knowing everyone in the place did make it slightly easier.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tommy 'Guns' Russell climbing at Arbroath.</td></tr>
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The second talk I was asked to do was for the <a href="http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=3826" target="_blank">Whitegoods</a> dry-tooling meet in North Wales. The meet consisted of a competition at the crag, where you obviously scored better for an on-sight of a route. I had never been to the crag before, so asked Dougie if he'd be keen to head down as he was there the previous year. Plus he had a van... Greg was also keen to tag along as well as he had never been before either, and he loves a bit of tooling. So <i>Team Scotland</i> descended upon Whitegoods, and boy did they know about it! We weren't exactly the quietest bunch at the crag, but we did do pretty well on the climbing side of things too. Dougie and I got a bunch of M9's done, but the main event was watching Greg eat up all the hard routes at the crag. The fact that the crag hadn't been drilled, for axe placements, appealed to me. I struggle on the big 'poppy' moves you get at a lot of dry-tooling venues. Whereas at Whitegoods it's all natural so there's a lot of torquing and balancing on small edges, which I think transfers a lot more to Scottish winter climbing. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg dispatching <i>Careful Torque</i></td></tr>
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Head torches were worn for the last ascents of the day, then we all headed back to the pub for food and prizes. Greg won first place and Dougie came away with 'best fall', so Team Scotland did pretty well. After everyone had finished their food, we all gathered round for my talk. Unfortunately the cable that connects the laptop to the projector had been forgotten. So we literally did have to huddle round my laptop. Which gave it a bit more of a funnier feel to it. I quite enjoyed talking about some of the adventures I've had over the past few years in the Alps and other areas around the world. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramon feeling the burn at the end of <i>Carefull Torque.</i></td></tr>
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The Scottish winter climbing didn't really get going until the start of December. My first day out was with Gav, my old man, who hadn't really done much winter climbing for a while. It's taken him 50 years of climbing to realise how cold and shit Scottish winter climbing is.... But of course he couldn't say no to a day out on the hill with his wee laddie. We headed up to Cairngorms, which is where most people go at the start of the season, Gav suggested we go to a small crag to the left of the ski centre, called Creagan Coire Chan-no, that has just been developed over the past few years. It's a really small crag but from looking at the topo, it looked like it could be perfect place for the start of the season. However once we abbed in, it was a different story. The crag was so dry that you could easily have climbed in your rock shoes! Luckily though there are a few different sectors to the crag. So we headed around the other side, and thankfully there was some things to play on around there. Gav went first up this turfy groove, but unfortunately the turf wasn't well frozen. So we bailed from that and I got on a line that wasn't shown in the topo, so it had potential for a wee new route at the crag. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The line of <i>Punching Numbers.</i></td></tr>
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The line followed some corners and grooves before exiting through a small roof. It was definitely a bit of a shock to the system to be scratching around for gear placements, trusting the axes on small edges and bits of turf. The exit move took me a while to work out but then found a wee hole in the rock and manged to get a stein pull (upside down axe), which allowed me to reach past a baggy crack. I called the route <i>Punching Numbers</i> and gave it <i>VI, 7</i>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on <i>Punching Numbers.</i><br />Photo; Gav Swinton</td></tr>
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What has really struck me whilst climbing in Scotland this winter is how quickly the conditions can change. One day they can be really good then the next day everything can be totally stripped. I knew this happens but I suppose I've just not witnessed it for a while. I've had a few trips up north, only to walk in have a look around and walk back out again. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav following on the first pitch of <i>Fluted Buttress Direct.</i></td></tr>
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I got another fun day out with Gav just before xmas. We climbed the classics <i>Fluted Buttress Direct IV,5,</i> In Coire an t'Sneachda, Then afterwards wondered over and climbed <i>Aladin's mirror direct IV,4</i>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav on the second pitch of <i>Fluted Buttress Direct.</i></td></tr>
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The best climbing I've done so far this season was just after Christmas. Dougie, Adam and myself went up to Glencoe for a few days climbing. Dougie has a van that can sleep 3 folk, so it's pretty handy for wee trips like that. The first day we headed up very early to the lost valley buttress to climb <i>Neanderthal VII,7. </i>I had never been up there and had wanted to climb this route for a while. The weather was perfect but really cold. The route mainly consists of 3 pitches. Dougie went first which was easy to start with but then finished with a thin traverse.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dougie on the first pitch of <i>Neanderthal.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam at the crux traverse on the first pitch of <i>Neanderthal.</i></td></tr>
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I got the second pitch after loosing a game of RPS (rock, paper, scissors) with Adam. To be honest though, I'm pretty thankful. Still got a few more routes to do around grade 7 to get my head comfortable. I feel strong enough for them, it's just trusting my placements and moving more quickly that I need to work on. Anyways. I climbed the second pitch which started with a techy slab, and then finished up a groove/corner.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on the second pitch of Neanderthal.<br />Photo; Adam Russell</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dougie seconding the 2nd pitch of <i>Neanderthal.</i></td></tr>
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Adam was up next with the crux pitch. It consisted of a corner to start with, then a climb up and across a wall to below a step. Above the step was ice which made the exit very pumpy. He took his time but did an amazing job of not giving up and finding enough gear to protect him. We finished up in the dark and ran back down to Glen Coe for some food and beer at the Clachaig. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiles all around at the belay. Even from Adam!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam starting up the last pitch on Neanderthal.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam working his way up the crux pitch of <i>Neanderthal.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The belayer must be protected at all times!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy lads at the top.</td></tr>
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The next day wasn't quite as a early start, but the energy within us all was very low from yesterdays climbing. We slowly got the gear together and made our way up the path to Stob coire an lochan. Once we arrived at the crag though, the spirits started to lift. Even though it was still billy baltic. We decided to take it a wee bit easier than yesterday so went for <i>Chimney Route VI,6.</i> Dougie and Adam had tried it last year but bailed on the first pitch. Adam went for the first pitch, as he wanted to finish it off. It's a really fun pitch that climbs a very obvious chimney line, and you can back and foot most of the way up. Though there is a tough move pulling over a bulge half way up. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South buttress of Stob Coire nan Lochan.<br />Adam and Dougie on <i>Chimney Route </i>in the center of the pic.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm in there somewhere...<br />Photo; Adam Russell</td></tr>
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Dougie took on the second pitch which climbed mostly on turf, but had a wee corner move at the bottom. I then had the last pitch which goes up this very obvious tight squeeze directly above the belay, followed by a chimney with amazing hooks. From there it's easy ground to the top.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dougie on the 2nd pitch of <i>Chimney Route.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself just before the squeeze on the 3rd pitch.<br />Photo; Adam Russell</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam exiting the chimney on the 3rd pitch.</td></tr>
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A quick bum-slide back down <i>Broad Gully</i> brought us to the gear. Then a run down the steep path back to the car and once again to the Clachaig for chili and a pint. We did plan to stay up for a few more days over the New Year period, but unfortunately the weather wasn't too good.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out to Church door crag from the top of Stob Coire nan Lochin.</td></tr>
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One thing I'm loving about climbing is Scotland just now is re-discovering all these amazing areas. Also I'm loving the views. I think I prefer the look of these more friendlier rounded hills as apposed to the spiky ones of the Alps. :) </div>
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Am really enjoying being back in Scotland. I've missed all the wee things that make Scotland a very unique place. Whether it be the weather, the language, the diet or the junkies walking past me in the streets! I'm really looking forward to what the rest of the season is going to hold, but now it's time to get the new years diet and training underway! </div>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-84286847669919159622014-12-10T04:13:00.001-08:002014-12-10T04:13:55.838-08:00Desmaison-Gousseault<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The North face of the Jorasses has many amazing routes that make their way up it's mass. One route that has been in my mind for the past few years is the <i>Desmaison-Gousseault. </i>It is situated on the left side of the Walker spur, and follows a series of ramps. The route has a variety of different climbing from chimney squeezes, open face ice climbing to steep rock climbing.<i> </i>I'm not going to go into all the history of this route on my blog, but as an outline;<br />
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Rene Desmaison and Serge Gousseault attempted the line in 1971. Due to difficulties the outing became a two week nightmare. They managed to climb to within 80m from the summit, but Gousseault collapsed with exhaustion. Leaving them stranded on the head wall. For reason still unknown, the rescue team arrived late. Once they did arrive Gousseault had been dead for three days and Desmasion was only just clinging onto life.<br />
Desmasion returned in 1973 to finish the line with Giorgio Bertone & Michel Claret. Which I think says so much about Desmaison. <br />
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I tried the route for the first time about 3 years ago, with my friend Dave Searle. We got about 1/4 of the way up the route, but I think it was maybe just a bit too much for us at the time. I'm sure we would have been fine with the technicality of the climbing. It's just a big route that you have to be moving, climbing and thinking efficiently.<br />
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So fast forward a few years to the Spring of this year, 2014, and you would find a bored Jon Griffith and myself wondering what exciting thing we could get on. Jon came up with the crazy idea to go give the Desmaison a try in winter conditions. Not having any better ideas of my own I thought, why not. So we studied the topos, organised our gear and set off from the Midi with our small approach skis strapped to our feet. Winter/Spring isn't really the best time for climbing on the North face of the Jorasses as it's too cold for the snow to stick to it. Also the Autumn before in 2013 wasn't too good, so there was no good Autumnal conditions continuing on. We knew that the conditions wouldn't be the best, but we thought it'd be a good laugh to go give it a try; There were no laughs!<br />
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Normally when you go climbing on the Jorasses, you either spend the night in the Leschaux hut or sleep at the base. This time however we thought we'd ski in and get straight on the thing. Jon had found out the day before that there was also a 3 other french lads getting on it at the same time as us. We thought at first we'd be a lot faster than them as we were a team of two, but in finding out they were Robin Revest, Helias Millerioux and a friend. Well then we knew we weren't going to be racing ahead of these guys. As I had been on the route a few years ago, it made sense that I take on the first block of leads. We ditched the skis below the bergshrund, and I racked up with all the gear and carried on up the first section. A small chimney pitch at the bottom slows things down slightly, then a big ice field brings you to the bottom of the first ramp. We both felt pretty tired from skinning in and climbing the first section, plus it was probably around 5pm so we thought it'd be best just to bivvy here. The other guys were right behind us and bivvyed in the same area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself seconding. The Frenchies behind us.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Frenchies right behind us.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The PGHM doing what they do best!<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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Here's a link to a <a href="https://vimeo.com/90042172" target="_blank">video</a> that Jon filmed of the rescue in operation.<br />
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The following day, after we had some tea and breakfast, I set of first again as I still knew the way. Then Jon took over for his block of leads at the start of the end of the first ramp. Most of the climbing up to the second ramp doesn't require too much ice. However the second ramp is pretty mellow angled, and has a few steps that would be a lot better with thick ice plackage on them. Jon climbed the first pitch of the second ramp. It was very tenuous as there was only a ribbon of is to climb on and you had to be very delicate with it. Even though after the tenuous section there was a lot more ice, it was still very brittle. Which meant it took a couple of swings to get the axe sitting comfortable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing exposure even on some of the lower pitches.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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Just as I then started to take over for my block of leads. Robin, of the trio behind us, reached the same belay that Jon was at. Though when he arrived he knocked a rock off which went flying down towards the previous belay. Where the rest of his team was. Straight away we could hear this scream of pain. Helias had got hit on his shoulder pretty badly. Robin lowered back down and they decided to bail off the route and get choppered out off there. Which was pretty exciting to watch. After they left we phoned up a friend to get a weather up-date. He told us that there would be a foen storm starting up the following evening. There was no way we would get up the rest of the wall in time, so we decided to bail ourselves. We rapped into the Shroud and down the bottom section of it. However as we neared the bottom a slab of snow avalanched from above, it went straight by us and took out all our skis and poles which were sitting at the bottom. We raced down as fast as we could to try find our skis before it got dark. After a while of searching and, literally, a stab in the dark. We managed to find all our skis. We clipped in and made our way through the night back to Cham. It's soooo scary skiing fast down an icy glacier at night with huge Alpine bags on your backs. The legs were pretty tired after that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHaYmgVKLK8/VIbMUXDKTeI/AAAAAAAAC5w/dIK-A0BW40o/s1600/allyramp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHaYmgVKLK8/VIbMUXDKTeI/AAAAAAAAC5w/dIK-A0BW40o/s1600/allyramp.jpg" height="640" width="550" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself at our high point on Jon and mines first attempt together.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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After a days rest in Chamonix, Jon gave me a shout saying that there is a weather window starting the next day. ''<i>Okay Jon, lets head back into the Jorasses! Hmmmmm why did I agree to this?</i>''<br />
So known what the conditions were like, we knew we wouldn't be running up the thing. More gas and food is what we'll be needing. Oh and a bit more of suffering psyche. We also decided to take two hammocks with us. As there wasn't much snow on the ramps, and It'd be hard to chop a snowy ledge to sit on. Also from our last experience of skiing in and getting straight on the wall, which I think tired us out quite a lot, we would just ski in and bivvy at the base, then start climbing early the next morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ePYOv8tWqo/VIbegQsPGXI/AAAAAAAAC64/yRf-78axPx0/s1600/P3179851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ePYOv8tWqo/VIbegQsPGXI/AAAAAAAAC64/yRf-78axPx0/s1600/P3179851.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Techy pitch.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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Still feeling the effects from being on the wall a few days previously, we made our way in and camped at the base. The next morning we set off early and found ourselves at our high point by around 5pm. The short days of winter definitely make things quite awkward. In spite of getting up to our previous high point in ok time. We still had to climb a few technical pitches before, where the topo said, there was a bivvy spot. Now that it was dark things started to slow down a lot. I led a pitch which was mostly rock climbing but on very suspicious rock and dubious gear. Then Jon made his way up a steep aid pitch that carried onto where we assumed there would be a good bivvy spot. However once we arrived we could see there wasn't much to work with. The topo actually states there is an awesome bivvy spot, but after figuring out that it was in fact above us on different route. We found ourselves having to get pretty imaginative. As we had the hammocks we thought we should try find somewhere for them. It took us a while to find a spot to hang one hammock on this slab. Then realising we would only be hanging one up, my heart sunk. I gave the hammock to Jon as he's very old, plus am way more bad-ass and harder than him. I found this horrible ledge that was built up of these loose blocks. I tried to arrange them in some sort of manner, but every time I would move one block the rest would shift and some even fell away. After realising I would just have to make do, I blew up my roll mat then thought I would stash it behind a rock whilst I sort my sleeping bag out. PFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTT!!! ''<i>Oh no</i>!!'' Yup I just burst my roll mat. After some food and liquid I climbed into my bag and lay on my pathetic excuse for a bed. The night past long and cold.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night climbing is always fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon chilling in the hammock.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4E6smFSKjWM/VIbIvyvhRqI/AAAAAAAAC0I/atiShaHF1CQ/s1600/P1040126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4E6smFSKjWM/VIbIvyvhRqI/AAAAAAAAC0I/atiShaHF1CQ/s1600/P1040126.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my bed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-il9e3BKgwvs/VIeoVayqr4I/AAAAAAAAC7k/hfEYFg5beV0/s1600/1010667_761438943901320_527685166_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-il9e3BKgwvs/VIeoVayqr4I/AAAAAAAAC7k/hfEYFg5beV0/s1600/1010667_761438943901320_527685166_n.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My super comfy bivvy spot. Note how the sun striking the wall just in front. Torture!<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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I could see morning was starting to happen, as a red sky line was starting to emerge. It was quite a chilly start to the day. Made even worse by the sunlight striking the wall that was in front of me. Wishing for it to come round and warm the bones up only made me feel colder. I tried to shift my body and release my dead arm, that had been my pillow. However in doing so I dislodged one of the main supporting rocks to my bed, and got a sudden shock that well and truly woke me up. Now sitting up right and not wanting to move a muscle in case my bed dissembled anymore. One event did warm me up though. It wasn't my breakfast and tea. No. Instead it was Jon's breakfast that warmed me up! You see, over the past couple of days. Jon had been going on about this freeze dry breakfast he had. It was 'eggs & bacon', and he made sure that I knew how good it was going to taste and was so much better than the crappy muesli things I would be having. So on the morning of this bivvy, sitting smugly in his hammock, he began to prepare his breakfast. Now with these meals it's good practice to get the amount of boiling water fairly spot on, as it makes it taste as it should rather than to dry or to soupy. After reading his packets instruction he lets out a very upset ''<i>OH No!</i>''. Straight away I thought it was an issue with the stove. I asked what was wrong, and he replied with, ''<i>Add 200ml of boiling water, mix well, and then fry in a frying pan!!</i>'' I gave a very 'sympathetic' response.... Jon thought the best idea would be to leave it brewing for an extra 10mins. This will surly transform into a packet full of fluffy scrambled egg with rashers of bacon on the side. Turned out it didn't and Jon just poured out the eggy soup mixture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JYyjqwIBkVE/VIbI0AU-9NI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/_HHUn6Ek2aw/s1600/P1040127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JYyjqwIBkVE/VIbI0AU-9NI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/_HHUn6Ek2aw/s1600/P1040127.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon on the scary morning pitch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oxTCm-M9Dng/VIbfSZi1f5I/AAAAAAAAC7I/NdX-XYqHrJc/s1600/P3180089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oxTCm-M9Dng/VIbfSZi1f5I/AAAAAAAAC7I/NdX-XYqHrJc/s1600/P3180089.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself following the scary morning pitch.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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After packing up all our bivvy kit. Jon got geared up for what looked like a grim piece of climbing. It was the starting pitch to the 3rd ramp, and didn't have a spot of ice on it. Dry, loose and protection-less. This was gonna be a nice wake up pitch to the day. Jon took his time, working his way steadily up the slab. A nasty bit of aid, using flared cams in loose blocks, brought him to the end of the pitch. The remainder of the ramp was brittle and hard black ice. Not fun to climb on and gave the bonus of hurting the toes from kicking, and tire the already tired calfs.<br />
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We made our way slowly up to where the main bivvy spot is on the route, that is made up of a large snow arete, which we would chop a large ledge into. However on arrival we found that the snow wasn't very 'snowy', in fact it was mostly just ice. Any snow that was there had formed into 'corn', which doesn't stick together at all. It just flakes away. To make matters even worse, the wind started to pick up quite significantly. As well as the temperature dropping quickly. Which meant that everything was getting covered in hoarfrost. We knew we couldn't stay in this area as there was nowhere to bivvy, so we abbed back down a couple of pitches to where we thought was a good stance. Turns out it wasn't the 5 star bivvy we had thought it to be, and could barely fit one person. We arranged one hammock for our feet to rest in. Then put the other one in front of us to act as a wind breaker. This never worked and it actually just flapped in our faces the whole night. We nestled ourselves into some sort of comfortable position. Then I spent the next while making water and filling our bottles. Jon passed out straight away. Once I had finished the bottles I asked Jon if he wanted some food made. I skipped dinner as I just wanted to go to sleep. He passed me his freeze-dry dinner and I prepped it for him. Then past out for a few hours. I woke to find Jon's food packet next to me, which I thought was strange. I asked him about it and it turned out that I filed it with cold water, so he had to just pore it out! We tried to get a wee bit more sleep, but it was hard to stay comfortable that long. I did manage find some comfort though. However it was in the form of Jon's chest! I didn't realise that my head was laying on him until I woke and looked into his eyes, I could see he wasn't happy with this scenario. So I swiftly turned to face the other way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRa1Zn2juW0/VIbfRk7dJFI/AAAAAAAAC7E/PxYMZXXVSPc/s1600/P3180120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRa1Zn2juW0/VIbfRk7dJFI/AAAAAAAAC7E/PxYMZXXVSPc/s1600/P3180120.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to organise the belay in stormy conditions.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gr_jKJyOds8/VIbfgWQ_CKI/AAAAAAAAC7U/O5hCBf2T3bE/s1600/P3180136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gr_jKJyOds8/VIbfgWQ_CKI/AAAAAAAAC7U/O5hCBf2T3bE/s1600/P3180136.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cosy bivvy for the night.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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The next morning we felt pretty shitty. After 2 bad nights sleep in a row. Things were still cold and windy. We phoned our friend Jeff who works for the PGHM (Chamonix mountain rescue), to get a weather report. He told us that they'll be another storm starting up that afternoon which would be around for a day or two. Thoughts of getting in trouble was on our minds if we carried on. He informed us that they wouldn't be able to fly there after that afternoon.<br />
The classic foen storm comes from the south side of the Jorasses (Italy) and then rushes down the North side (France). So the worst place to be in a foen storm is the top of the Jorasses.<br />
Jon was fairly happy to continue with the route, but I was worried about the difficulties ahead. Even though we were 3/4 way up the face, we still had some hard pitches that lay ahead. In these current conditions, I couldn't imagine us running up it. We decided to bail. Which was a hard choice to make, as we put a good effort in to get to here. We also decided the safest option would be to get choppered off the wall. As the previous days we had watched so many rocks rain down the Shroud, which is where we would be abseiling down. We still had to rap down a few pitches to find a safe open spot to be picked up from. Once we were in position Jon phoned up, but they told us they had to do a crevase rescue first and would be an hour. Which I thought was outrageous... Jokes! Whilst waiting for the chopper we both climbed into our sleeping bags and snoozed.<br />
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Then it was our turn to be picked up. It wasn't until Jon said that he hates the feeling of being winched up that made me think about how wild it will be. You see the don't sit stationary and winch you up in place. Once your clipped on, they whisk you away and winch you up at the same time. So you'll be way out in the middle of the air before you climb into the chopper. But first the winch man has to be dropped off at our spot. They lower him down and swing him into place. These guys are living legends. Once he arrives he takes care of everything and is the one who clips you on. Jon went first and then they came back for me. It feels so weird to be standing on the mountain, then the next second you have 1000m of air below your feet. I remember the feeling of the sun when we flew out of the Shade, which I had been in for the past 4 days. I don't know what Jon was talking about. This was awesome. It's not everyday that you get to hang from a helicopter and look at the Jorasses. After we were all collected they took us down to their base in Les Praz. We signed a form, said a massive thank you and then were on our way. It felt weird walking around town knowing that only moments ago we were on the Jorasses. Straight away we knew where we were going first. Rhodos! Best pizza and beer in town, and only a few minutes walk from where we were dropped off. So that was the end of that attempt for Winter/Spring. Jon did ask me again for another attempt that season, but I told him to get stuffed.<br />
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After climbing the <a href="http://allyswinton.blogspot.fr/2014/11/bonatti-vaucher.html" target="_blank">Bonatti- Vaucher</a> at the start of September, we knew how good the conditions were on the wall. Unfortunately there was a few weeks of bad weather which would keep us from climbing Having booked my flights for my return to Scotland, in a few weeks time I was starting to get worried that I might not get the chance to finish off the Desmassion with Jon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last walk-in of the season for me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3Ld3-G2Wj8/VIgsLUGuKxI/AAAAAAAAC8A/0AkWY74Pb08/s1600/P9256860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3Ld3-G2Wj8/VIgsLUGuKxI/AAAAAAAAC8A/0AkWY74Pb08/s1600/P9256860.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bivvy at the base of the Jorasses.<br />
Photo; Jorasses</td></tr>
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Then on the last week of September there was a good weather window and Jon and myself made our way, once again, to the base of the Jorasses. Knowing this would be the last time I'd be walking in here kind of made the experience a bit lighter and funner. We both knew the route really well up to our high point which is where we were planing to climb to the following day. Then we would just have to find our way up the head-wall and then descend down the back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8OUt7WcK7Yw/VIgsIhgbx-I/AAAAAAAAC70/XXB3_srstw4/s1600/P9266878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8OUt7WcK7Yw/VIgsIhgbx-I/AAAAAAAAC70/XXB3_srstw4/s1600/P9266878.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chimney pitch at the start.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon on the aid pitch half up the wall.</td></tr>
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After our bivvy at the base, which I didn't get much sleep at, we headed up to the bergshrund. There was another team of Frenchies on the route as well. They got an earlier start than us, which was fine, as due to the nature of the route it didn't matter too much about having someone above you. Like I said earlier we knew the route really well and managed to cruise our way up through the lower ramps. Pitches that had caused us grief on earlier attempts were now mellow ramps of ice, quite a few were even simul-climbed. The harder pitches were still much the same as some of these were either vertical mix climbing or aid pitches. It was just so amazing seeing and feeling the difference of the conditions. Really felt like a totally different route. Just goes to show how important conditions can be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLVdCq7k5RU/VIbMX_3HnMI/AAAAAAAAC6A/zy6_smzpn1Q/s1600/different%2Bconditions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLVdCq7k5RU/VIbMX_3HnMI/AAAAAAAAC6A/zy6_smzpn1Q/s1600/different%2Bconditions.jpg" height="640" width="568" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exact same pitch, different conditions.</td></tr>
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We found ourselves at the upper snow arete at about 5pm. This was our high point last Spring and what a difference. Masses of snow, no wind and very relaxing. The team of Frenchies had continued ahead. We were worried in case they were going to bivvy here as well, but they had decided to continue on and climb the whole route in a day. Which to be honest I think Jon and myself would have managed this as well, but we had an awesome bivvy spot. We could take our time the next day and actually maybe even enjoy this thing! Anyways, we hacked and stamped out our ledge's into the snow. Organised the bivvy gear and made ourselves comfy for the night. It was a very calm night. Starry sky and no wind. For some reason I had another restless night and couldn't sleep much. Jon was fast asleep and snoring away. Not for long though. Even though the bivvy spot was awesome, it was still exposed slightly to the upper head wall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon leading up to the snow arete bivvy spot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snow arete bivvy spot. 5 * view, with 5* exposure.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AoABkBvh0Kw/VIgsrmVLWaI/AAAAAAAAC8U/QtMMTXsl3LQ/s1600/P9267204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AoABkBvh0Kw/VIgsrmVLWaI/AAAAAAAAC8U/QtMMTXsl3LQ/s1600/P9267204.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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Whilst cocooned in my bag I heard this loud screaming whistle. Straight away I knew something was falling from above towards us. I instantly crunched up into hedgehog safety position (technical term). Suddenly, 'BANG!!', Jon starts screaming in pain. ''<i>Fuck, this is bad!</i>'' I thought straight away. I kept asking Jon if he was ok, but because his ledge was just above mines I couldn't really see how he was or what damage was done. ''<i>My... my.... my....</i>'' He blurted out a few mumbles. ''<i>Oh no, he's broke his arm, his leg, something bad''</i> I thought. Then he managed to tell me, ''<i>My.... BALLS!!</i>''. A large block of ice had fallen through the air, reaching terminal velocity and was instantly stopped by Jon's balls. Can you imagine lying fast asleep on your back and having a block ice dropped on your privates? I would like to say that I was actually very sympathetic to him. Guarantee if it was the other way around he would be laughing straight at me. I did mange to get some sleep after that, and with a small grin on my face for some reason...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon getting tucked in for the night. Pre ball tap.</td></tr>
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We woke around 5 the next morning. Had our breakfast and was off by 6. Still dark I headed up the first pitch. Which was a tricky pitch for breakfast. However we were about to be rewarded massively. You see the route takes the North East face of the Walker Spur, so the upper head wall gets some sunshine first thing in the morning. For the next few pitches we were climbing with the sun on our backs. There's not many hard North face routes in the Alps where you can climb in the sun. It just made the experience so much more pleasant.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the morning sun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the upper head wall. The route has some amazing exposure at the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CV7Dpo0k_mM/VIgtDLIKbiI/AAAAAAAAC8k/fEx1dYoVz5A/s1600/P9277456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CV7Dpo0k_mM/VIgtDLIKbiI/AAAAAAAAC8k/fEx1dYoVz5A/s1600/P9277456.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on one of the headwall pitches.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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The head wall rock is a lot looser than the rest of the route, which makes it pretty tricky in places. The upper head wall crux consists of a steep exposed start, followed by a tenuous traverse into a groove and then onto an ice smear. The best description I heard of this was, '<i>a Gogarth E3 pitch</i>''. Which I think suits it very well. Jon lead this pitch, and carried on with the upper ramps. Which still had a few awkward moves in them, but we knew it was almost over with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VwLgru1bPrk/VIbKz2xO9TI/AAAAAAAAC4A/gQU6qLmkLFU/s1600/P1060942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VwLgru1bPrk/VIbKz2xO9TI/AAAAAAAAC4A/gQU6qLmkLFU/s1600/P1060942.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon on the top crux pitch. Gogarth E3!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AY8rRkd54-0/VIbLfDRIudI/AAAAAAAAC5A/iVszf6KXxv4/s1600/Top%2Bof%2Bdesmaison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AY8rRkd54-0/VIbLfDRIudI/AAAAAAAAC5A/iVszf6KXxv4/s1600/Top%2Bof%2Bdesmaison.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself following Jon up the last ramp.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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I followed Jon out of the face and onto the summit of the Grandes Jorasses.We now had well and truly broke our 'Jorasses curse'. Straight away we congratulated each other, and I actually managed to get a hug from Jon. He told me this would be the first and the last, we'll see about that! The main thing that struck me on the summit was how hot it was. I stripped down to the base layers right away. Then we chilled out on the top for a while, making some tea. Even though we put it off for a while, we both knew what was coming next. The walk down. The heat of the midday sun had turned the snow pretty soft, which made it even more tiring. As we knew the descent pretty well we were down in good time. Which still takes 5 hours!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the walk down.</td></tr>
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To have finally climbed this magnificent route meant a lot to me. After trying it the first time with Jon I wanted to wait and climb it in proper 'nick'. Which is what I got. I've spent a bit of time on this route and I'm glad of every moment on it. There's not many routes in the Alps that I would love to do again. But this is one of them!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy to top out on this route.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-USndGaLxM10/VIgtSBSwMAI/AAAAAAAAC88/uWFkAWCDiTA/s1600/P9277870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-USndGaLxM10/VIgtSBSwMAI/AAAAAAAAC88/uWFkAWCDiTA/s1600/P9277870.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit shot.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-81841753027556316622014-11-27T12:54:00.000-08:002014-11-27T12:54:00.325-08:00Bonatti-Vaucher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Autumn is probably my favorite season in the year. Especially in Chamonix, as you can go rock climbing at the crags for the whole day and not get cooked. Am Scottish, I can't handle the heat. However my main reason is that this is the time of year when things start to get really good for climbing on the big North faces. Like I said on my last post about the <a href="http://allyswinton.blogspot.fr/2014/09/english-route-aiguille-sans-nom.html" target="_blank">Sans Nom</a>, the conditions on the faces were pretty good, so after climbing that I knew there was only one place to head to...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walk-in.</td></tr>
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Jon Griffith and I have climbed a variety of different things together over the past few years, but sadly we had this tragic curse upon us! We couldn't climb anything on the North face of the Grandes Jorasses. We tried many times, but for one reason or another we were always shut down. The pair of us even went to see a few different witch doctors about it, and see if they could help us. We didn't really. Nevertheless, if there was a time to break this horrific curse it was this season.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself making my way through the crevasses to the base.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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We had heard that an uber French wad team had climbed the Gabaurou-Silvy route on the Sans Nom face in a day, then carried on to climb the Bonatti-Vaucher on the Jorasses the next day. Pretty spectacular achievement.<br />
Only a few days after climbing on the Sans Nom face with Ben, I was walking into the Jorasses with Jon. Knowing that the Bonatti route had just been climbed and having been told it was in good condition, we decided to head for this. We would be aiming to climb it in a day. So rather than join the crowds in the Leschaux hut we decided to bivvy at the base of the wall and save the 2.5hr walk-in in the morning. We knew there was another team heading for the route as well, so we thought we'd let them go in front and start an hour after them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mmmmmmmmm delicious!<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosy bivvy</td></tr>
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After a comfy sleep we woke at 3am. The other team who turned out to be Spanish had just reached the bergshrund. The reason we weren't super stressed about other team on the route was that the line of the route kind of goes diagonally across the face, so it would be unlikely that anything they knocked down would hit us. Also Jon knew the start of the route really well having done No-siesta, which starts in the same area then branches off. So we had our breakfast and packed the sleeping bags away - probably the worst part of alpine climbing. It just seems so wrong to leave a warm cosy bag in the middle of the night in the arse end of nowhere. But we had to get up and go. It's worth that extra walk -in the day before when it means that the following day all you have to do is pack the bags, and walk 5 mins to the start of your route. Like I said, Jon knew the start pretty well, so he took the first block of leads and we simul-climbed up to where Bonatti-vaucher & No-siesta split. During this simul-climb period we passed the Spanish team, but we wouldn't stay ahead of them for long once we started pitching the harder pitches.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon climbing as the sun was rising.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself following Jon low down on the route.<br />Photo; Jon Griffith.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half way up the wall. You can see climbers in the Colton-Mac, left hand side.</td></tr>
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I took over for a few pitches, but things quickly slowed down due to technical climbing and finding protection in the iced-up cracks. The Spaniards were right up our asses, which can be a horrible feeling. It makes you feel rushed and it's not nice having someone breathe down your neck. They tried to overtake us a few times but we just kept getting tangled up. Then on a scary loose pitch that Jon led, we had to just go one at a time. So things were moving quite slowly after a rapid start.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself in a bit of a squeeze.<br />Photo; Jon Griffith.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangled up!</td></tr>
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The whole day on the harder pitches, my head just wasn't in it. It does that sometimes. When I feel good and confident I climb pretty well. But sometimes for some reason my head just won't click into action. I slow right down and convince myself that everything is going to snap and break. the ice won't hold. My gear will rip, and the ropes will snap. Once this happens I'm stuck in it for the day. What's really annoying about it though is that Jon finds it funny and takes the piss out of me whilst in this state.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon on an awkward loose pitch.<br />Photo; Silvestre Barrientos</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seconding the loose and awkward pitch.<br />Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith.</td></tr>
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I climbed the ice field up to the head wall, and brought Jon up. He then told me that he had talked to the Spaniards and decided we should team up as a team of 4. As the next few pitches were pretty hard there was no point in one person leading it, then the other team waiting for ages, then another person taken ages to lead the same pitch again. What we did was one guy lead up on two half ropes, which is what they had, then two guys seconded on an end each. Whilst seconding, one of them was dragging up a single rope, which is what Jon and I were using. Then the last guy could second their way up as well. And only one guy would have to lead climb. It also meant that whilst the leader climbed the next pitch, the very last guy could be climbing the previous pitch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlos on the first head wall pitch, before the really loose one. </td></tr>
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Once we decided to team up the Spaniards, Silver & Carlos, they took over the leading. Thank funk for that! the main pitch on the head wall was this big corner system. There wasn't too much ice on the left wall to use, and all the rock in the corner where you're placing gear and hooking the axes is extremely loose. Silver went first and was doing great until he dislodged a big chunk of rock that went flying down and hit Jon in the thigh as he was belaying. Jon gave a big scream out. Not girly at all, a very manly scream.... But also Silver took a big slam back into the wall as he fell with the loose rock, hurting his calf and taking out some of his protection. So both Jon and Silver were pretty banged up. Jon lowered Silver down and Carlos took over. Jon carried on belaying as there was no point in someone else getting hit by a rock on belay duty. He could take it. Also we knew he could keep belaying whilst being hit, as he'd just shown!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlos working his way up the crux death pitch.<br />Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super scared and stressed. Naaaaat, just chilling like a boss!<br />Photo; Jon Griffth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time for headtorches.<br />Photo; Jon Griffith.</td></tr>
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Carlos climbed up to Silver's high point and replaced some of the gear that ripped out, He then started to try aid his way up, but the problem with this was that you are directly loading the loose rock. He got up a few more feet before suddenly his gear ripped and he was sent flying down, again bringing more loose rocks towards Jon. Carlos banged his elbow pretty bad. Jon was now moaning slightly, but still not crying like a girl.... All I was thinking was '<i>shit, I'm up next!'</i> Then suddenly like a pheonix rising from the ashes (bit cheesy) Carlos started pulling back up the ropes and getting back to his high point. '<i>Yes! Yes! Carlos you absolute legend. Keep going!' </i>I thought. Thinking that I might not have to try lead this horror show warmed me up inside. He managed to get out of the aid section and use a very thin smear of ice on the left wall. Some rocks were still falling down as Carlos had to scrape in the cracks to find protection. Jon was still getting hit, but we thought we could give him some protection by wrapping his sleeping bag around him. You might ask where I was whilst all this was happening. Well, I was bravely hiding behind Jon, providing strong and encouraging chat. Carlos had now made his way up the rest of the corner and it was our turn to follow. Jon and Silver seconded together and I came up at the end on the single. Holy Jesus I found it scary just seconding this pitch. I now had even more respect for Carlos managing to climb the thing. What a dude! There was still a few tricky pitches to go. One of which burst the sleeve on my down jacket so now I had feathers floating everywhere. Could this day get any worse! The final moves of the last pitch were phenomenal. It was a small column of pure water ice. What an awesome touch to the end of a mega route. We topped out around midnight, and bivved on point Whymper, where the route tops out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing into the night.</td></tr>
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It was quite a pleasant experience bivvying on the summit. Usually you just make your way down in the dark like a zombie, but why bother when we had our therma-rest and sleeping bags anyways. It was a bit chilly, but not too bad. The worst part was finding down feathers everywhere! They even managed to make their way into Jon's water bottle. Waking up everything was cold and icy. We didn't say a word, but we were all thinking the same thing and didn't move at all until that sun came around and warmed everything up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold and frosty morning. Not moving a muscle until that sun comes out.<br />Photo; Silvestre Barrientos</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocooned in my frosty nest.<br />Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon, not quite woken up yet.</td></tr>
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Now all that was left to do was head down to Italy for pizza and beer!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some big holes on the way down.<br />Photo; Silvestre Barrientos</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon and myself heading down.<br />Photo; Silvestre Barrientos</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-75767312410966059902014-09-05T05:11:00.000-07:002014-09-05T05:11:41.663-07:00English route - Aiguille Sans Nom<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben checking out the conditions on the face.</td></tr>
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Many years ago... Christ that feels old speaking like that! Anyways, years ago when I first started doing some Alpine climbing. My first route was Petit Aiguille Verte, just next to the GM lift station. I remember whilst climbing on the upper part of the route, asking my Dad what that huge face was with all the snow and ice on it. He then informed me that it was the Sans Nom face on the Verte. Immediately I asked, 'Do people climb on that?'. I was shocked and confused to how you would go about climbing on that.... Now I know!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carpet of evening cloud.</td></tr>
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The Sans Nom face is something I've wanted to get on for a long time. For some strange reason I never really looked at it properly and wondered what routes I'd like to do on it. I suppose most of the time I've been focused on other things like the Dru and the Jorasses.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sans Nom face.</td></tr>
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After the recent rain and snow we've been having all this Summer in the Alps. Things are looking very good on the high North faces. Some of the lower parts to the faces can do with an improvement, but not too bad for the start of the season. There is some funky patches of snow on some aspects of the north faces. As last week the isotherm jumped up to 4000m with some rain, then dropped down to 2500m with snow. So we encountered some funky crust in places, but on the whole things are good. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing sunset.</td></tr>
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Ben O'Connor Croft and myself headed up to the top of the GM lift station where we spent the night. We had checked out the face and got treated t a spectacular light show on the face. Starting with a bright intense white that made the Sans nom face look like some big Himalayan face with it's snow spines, rock buttress, seracs and big open snow fields. Then within a hour it changed to the warm reddish glow you get in the evenings here. We checked out a few options on the face, but after a while we decided the best option might be the 'English route' IV 5.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading down the death gully.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben approaching the base of the<br />Sans Nom.</td></tr>
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After a good nights sleep we set of around 6am. Then we had to descend down the horrible approach couloir which we did in 60m, 30m, 30m(V-thread), 30m then some down climbing to the glacier. A quick walk around the crevases brought us to the bergshrund for 7.30am. I started up first and simul climbed to a small rock step. Then carried on over snow and ice to the exit onto the big snow field where Ben took over for his block.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me climbing the bergshrund.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting up the first ramp after the bergshrund.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself climbing a small rock step on the first ramp.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft</td></tr>
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Ben exited the next mixed step onto the huge snow field. About 300m long. Once you pull around onto the field you get an amazing view of the head wall. Which is in spectacular condition right. Looks like the icing on a lemon drizzle cake, just smeared and dripping from everything.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the first field before the exit to the main snow field.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the main snow field. The upper head wall looming above.</td></tr>
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I then took over for the next 200m of steady climbing which brought us to the steep upper ice pitches. Which were formed perfectly. Good thick runnels of ice formed over rock so that you could place rock pro as well as ice. We swapped gear, had some water and food. Then Ben set of up the ice.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself at the belay below the main ice pitches above.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben always with a a smile on his face.</td></tr>
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He was enjoying himself. I knew this cause he was telling me! Then after about 15 minutes into it I heard this high pitched metallic noise, ''TING TING TING''. At first I thought he might have dropped a screw or carabiner, but couldn't see anything flying down the face. Also I didn't here any swearing from Ben which is what usually happens when someone drops a piece of gear in the mountains. So I just presumed it was some piece of ice or rock. Then a few seconds later he shouts out a large naghty word. I immediately ask if he's ok, but he doesn't reply. Instead just quickly puts in an ice screw, clips the rope and shouts 'take'. Once on the rope he tells me that the front bar on his crampons has snapped. Shit!! This is pretty bad I thought. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the main ice pitches before the crampon malfunction.</td></tr>
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I lowered him back to the belay and we set about trying to fix it as best as we could. Ben always amuses me in many different ways, but the one thing I always find funny is how he always has loads and loads of small different bits of cord and tat tied in so many different ways to so many different things. He'll have a knife tied to something with small string, then a knife tied to something else. He always reminds me of a boy scout. Prepared for any eventuality. Not mocking it at all as, well like I say he's prepared for anything. So as he assessed the crampon situation, he sent me rummaging to the bottom of his bag where he knew some cord was lying. He managed to do a really good job of keeping tension on the broken bar and tying it to his crampon, then tying it to<br />
the crampon strap and around his boot for good measure. It also just happened that the cord and tat was fluorescent pink and yellow... Looked fabulous!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben developing the pro model.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mega ice conditions.</td></tr>
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After Ben redesigned his new pro model crampon. I took the gear back as we both agreed it would prob be wiser if I did the rest of the leading in case the crampon didn't hold. Not that I doubted it for a second. The next few hundred meters consisted of a few ice bulges along with some mellow slopes between them. So I climbed a bulge then put a ropeman on a solid piece of gear then carried on to the next bulge where would make a belay. Then do the same again. After the last steepish bulge it was a long slope to the Sans Nom ridge. I had done this ridge in the Spring whilst climbing <a href="http://allyswinton.blogspot.fr/2014/04/naia-aiguille-verte.html" target="_blank">Naia</a>. But there was a lot more snow just now. Luckily a team had topped out on another route before us and had put the track in up to the summit of the Verte.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the Sans Nom ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the final snow arete to the summit of the Verte.</td></tr>
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Like I said in the Naia blog post, the Aiguille Verte is probably one of my favourite summits in the Mt Blanc Massif. This time was probably the best I've ever had it. Maybe the best route I've done to the top of the Verte. Plus there was not a breathe of wind. Sunbathing on the summit in just my Baseline hoodie was pretty special. Especially as we could see big thick clouds rolling over the Jorasses from the Italian side.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilling on't top.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit shot.</td></tr>
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We summited around 5pm. We sat around for a bit to mainly take the weight of our feet, but we also munched on some bread and cheese that Ben brought. Then headed off down the Whymper couloir towards the Courvecle hut, where we enjoyed a few cans of juice that tasted soooo good. After a great night sleep, and waking up at 10am it was down the ladders and Mer de Glace for us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben heading across to the top of the Whymper couloir.</td></tr>
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Was great to finally climb a route on this face. Cheers Ben for a great and entertaing time. Next time maybe have a pair of crampons that stay on the feet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening view whilst approaching the Courvecle hut.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B.O.C pro model...</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-20353035818924325112014-07-26T14:37:00.000-07:002014-07-26T14:37:39.779-07:00T-rad revival. Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After returning from Pabbay & Mingulay my psyche was high. I wanted more of it. I think most of us felt the same after the week away, but maybe one rest day would have been wise. The day after getting off the Islands. Ben, Greg, Dougie and Myself decided to head up to Dunkeld for some sport and trad action. I think we all got on 'Hamish's...' once before regretting our decisions of going up there. Body and mind was still tired.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wee Rab tent has been all around the UK now.</td></tr>
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It's a dangerous thing Trad Climbing. Once you have a good trip, it just leaves you gagging for more. Hell of a come down! I wasn't satisfied, I still wanted more. Luckily for me, Gav (my old man) was heading down to North Wales for 4 days with some friends of his. So I tagged along. What a treat, getting an awesome trip to the Islands and now a trip to Wales.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav at the bottom of 'Old Holborn'.</td></tr>
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We drove down early Thursday morning and was climbing in the Pass by 2pm. The weather was sunny, the rock was dry and the psyche was high. That afternoon we went to Carreg Wastad as it was just across the road from the CC hut where we were staying. I really like the rock and the style of climbing in the Pass. Some of it really felt similar to Glen Clova in Scotland, a place where I've climbed for many years. I teamed up with Gav and we climbed 'Yellow Crack' HVS 5b and'Old Holborn' E1 5b.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav following on 'Old Holborn'.</td></tr>
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The next day we headed up to Dinas Cromlech. I had been in this area 4 years ago, but unfortunately due to bad weather we couldn't climb there so I was really pleased to be walking up to the Crag in perfect weather with perfect dry conditions. To be totally honest when I first got to the crag I was a bit scared. It looked really big, steep and blank. Years ago when I wanted to climb here I was keen to get on 'Lord of the Flies' E6. This time I was thinking of 'Right Wall' E5, but after looking at the wall I was nervous at getting on anything. I first got on the classic 'Cenotaph Corner' E1 5c. It's pretty reasonable up to about 3/4 height to where the crux is, then it gets pumpy and awkward. I was so close to coming off. The one thing that did strike me the whole way up was knowing that Joe Brown and Doug Belshaw climbed this in 1952.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav on 'Cenotaph Corner'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav at the crux on 'Cenotaph Corner'.</td></tr>
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After that I belayed Rab, who is a friend of Gav's, on 'Cemetery Gates' E1 5b. He did amazingly well up to to the crux, which is right at the end of the first pitch. As he was just about to pull over the lip to the ledge I saw him wobbling a bit, before I could shout some encouragement he had peeled off. Suddenly a bit of his protection blew and he was coming down even further towards me. If that wasn't enough the rope had unluckily got wrapped around the back of his leg, which inverted him upside down. He came to a stop after taking about a 20m fall. Shock was floating all around the crag. I lowered him back to the belay and he told me he'd had his fun for today!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rab on 'Cemetery Gates'.</td></tr>
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We chilled out for a bit after Rab's acrobatic act. Then I got on the same route; a) to get back Rab's kit & b) cause the thing looked amazing. Awkward moves pulling onto the ledge that Rab had just narrowly missed out on. I decided to carry on in one long pitch up the 'Grim Jim Finish' E2 5b. Every move just kept making me smile. Right to the very end.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris topping out on 'Cemetery Gates/Grim Jim'.</td></tr>
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After doing the gates, I got on 'Resurrection' E4 6a. Looking up from the bottom I couldn't see any obvious gear placements apart from the crack at the top. I geared up with probably too much kit as I was unsure of what I'd find. Then set off. It traverses in from 'Cenotaph Corner' first. From there I could see a line of holds to start on. From pulling on these I knew the wall had a lot more features and holds than my first thoughts. Again I still did my bad habit of saving gear and not just placing something quickly and moving on. Half way up the wall all I was pulled from my concentration when I heard, ''Alright Ally!''. Taking me by surprise I looked over both shoulders and down to the ground. It wasn't until looking up I saw my friend Will standing at the top of 'Lord of the Flies' area. ''Awrite Will!'' with a smile on my face. Initially I was surprised to see him, but then he does live in Llanberis. Was really funny as we just chatted with each other as I climbed up the wall. I was really pleased that I didn't find the route too bad. I managed to calmly climb through the crux at the top. I really love this vertical technical climbing style.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on 'Resurrection'.</td></tr>
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It was Gav's lead next. We went for an E1 called 'Curfew'. Nice wee route but not the greatest at the crag. By the time we had climbed this it was time to head back to the hut.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the walk in to Cloggy.</td></tr>
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On the Saturday we headed up to Cloggy. This is somewhere that I've wanted to visit for a very long time. I had a cool idea of doing 'Vember' E1, down the descent slab to 'White Slab' E2, then across the top to 'Shrike' E2, then back down the Descent slab to the gear and down for a pub lunch. Knowing that the place was dry and weather was good, what a great day it would be. Seemed that we weren't the only ones who thought coming up to Cloggy on a perfect Saturday was a good idea... We were one of the first teams to arrive at the crag,so we jumped on 'Vember' first. For some reason we didn't click that it might be best to figure out which face will have the sun and when. On the walk in we could see the 'Shrike' warming in the morning sun. This should have been a clue. Anyways Gav started up the first pitch, complaining about cold hands. I followed and then lead the second pitch, also complaining about cold hands. Again, what struck me whilst climbing this route was knowing how long ago Joe Brown & Don Whillians climbed this route for the first time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav starting up Vember.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting at the top of Cloggy.</td></tr>
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We headed down the big Descent ramp towards the 'White Slab' area, which we were hoping to get on but by the time we made it to the route there were a few teams on it. After trying to find a route that was free, we eventually got on 'Great Slab' VS. Mainly cause we wanted to make our way back up to the top so we could head over to do 'Shrike'. The 'Great Slab' was good fun, but would like to come back and get on some of the routes on this wall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some random dude, topping out on 'Shrike'.</td></tr>
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After the 'Great Slab' we sat around in the sun for a bit before making our way over to 'Shrike'. I'd never really heard of this route before coming on this trip, which is probably really bad as it's an absolute classic. It's a bit intimidating abseiling into the area. Like I said earlier we should have done the routes in different order, now 'Shrike' was in the shade and felt pretty chilly. You could do it in one big pitch which would be fun, but thought I'd get a bit of drag from the ropes, so we did it in two. What a route though and what a day. As we reached our gear at the bottom of 'Vember' the whole front wall was glowing this amazing gold colour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav on 'Shrike'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav nearing the top of 'Shrike'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Cloggy in the evening glow.</td></tr>
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''Oohyaa bugger!! Fucking hate nettles!'' I gave a small burst out as making my way up some steep overgrown path. On our last of the four days in Wales we went to Tramadog. Obviously I had heard of the amazing routes and some of the history that has gone here. Mainly the phenomenal line of 'Strawberries' is what I've heard of the most, that and 'Pete's Eats' cafe. I had never been here before. The place is made up of loads of different buttresses along the hillside that are accessed by lots of steep little paths which, maybe due to the time of year, seemed to be very overgrown. The temps were pretty high and probably wasn't the best crag to come to, but we had to sample what the place had to offer. Gav and myself got on one of the classic HVS's called 'The Fang'. He did the first pitch and I did the second. I really like the style of climbing here. Chris, Rab and Choire did a route on the next buttress along, called 'One Step in the Clouds' which they said was amazing. We called it a day after that. Chris and Choire were heading back down to Bath area and we were heading back up to Scotland so thought it'd be wise to head off sooner rather than later to beat the traffic.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on the second pitch of Fang.<br />
Photo; Chris Horobin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav seconding 'Fang'.<br />
Photo; Chris Horobin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav following on the top pitch of 'The Fang'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chorie on 'One Step in the Clouds'.</td></tr>
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After Wales I flew back to Chamonix very briefly for the race weekend. I had entered the Vertical KM, as well as Gav. My Sister had entered the Marathon as well as a few other friends I knew. The morning of the VK race I did the Cosmiques Arete with my mate Colin from Cham, my Brother in Law Paul and mate Danny from home. Colin <a href="http://colinthornton.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://colinthornton.blogspot.co.uk/</a> is a good friend of mine and has been in Cham for the past 5 years. Running is his main passion so has decided to head over to America for a while to run around on their trails for a bit. It was an honour to do one last lap of the Cosmiques Arete with him as this was probably his signature route. To be totally honest the main reason I briefly came back to Cham for this weekend was for Colin's leaving do on the Sunday night after the Marathon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danny on the crux wall of the<br />Cosmiques. </td></tr>
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I did a few wee warm laps on the first slope of the VK race, before it was my turn to leave the starting gate. Gav was set off an hour before me, so was able to cheer him on. I've ran the Vk course many times as it's just out the back from where I stay in Chamonix, but every when it's a race you push yourself that bit harder. I really struggled from about 1/3 height to the top. I hadn't done any running for a few months and also hadn't really been looking after myself in the best way before hand. Was glad to have done it but knew I could do a lot better. Was great to have friends and family cheer me on at the finish line. Then afterwards getting to watch all the top athletes come up was pretty inspirational. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav (green) coming up the top part of the VK.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself struggling up to the finishing line of the VK.<br />Gav, Colin and Woody cheering me on. </td></tr>
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After my brief Chamonix hit, I flew back to Scotland then drove down to the very bottom of England with my folks for my Cousin's wedding. We picked up my Sister and Brother in Law from London then made our way to the New Forest area, where the wedding was held. This was only my second wedding I've been to, but from what I gather you've to get really drunk and have a good time. So that's exactly what I did.... After the wedding a bunch of us all headed along to Cornwall for a few days. I really like the climbing in Cornwall, and would love to do a lot more there. But it's just so far away! On the first day out we went to Bosigrein. Me and Gav climbed the amazing 'Bow Wall' E2. Nice and steady up to this roof where you traverse hard right. Man I was so close to pealing off on the traverse. Really pumpy pulling around and just smears for the feet. Meanwhile a bunch of the others on the trip were on the famous 'Commando Ridge'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on the first pitch of 'Bow Wall'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing the crux on 'Bow wall'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav following on the first pitch of 'Bow wall'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav on the crux of the first pitch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav on the second pitch of 'Bow wall'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susan at the end of 'Commando Ridge'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie at the end of 'Commando Ridge'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commando Ridge'</td></tr>
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The next day we went to a crag called 'Carn Barra' it's just along from Land's End. It took us a bit to find the crag, but luckily saw someone's abb rope so headed straight for it. Once we abbed in we had a look around to see what we fancied. However after talking to the couple that were at the crag we were told that some of the routes were damaged by the winter storms. I'm not just talking about a chip here and there. There was a huge block about the size of a small car gone from the top of 'Crack in the Sky' and was now sitting down at the bottom in the sea. This was a route we wanted to get on. We decided to get on it anyway so Gav got on it. My Uncle Ray was with us so we tied onto a rope each and followed up the route. It was a really good fun route and still felt around E1, which was the original grade of the route. Since it's changed Gav wondered if he could call it a new name, and so dubbed it 'Crack in the Floor'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Uncle Ray at the crux of 'Crack in the Sky/Floor'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gav and Ray having an old boys moment.. (this was not staged!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two happy oldies. ;)</td></tr>
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For some strange reason ever since I moved to Chamonix, 4 years ago, I haven't been climbing as strong as I used to. I don't know if it's because of trying to do different things or sinking into a slight low. But the climbing over the month of June and having such a great time with so many different people has been amazing. It's given me a massive boost to my climbing, and now I want more. Thanks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself topping out on 'Bow Wall'.</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-20239982909286237842014-07-14T04:39:00.001-07:002014-07-14T04:39:43.472-07:00Trad revival. Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cold sweats. Hot temperatures. Delusions. Shaking furiously. A few of the many symptoms I've had since going cold turkey, but I couldn't hold out any longer. I needed my fix so when the offer came up I couldn't help myself, I had to take it. But I didn't want to go through this alone. I needed a friend to do this with me. So I called up 'Ginger' Ben. I knew that he would help me through these dark times and hold my ropes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hi, I'm Ben!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sadie on the 'Gnome'.</td></tr>
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It's been a few years that I've been away from trad climbing in the UK. My favourite style of climbing. So when my mate Greg gave me a shout that there were spaces available on a Pabbay & Mingulay trip I knew I had to go get my fix. I've been to these islands on two separate occasions and both times have been some of the best moments of my life. Ben, who lives in Chamonix also, happened to be in the UK when I asked him about the trip. He had been planning to return to Cham soon, but after showing him a few photos and a quick description of the place i.e. 'you'll climb some of the best routes that you'll ever climb...' all he had to do was drive up to Scotland, bring his chalk bag, rock shoes and harness and we'd sort out the rest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben having a punch up with 'Rat race'.</td></tr>
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I flew back to Scotland at the start of June. A few days earlier, as it was a bit cheaper, but also I wanted to get out a few days on the rock before heading out to the Islands on the Sunday. I had arranged with a few folk to go up to my local venue, Dunkeld, where I hadn't been in a few years. The main route I always do there is 'Hamish's..' F7b+. I have done this route so many times, that it's probably the best way for me to figure out how strong/fit I am, or weak/unfit I am. What I also really love about Dunkeld is that there are really good trad climbs to be done as well as sport routes so we had a group of folk up there on various different routes. What was also quite funny was that 4 of the folk up there were going on the Pabbay & Mingulay trip with me. Was like a wee pre-trip meeting. Like I said 'Hamish's..' is a route I like to do up there so did a few reps on that which was good for the mind. Plus I did a E2, E3 & E4 which was good to get the brain thinking. Was good to see other folk battling with routes as well. Ben had a good grovel with the ubber classic 'Ratrace'. Sadie put in a good fight with the ever fierce 'Marjorie Razorblade'. Even Mr Scotland himself, Gary Latter, got a few hits from 'Squirm Direct'. An all round good day at Dunkeld, topped of with a fine ale at the pub and fish supper from the chippie. Great start to my UK trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sadie on Marjorie Razorblade.</td></tr>
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We were all thinking the same thing, but no one really wanted to ask. Lucky for us though, Greg's Mum has a heart of gold and told us she was making bacon rolls for us before we heading off for the week on the Islands. A bunch of us met up at Greg's place before driving across to Oban for the big ferry to Barra. Due the popularity of the Islands, there is now the tradition of meeting the out-going team that have just spent their previous week enjoying the weird and wacky world that Pabbay and Mingulay create. Climbing on impeccable Hebridean gneiss that has withstood quite a large period of time, being some of the oldest rock on the Planet. Camping on a postcard image island, that definitely gives everyone a bit of clarity to them selves in why they climb and travel the world to these beautiful places. These are only some of the feats that a trip to the Isles offer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">From Ferry to Donald's boat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Loading the duffels on. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gary, Greg, Mike & Myself. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bovvard!</td></tr>
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After meeting and greeting the previous team, it was time for us to board and enjoy these pleasures for our self. Aboard the ferry we enjoyed fish 'n' chips and our last 'sit-down shit' for a week. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mike, Dougie & Ben. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sunset on the way over to<br />Mingulay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My teammates for the trip. Dougie & Ben.</td></tr>
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Most people tend to go Pabbay first and then Mingulay, however as we knew that there were a team of folk on Pabbay already we all thought it'd be nice to have 3 days on Mingulay first to ourselves. So Donald, who has been taking climbers out to these islands for years, dropped us off on the slippery rocks. This made carrying our heavy duffels a bit more exciting. I've been out to these islands on two previous trips and prefer the campsite on Mingulay a lot more as it's dead flat and a lot more open which allows for a breeze to keep the midges away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mingulay campsite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gearing up for the first day of the trip.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Where da party at.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft.</td></tr>
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Most people tend to climb in a pair when they come to the islands but we had a uneven number of people on our team so Ben and myself teamed up with Dougie Russell. He had been to the islands before so knew the score. I had been telling Ben all about these two amazing climbing Meccas. Our first day we headed for Dun Mingulay wall. The abseil in hits everyone at first. You climb down to the edge, clip onto the static and don't touch rock until you arrive at the bottom, 90m below. We climbed two of the classic routes. Sula E2 and Vovage of Faith E3. The thing that always strikes you when climbing out there, is that every hold is a jug.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bit of exposure on the abseil into Dun Mingulay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dougie on 'Sula'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">'Bill' the Razorbill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-98wyIvBo7vE/U8GjAj5kXnI/AAAAAAAACcA/CNsGoULQm90/s1600/P1040731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-98wyIvBo7vE/U8GjAj5kXnI/AAAAAAAACcA/CNsGoULQm90/s1600/P1040731.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dougie giving it big licks on 'Voyage'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Loving the jugs on 'Voyage..'<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor croft.</td></tr>
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Our second day's climbing was delayed slightly due to some rain and low level cloud so we spent the morning fishing. After everyone, apart from Greg, catching a fish we decided to grab our gear and head out climbing. The wonderful thing about the rock there is that it dries instantly. We headed back to the same wall as the day before as there is so much to do on that one wall and also we had stashed our gear there. We climbed ' lobster men'. This route is given E3 and only 2 stars. But I thought it was well worth 3 if not 4 stars and also a bit pumpy and tricky for E3. Still that's not why we climb these things, we climb them because of the positions they put you in and how the make you feel and this route made me feel happy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben doing a spot of fishing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Loving my new wife beater from Rab.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CK7A7Tc2J8g/U8Gjts5oNJI/AAAAAAAACco/18-Egs8kAhc/s1600/P1040758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CK7A7Tc2J8g/U8Gjts5oNJI/AAAAAAAACco/18-Egs8kAhc/s1600/P1040758.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben starting up 'Lobster men'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben Following on 'Lobster Men'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben following on 'Lobster Men'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dougie finishing the crux move on 'Lobster Men'</td></tr>
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Our last day on Mingulay was cut shortish as we were being picked up by Donald who would take us over to Pabbay where we'd spend the rest of our trip. I say it was cut short but we weren't being picked up until 8pm. On the Islands though, that is a early finish. Seen as it doesn't get dark until 1am, there's no excuse to stop early. We headed over to the Boulivard area. This is a really cool venue. More chilled out and relaxed compared to the bigger walls but the climbing is just as good. We climbed a bunch of the E2's and E3's there. The scariest thing about going to this side of the Island is having to deal with the Bonxies. These are huge big Seagulls that swoop and dive bomb you as your walking along. They're trying to protect their nests as they're ground nesting birds. For some reason they just don't understand that we don't want their nests. We wanna go climbing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Karren Latter climbing at the Boulevard. </td></tr>
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After our days climbing we headed back over to the campsite waiting to be picked up. A team was being dropped off as we were being picked up, with whom we exchanged a few words with about what we got done. It was then we were told that there was gonna be some foul weather the following day. Being that there is no mobile phone signal, which is great, you can't get daily updates of what the weather is doing. We said cheerio and were then off to Pabbay.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Puffer fish.</td></tr>
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That bad weather struck through the night and lashed down for the whole morning. It took a while before you heard the first people rustling out of sleeping bags and then the unzipping of their tents. I poked my head out to say hello, but very swiftly was back in my bag reading my book. Out of 3 trips to these Islands, this was the first full bad weather day. Around mid day a few folk gathered their kit and headed up the hill to try get some climbing done. I thought about going as well, for a minute.. Think they were gone for an hour max. On their return we decided the best way to spend the day was cards, biscuits and Buckfast.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCNT2fSwHb0/U8Gk0-IQp5I/AAAAAAAACdg/-v3ZSuytfEo/s1600/P1040826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCNT2fSwHb0/U8Gk0-IQp5I/AAAAAAAACdg/-v3ZSuytfEo/s1600/P1040826.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Room with a view.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RXnDRjOnLU/U8GkoOeAVSI/AAAAAAAACdQ/Zqjz9vOSOMc/s1600/P1040823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RXnDRjOnLU/U8GkoOeAVSI/AAAAAAAACdQ/Zqjz9vOSOMc/s1600/P1040823.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My room for the week.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzgIfrRGQM8/U8GgW8xWySI/AAAAAAAACZw/ebCnAg3KOSs/s1600/P1030913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzgIfrRGQM8/U8GgW8xWySI/AAAAAAAACZw/ebCnAg3KOSs/s1600/P1030913.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Is it still wet out there?<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Morning! </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_RNox_sTsw/U8GgVN5xkLI/AAAAAAAACZo/HuqOirMz-E4/s1600/P1030896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_RNox_sTsw/U8GgVN5xkLI/AAAAAAAACZo/HuqOirMz-E4/s1600/P1030896.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Cards, creams and Buckie.</td></tr>
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It's a weird feeling that sinks into you when your woken up by that noise that sounds almost metallic. Soothing when it's just tapping on the skin of the tent but when it pours and batters the walls, it makes you wonder if it's gonna rip through. You knew how everyone was feeling even though we hadn't spoke a word to each other yet. Gutted of the thought of spending another day in the tents. The rain did stop around midday, but the clouds stuck around which held the moisture in. It's funny how you start doing one thing and then just leads to another. Before you know it your rolling down the hill inside a barrel. We started off just playing some Frisbee on the beach, then found some buoys lying around. Soon we were digging netting and other items out from the sand. Then we found a barrel sub-merged in the sand. Took us a while but when when it was out, the fun began. First we tried to bob around in the sea, then as a sort of capsule and then I got inside for a wee roller coaster ride. Ah the fun we had.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-IglIkjxvI/U8Ggv2qqV4I/AAAAAAAACZ4/9XdWhgTAALQ/s1600/P1030915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-IglIkjxvI/U8Ggv2qqV4I/AAAAAAAACZ4/9XdWhgTAALQ/s1600/P1030915.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Myself bobbing about in my barrel.<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft.</td></tr>
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After these shenanigans we decided to head out climbing. The conditions weren't great but like I said earlier. the rock dries really quick. We thought the best option would be to head for 'Sugar Cane Country' probably one of the best E4's in the UK. Mike hadn't lead it before so got on it first then Dougie got on it next. He hadn't onsighted E4 before so was keen to give it ago. He cruised the thing and was so pleased to have got his first E4.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hmmmmm...</td></tr>
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The next day was still a bit damp, due to the amount of water that had fallen. So we headed down to the Poop Deck. Single pitch, range of different grades, easy access and being able to chill out around the bottom probably makes this the friendliest venue of the two Islands. We climbed a few of the classic E2's to get going then Doogie went for a blast on Notorious 'B.I.G', a stiff E3 that has a powerful roof section. Unfortunately he was denied. Ben then pulled his ropes and mange to climb the thing. I was unsure what to get on. I felt fine on E2's and ok on E3's. Doogie said I had to get on something that would push me so I went for 'Thursday's Setting Sunrise' E5 6a. It has an exciting start where you have to climb out over a big pool of water then it climbs up these large cracks and breaks. Quite a powerful move from a finger lock to a jug. Unfortunately due to the cracks and rock being pretty smeggy from all the wet weather I struggled up it and didn't climb it clean. Even though it wasn't in great condition I couldn't get over how good the climbing was. There were a few new faces at the crag as well, as a new team had arrived the night before. Adam who had belayed his partner on the mega classic 'The Raven' E5, which is right next to the route I was trying, was keen to try the thing I was on as well. Sadly he was also shut down due to the greasy cracks. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3azGBRdkEjg/U8GlG6lBE3I/AAAAAAAACdo/voWTZU2it7Y/s1600/P1040845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3azGBRdkEjg/U8GlG6lBE3I/AAAAAAAACdo/voWTZU2it7Y/s1600/P1040845.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Tricked Ben into telling him that<br />there was a huge jug just over<br />the lip. Hee Hee. </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eq19JD6EMzs/U8GlV3G9l4I/AAAAAAAACd4/nuxWVtjXlFk/s1600/P1040850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eq19JD6EMzs/U8GlV3G9l4I/AAAAAAAACd4/nuxWVtjXlFk/s1600/P1040850.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben starting up 'Notorious B.I.G'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-owo2Wfvsguc/U8GlnR0JW_I/AAAAAAAACeI/JVpFexFwfBs/s1600/P1040866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-owo2Wfvsguc/U8GlnR0JW_I/AAAAAAAACeI/JVpFexFwfBs/s1600/P1040866.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben above the crux roof on 'Notorious B.I.G.'</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8PVe5JJnCUw/U8GgyPeG5sI/AAAAAAAACaI/LJo5up4H3BY/s1600/P1040026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8PVe5JJnCUw/U8GgyPeG5sI/AAAAAAAACaI/LJo5up4H3BY/s1600/P1040026.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Island is starting to get busy now.. Adam on the ubber classic 'Raven'. Myself on 'Thursday's Setting Sunrise'<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft.</td></tr>
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I knew I wasn't climbing at my best but I felt quite strong and wanted to see what I could push myself a bit more on. A route that I was keen to get on was 'In Profundum Lacu' E5 6a. I had seconded it years ago but couldn't actually remember anything about it, so I was going for the Alzheimer flash. This was to be our last day of climbing as Donald was picking us up early the next morning so I really want to make the most of the day. We headed up to the pink walls, which are probably the main event of Pabbay. Huge big 90m that looms over the sea. I've climbed quite a few routes on this wall, but the quality always strikes me when on it. There were a few other teams on the wall, which is something that I love about it. You can be trying hard and the person on the route along from you starts shouting encouragement until your through your crux, then you do the same for them. Who knew an uninhabited island could be so sociable.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqj2gxDvZ_E/U8GmGaReezI/AAAAAAAACeY/RMen1kBBx3M/s1600/P1040898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqj2gxDvZ_E/U8GmGaReezI/AAAAAAAACeY/RMen1kBBx3M/s1600/P1040898.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Lovely view for the start of the day.</td></tr>
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Hmmm... Here or there? What size? Cam would be quicker but would like to keep them for higher up. Should I extend it? So many questions in just a few metres of starting up 'In Profundum..' That's the one thing I find awkward about climbing on these walls. You have to be quick and decisive with the gear. As there are so many choices . You couldn't actually take enough gear to lace a route. I was quite pleased with how I performed on the route. Climbed steadily away and didn't get too pumped.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oR9467xIkPk/U8GmIZ-sR8I/AAAAAAAACeg/t80zkLbSXN8/s1600/P1040909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oR9467xIkPk/U8GmIZ-sR8I/AAAAAAAACeg/t80zkLbSXN8/s1600/P1040909.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben seams pretty pleased with what the Pink walls had to Offer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UHs-AddA4Wg/U8GmbnNJ8KI/AAAAAAAACew/h9QEZ_cSwqU/s1600/P1040916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UHs-AddA4Wg/U8GmbnNJ8KI/AAAAAAAACew/h9QEZ_cSwqU/s1600/P1040916.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Doogie wasney keen on the local Burds.</td></tr>
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The sun was beating down on us by this point. Ben was kind enough to lube me up so I didn't get burnt from wearing my new prototype wife beater from Rab. After climbing on the Pink we all heading down to the Banded wall area to join the crowds. Now that there were three teams on the Island things were starting to get busy at the crags. Bit rubbish that you come all this way to have the place to yourself but then have to queue for the routes. This just meant we had to lie around for a while in the sun. Ben and I went for 'Endolphin Rush'. A mega E3 which is just covered in yet more jugs. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gtDTBsyAg-8/U8GmcdqgSVI/AAAAAAAACe0/gpPiAv-RFqQ/s1600/P1040945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gtDTBsyAg-8/U8GmcdqgSVI/AAAAAAAACe0/gpPiAv-RFqQ/s1600/P1040945.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ben belaying and Myself hanging ot on the 2nd pitch of <br />Endolphin rush.</td></tr>
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After 'Endolphin Rush' we headed over to the Poop Deck again to finish the day and the trip off. Greg and Mike were on 'Thursday's Setting Sunrise'. The E5 I was on the day before and told them that if it was dry, they should get on it. As we abbed into the Poop Greg had just climbed through the crux. I was pleased to here that the cracks and rock was dry. After watching Greg do it and then Mike pulling the ropes to go for the flash. I was also keen to get back on it. With nothing to loose as it being the last route of the last day, I decided to go for it. The difference from the day before was amazing. Friction on the rock was sooo good. I just went into auto pilot and felt that I cruised the thing. Looking out into that vastness of water and watching the sun slowly come to its end was a pretty good feeling. What an awesome day. From thinking that I'd be happy to climb an E3 on the trip, to climbing two E5's in a day. I couldn't have done this without being on 'Team Awesome'. Cheers lads.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Not too bad a walk back to the campsite.</td></tr>
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It was sad hearing about and seeing so many people on the Islands and at the same time. Nothing at all against the folk. I knew a bunch of them before this trip and some are my best mates that I've known for a while. However these are small and very special Islands. Climbers paradise you could say. But like all things in this world everyone wants a taste, which is only fair. After all no one deserves to be there more than anyone else (except me) but I do feel some sort of restriction needs to be put in place. The easiest way I could think of would be that there can only be one team on an island at a time.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CHFyi-I_o2s/U8GhGbxAKoI/AAAAAAAACaQ/g6sbeI0aNiE/s1600/P1040054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CHFyi-I_o2s/U8GhGbxAKoI/AAAAAAAACaQ/g6sbeI0aNiE/s1600/P1040054.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Pabby Fest...!<br />Photo; Ben O'Connor Croft.</td></tr>
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Gary Latter, one of the most prolific Scottish rock climbers around. Old but still cranking hard and keen as ever. It was great having him on our trip. He had done a load of the classic first assents on these Islands. It had been a while since his last trip but I was keen to ask him what changes he had noticed. He said that the biggest thing that struck him now was the amount of paths everywhere. He said that when he was first coming here, there were no paths but now there are paths everywhere.<br />
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Anyways enough of the downer stuff. Pabbay and Mingulay are two of the most beautiful places I've ever been. If you love trad climbing and fancy an adventure then go but just try look after the place.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d5MqjdGR3X8/U8GmPZ_BafI/AAAAAAAACeo/Wb1Lti-__WE/s1600/P1040914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d5MqjdGR3X8/U8GmPZ_BafI/AAAAAAAACeo/Wb1Lti-__WE/s1600/P1040914.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">'Team Awesome' Ben, Myself & Doogie.</td></tr>
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Yet another amazing trip to the Islands. Thanks to everyone on the whole team. Big thanks to Doogie and Ben for the laughs on the belays. Next year boys? I'm game.Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-37956275790755757622014-04-14T14:36:00.000-07:002014-05-09T14:42:20.361-07:00Naia - Aiguille Verte<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jihHmENiIgE/U2qeGeeoFfI/AAAAAAAACUo/Us-PERXa-VQ/s1600/1973537_768476763197538_328822357_o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jihHmENiIgE/U2qeGeeoFfI/AAAAAAAACUo/Us-PERXa-VQ/s1600/1973537_768476763197538_328822357_o.jpeg" height="278" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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After a week's work... I know right! A whole week's work. Probably my first full week in 3 years. Please don't hate me! Jon phoned me up to see if I'd be keen for a quick hit on Naia. I was heading back to Scotland for my Sister's wedding in three days time. So I hadn't really planned for any climbing trips into the hills. After a quick discussion I realised I could do the route, have a nights sleep then fly home. Which is exactly what happened.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the hut.</td></tr>
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It's a route I had known for a few years, but just never really got around to actually doing it. It's a hidden couloir/gully line on the Aiguille Verte, that is situated at the back of the Charpoua basin next to the more familiar Y Couloir.. It's an ideal rote to do as a big single push in winter, as you can climb it with skis on your back. Allowing you a much faster approach and descent. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lu3vB9ENSTI/U2qeaKgo01I/AAAAAAAACUw/girY1iTl_Sg/s1600/P1040179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lu3vB9ENSTI/U2qeaKgo01I/AAAAAAAACUw/girY1iTl_Sg/s1600/P1040179.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hmmm...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GdvNQR-xhOI/U2qghGQOb0I/AAAAAAAACWo/ImVVPHZ0Tj4/s1600/P3300050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GdvNQR-xhOI/U2qghGQOb0I/AAAAAAAACWo/ImVVPHZ0Tj4/s1600/P3300050.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not cheating... Honest!<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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We headed up to the Chapeau hut on the Sunday. I'd only been at this hut when I walked past it years after climbing the Dru. So was cool to actually come and stay in this very pleasant hut. Apparently the Guardian is meant to be a real gem... (little pun there for anyone who knows the dude)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning brewing.</td></tr>
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We set the alarms for 4am. Then after some food and warm drinks we set off on our skis to the base of the route. Annoyingly the snow pack was really hard, so the skins were slipping a lot. We tried to boot pack a few times, but the hard layer wasn't enough to hold body weight. So it took us a bit longer than we hoped to get to the start of the route. Nevertheless we got to there and swapped the skis for crampons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BVKqonRcNT8/U2qexwO-gqI/AAAAAAAACVI/UaVn-f3QH-s/s1600/P1040193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BVKqonRcNT8/U2qexwO-gqI/AAAAAAAACVI/UaVn-f3QH-s/s1600/P1040193.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swapping from skis to crampons.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vamCid6zCEM/U2qgmLV28JI/AAAAAAAACW4/DOgk8XYsBIA/s1600/P3310131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vamCid6zCEM/U2qgmLV28JI/AAAAAAAACW4/DOgk8XYsBIA/s1600/P3310131.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the bergshrund.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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I set off first over the bergshrund and then continuing up the first few ice bulges. Some of the ice was good, but the majority was quite brittle and detached in places. Which was a sharp wake up call first thing in the morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vRATnDjzjNk/U2qgqZ7-aaI/AAAAAAAACXA/iW5Jw959Slk/s1600/P3310145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vRATnDjzjNk/U2qgqZ7-aaI/AAAAAAAACXA/iW5Jw959Slk/s1600/P3310145.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself on the first main pitch after the bergshrund.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon starting up the main part of the Couloir, after the first ice pitches. </td></tr>
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After the first ice bulges you turn the corner and have a lot of easy ground up to the upper ice pitches. So we took the rope off and made our way up. Each of us taking turns at breaking trail and also getting some shots of each other.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ELKkalxuB0/U2qgvV19zUI/AAAAAAAACXI/iLfz9saag1c/s1600/P3310165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ELKkalxuB0/U2qgvV19zUI/AAAAAAAACXI/iLfz9saag1c/s1600/P3310165.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0Uo_Xt446I/U2qgx0Gp3hI/AAAAAAAACXQ/QWyZ50Yg6_8/s1600/P3310221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0Uo_Xt446I/U2qgx0Gp3hI/AAAAAAAACXQ/QWyZ50Yg6_8/s1600/P3310221.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such an atmospheric place.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_I0KzG5X2qc/U2qe4tQeTtI/AAAAAAAACVQ/U6x7kRjjI00/s1600/P1040210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_I0KzG5X2qc/U2qe4tQeTtI/AAAAAAAACVQ/U6x7kRjjI00/s1600/P1040210.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon nearing the end of the gully before the ice pitches.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QjOxMgrhwvY/U2qg5rZbvPI/AAAAAAAACXg/OrgqMX7Z85c/s1600/P3310282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QjOxMgrhwvY/U2qg5rZbvPI/AAAAAAAACXg/OrgqMX7Z85c/s1600/P3310282.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">''Steck-ing it'' I wish!!<br />
Photo; Jon Griffth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffth</td></tr>
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At the end of the gully there is two ice pitches to climb. We were surprised to find that these pitches weren't in great conditions. There wasn't much ice around and what was there, was very black and brittle. We only took a small rack of 4 screws and 3 cams. This seemed to be enough for the route. Jon led both of the pitches, which I was more than happy about as I got to just hook and pull into his axe placements.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon on the first of the upper two crux pitches.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ggy5AnCHSxk/U2qfeLAkS6I/AAAAAAAACVw/BHAnyFLSOiI/s1600/P1040235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ggy5AnCHSxk/U2qfeLAkS6I/AAAAAAAACVw/BHAnyFLSOiI/s1600/P1040235.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not in the best of conditions but still great fun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-7tp-KAYyE/U2qhBT3s_7I/AAAAAAAACXw/KRpzcgYHQzo/s1600/P3310325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-7tp-KAYyE/U2qhBT3s_7I/AAAAAAAACXw/KRpzcgYHQzo/s1600/P3310325.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exiting the first chimney pitch.<br />
Photo: Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TZhvFwJRj30/U2qfr4LH9iI/AAAAAAAACV4/19Oyj2OUJxI/s1600/P1040251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TZhvFwJRj30/U2qfr4LH9iI/AAAAAAAACV4/19Oyj2OUJxI/s1600/P1040251.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon got cranky at his skis here... </td></tr>
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the second pitch of the two is probably the crux pitch. It isn't too bad though. More awkward than anything else. There is a chimney of ice at the start then an upper bulge. The chimney was a bit awkward with the skis on the back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DD5a2vX3pMU/U2qf4d8PSiI/AAAAAAAACWA/UUD5LXaClmQ/s1600/P1040255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DD5a2vX3pMU/U2qf4d8PSiI/AAAAAAAACWA/UUD5LXaClmQ/s1600/P1040255.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So he ditched them!</td></tr>
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There is then a few more snow slopes after the two ice pitches. But you can easily and safely climb together on these. Unfortunately by the time i was climbing the upper slopes where it reaches a col, the sun had started to soften the snow. So this made for some slow progress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4cmmEl5srbE/U2qhHC_fNsI/AAAAAAAACX8/PsFtq4CVmwo/s1600/P3310368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4cmmEl5srbE/U2qhHC_fNsI/AAAAAAAACX8/PsFtq4CVmwo/s1600/P3310368.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself starting up the exit slopes. </td></tr>
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Once at the col the views were pretty spectacular. Our idea at the start was to try and make it back to Montenvers for the last train down, but at this point we knew that wasn't happening. So all we could do was just take our time and enjoy this amazing situation we were in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OmJAn8u69TM/U2qf-LskBiI/AAAAAAAACWI/A9NScLuRL4E/s1600/P1040264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OmJAn8u69TM/U2qf-LskBiI/AAAAAAAACWI/A9NScLuRL4E/s1600/P1040264.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the end of the main line. Now just the ridge up to the Verte.</td></tr>
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From the col there is a few sections of gendarmes. Some of these were a bit of a pain with the skis on the back. Once on the upper snow arete of the Sans Nom, you have to go over Pointe Croux. There is a small abseil point at the end of it. Then from there you just have to finish up the large snow ridge to the summit of the Verte.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_5VyaHokHeM/U2qhG2flrrI/AAAAAAAACX4/c9tCRLZao4g/s1600/P3310406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_5VyaHokHeM/U2qhG2flrrI/AAAAAAAACX4/c9tCRLZao4g/s1600/P3310406.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eHQ4DSNdd00/U2qhMHM8aoI/AAAAAAAACYI/KX4MLSJ42-M/s1600/P3310425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eHQ4DSNdd00/U2qhMHM8aoI/AAAAAAAACYI/KX4MLSJ42-M/s1600/P3310425.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wWnmRX4XL_8/U2qgkp2p12I/AAAAAAAACWw/QKGeEqaNgg4/s1600/P1040320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wWnmRX4XL_8/U2qgkp2p12I/AAAAAAAACWw/QKGeEqaNgg4/s1600/P1040320.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last slopes to the Verte's summit. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2KejVBzm8I/U2qhb90wKZI/AAAAAAAACY0/ij6YpGqd2Ps/s1600/topverte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2KejVBzm8I/U2qhb90wKZI/AAAAAAAACY0/ij6YpGqd2Ps/s1600/topverte.jpg" height="286" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Verte must be one of the best summits in the Massiff.<br />
Photo: Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DL4JtiVQgl0/U2qhRLel41I/AAAAAAAACYQ/qFft3-vasUQ/s1600/P3310538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DL4JtiVQgl0/U2qhRLel41I/AAAAAAAACYQ/qFft3-vasUQ/s1600/P3310538.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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The Aguille Verte is probably my favorite summit in the Mt Blanc massiff. It's a big proper mountain that has to be climbed by a big route, which ever way you go, to get to the top of it. This was my 3rd time up there and I'm sure I'll be up again a few more times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R6lofQXSLCs/U2qhTjm05FI/AAAAAAAACYY/Jl9vdccXfDM/s1600/P3310573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R6lofQXSLCs/U2qhTjm05FI/AAAAAAAACYY/Jl9vdccXfDM/s1600/P3310573.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit shot.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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We descended down via the Whymper couloir. It was pretty hot whilst in the Whyper, so we down climbed as quick as we could to get off there. Once at the bottom we clipped back into our skis and made our way back to Chamonix. Just before skiining down the james bond track, I got a call from a worried Sister who had been trying to get in touch with me regards to flying home. I told her everything was cool, and that I'll make it to the wedding. Awesome day out, and would love to do a few more of these trips.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And down we go.<br />
Photo; Jon Griffith</td></tr>
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<br />
Here's a link to Jon's site on the same story. A few different pics. ; <a href="http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions/13415625-naia-aiguille-verte" target="_blank">http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions/13415625-naia-aiguille-verte</a><br />
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-50477692899043938732014-01-28T12:19:00.001-08:002014-01-28T12:19:07.668-08:00You stay classy Patagonia!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<o:p> </o:p>After feeling my neck and shoulders being torn apart from my
rucksack shoulder straps, due to carrying yet another hefty load, I’m unsure
whether I’m happy or sad that I won’t be walking into these hills again… We’ve
been very un-fortunate with the weather in Patagonia this season, but
nevertheless it’s been an amazing trip that I won’t forget. The scenery here is
absolutely breath taking. It, sometimes, takes your mind away from the big walk ins and
heavy bags. We didn’t get any of the big ticks we were
hoping for, but I’m just so grateful that I got the chance to come and see
these mountains that I’ve heard so much about.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben & Myself at the Paso Superior col. <br />Photo - Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East face of Aguja Mermoz & Aguja Guillaumet.<br />Photo - Calum Muskett </td></tr>
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Over the past two weeks we’ve been into the mountains twice and
had to retreat from the same spot on both occasions. Which was quite hard to
swallow. Last week we all headed up to Paso superior. We aimed to camp at the
col itself, but when we arrived at the bottom of the large glacier slope you
have to climb to reach the col. It was already way too hot to safely walk up
it. So instead we camped down next to the lake. This meant an extra 1.5hrs walk
up in the morning, which is something we later regretted due to it soaking up a
lot of our energy. The morning we headed up was absolutely stunning. There was
a full moon out that lighted the way ahead for of us, no wind and quite a cool
air. At this point last week Dave and Calum were trying to decided whether to
go free climbing on Poincenot or mixed climbing on Mermoz. When we reached the
basin below the Fitz Roy massif, they had to make their choice. They went for
Mermoz as things were a bit cold and snowy. We all headed over to the base of
Mermoz. The plan was that Dave & Calum would go for a new line. Whilst Ben
& myself would head up Jardines Japoneses. A route to the right of their
line that climbs a gully and would exit just above their proposed line. Then
Ben and I would abb in from above them to get some footage of they guys
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself & Ben walking into Mermoz.<br />Photo - Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben seconding the 2nd (loose) pitch on Jardies Japoneses.<br />Photo - Ally Swinton</td></tr>
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When we reached the base of our route it was around 8am, and
already the sun was feeling pretty strong. The snow that had fallen the night
before was already starting to feel quite soft and sticky. I lead over the
bergshrund and did a small rock pitch diagonally up rightwards, and then I
brought Ben up. I lead another pitch out right over this very loose terrain,
that had some big blocks that weren’t attached by much. When I reached the next
belay I was starting to get showered by snow & ice that was being melted
from high up on the face above us. Once Ben came over to the belay, more snow
& ice was fallen down on us. Straight away we knew this wasn’t a great
place to be. We decided the safest thing to do was get out of there. So we
traversed back out and made two raps back down. Once we were back down at the
bottom, we had a look around to see if we could salvage the day, but the
problem was that to access all the routes you have to climb up steep snow
slopes. Which is not the most ideal thing to do in the heat of the day. We
watched Dave & Cal on their route. It looked a lot harder now that I could
see someone on the line to give a sense of scale. Unfortunately they didn’t
manage to finish of their line due to a lack of gear to be able to climb the
final pitch safely, so they chose to bail also and would aim to come back for
it later. After watching them and get some footage of them from a far, we
decided just to head back down to the lake. This was the first hard piece of
bailing we had to chew on…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room for the night.<br />Photo - Ben Winston</td></tr>
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The next week we all decided to go for round two on the
Mermoz. The weather was a lot colder and snowier. This gave us a lot more hope
for getting up some mixed route safely. This also allowed for a safe hike up to
Paso Superiour where we put our tent up for the night. The weather looked very
gloomy over the mountains when we climbed into our tent. Then not long after
zipping the door up and climbing into the sleeping bags the snow started to lie
upon the skin of the tent. We woke the next morning to find it was still
snowing. We roped up and headed across the basin to Mermoz. By this time we
were breaking through 8 inches of fresh powder. All I could think of was skiing
the stuff. Not many words were spoken whilst we geared up. We decided to go for
the same tactics again. Dave & Cal were going to finish of their line,
whilst Ben & myself climb around and above them. I tied onto the end of a
rope and started breaking trail up the approach slope. I just crossed the
bergshrund when I heard them 3 shouting up to me. They were concerned about the
amount of snow that was now pouring down the faces we’d be climbing up. I was
amazed at the timing in which they decided to bring this concern into
discussion! So now I had to down climb back down over the bergshrund, which
wasn’t helped by the heckles from them lot telling me just to jump the thing.
That wasn’t happening unless I was on skis. I fucking hate bergshrunds! After
joining them lot back at the bottom of the slope we decided that it’s probably
not the wisest thing to do. We knew the sun was going to come out a bit later
on, but that wouldn’t help matters at all. There would be all this fresh snow
above us that would be getting warmed up in the sun and would eventually slide
down onto us. Dave decided to head back to Paso whilst Ben, Calum and myself
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Think I might need to work on my technique!<br />Photo - Ben Winston</td></tr>
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Walking away from Mermoz this time was an even bigger bit of
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>meat to chew and swallow. As we knew
that this would be our last venture into these mountains on this trip. It was
sad and hard to walk away but even when we got back to Paso Superiour there
were a lot of people who had bailed from their objectives due to too much snow.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up the slopes to the base of Mermoz.<br />Photo - Ben Winston</td></tr>
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I’d like to say a huge thank you to Rab, otherwise there was
no way I would have been here. They have helped me out so much over the past 3 years that I've been with them. They've allowed me
to visit some of the coolest places I’ve been to. I’d also like to say a
big thank you to Zamberlan for helping Ben, Calum & myself out with
footwear for this trip. Also a big thanks goes to Cliffbar & Extreme adventure foods for suppling the team
with bars and dehydrated meals to keep us fuelled in the hills.</div>
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I would most definitely come back to Patagonia. Everyone is so lovely here and very welcoming, and there is just so much to do. If and when I do return I think I'd either come for a few months, to allow for many weather windows in case the weather was bad. Or I would keep an eye on the weather from back home and if the season looked like it was going well I'd book last minute flights. Which could be a bit more expensive, but could prove to be a more productive trip. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben making sure he gets a sufficient protein intake.</td></tr>
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I’ve learnt a lot from this trip, from the mountains, the people I’ve been here with and the folk I met along the way. We finished of the end of the trip with the un-finished business we had with the chocolateria, waffleria and the steak house.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Alfajores from the legendary La Chocolateria</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-73009411474352992042014-01-15T13:17:00.000-08:002014-01-15T13:48:24.575-08:00Playing it by ear.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Obviously the main objective for the trip is Cerro torre. But like most climbing trips around the world you have to play it by ear and go with what the weather dictates. Patagonia especially! Since my last post there hasn’t been much action in the mountains due to a lot of cold & snowy weather. Most locals are saying that this is a pretty poor season. So this hindered our thoughts of doing any free climbing on rock routes. We thought it’d make more sense to go mixed climbing instead. Seeing that there was going to be a days weather window on Friday, we headed up on Thursday morning to bivvy on Piedra Negra.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Woody' woodpecker having a good old peck.</td></tr>
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The plan was to head up on Thursday morning to Piedra Negra, dump the bivvy kit there, then carry on up to the col and have a look at how conditions were on the faces and stash our climbing gear at the col, then head back down to the bivvy for some food and sleep. However, like I said earlier you have to play it by ear in the mountains. On the walk in, the weather was pretty grim. Huge gusts kept trying to push us over, whilst the sleet and rain was nipping away at our faces. The snow line was down below the actual Piedra Negra bivvy site, and as we weren’t using tents, we weren’t stuck on the idea of spending the night in the snow whilst it’s still falling and getting blown in our teacups. So instead we stayed in some boulders about 300m below the actual Piedra Negra site. We were still getting a lot of wind, sleet and snow blowing around us. But all was about to change after Ben and I made our bivvy spot. Anyone who has been up to the bivvy site at the bottom of the north face of the Dru will be able to imagine what we built. It’s a huge bolder that had this deep but low overhang on it. We dug out a lot of the dirt from inside and then built a wall around the edges. The thing was mint. Dave and Calum tried to improve their very basic open bivvy spot, but it was no match to ours. We did invite them over for a cuppa at least but only if they wiped their feet before entering!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben, Dave and me chilling in the Swinston Bivvy.</td></tr>
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The morning alarms went off at 4am, and we were off by 5am after a few snoozes. The morning greeted us with these spectacular views (see the top picture), which was quite nice after walking in without any views to look at. It took us about 2hours to get up to Paso Guillaumet (col). We geared up there and ditched some of the extra gear we wouldn’t be needing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave & I checking the guide to see whats not been done. Our line took the<br />
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Photo - Calum Muskett.</td></tr>
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Originally we thought about heading around to the South side of the Mermoz, but Calum and Dave were ahead and felt the slopes to get to the face were a bit suspect due to the load of fresh snow that was blown in the night before. So we decided to turn our attentions to the south-east face of Guillaumet. After a quick swatch at the guide to see what was what, we looked at a few possible new lines we could go for. Dave and Calum decided to go for something on the right hand buttress. So to get, what we thought, the best views of they boys to film something we went on a buttress over to the left. The most obvious line on the buttress was this deep cut chimney that continuously went straight up the crag. Unfortunately the line that Dave and Calum took was just out of sight from us, so we didn’t get any great footage. There wasn’t much more we could do apart from continue with our route and enjoy the thing.</div>
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We were pretty sure what we climbed was a new route, but did find a small piece of tat that we are pretty sure is abb tat. Never the less it was a great route. Felt like a proper Scottish winter route. Something in the cairngorms. Scratching around to find placements, chipping out iced up cracks to place protection and getting a load of spindrift dumped on you every so often. It was four pitches long and I would say it was about Scottish VI, 6 over all. The gear was pretty good, but some awkward and thuggy moves. Especially in the final pitch which finished with a full on chimney section. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me starting out on the 1st pitch V, 5.<br />
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Photo - Ben Winston.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the 2nd pitch V, 6.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIJ5VAHQNRc/UtWiSBT8InI/AAAAAAAACNA/jTEJDvgIz7o/s1600/P1080980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIJ5VAHQNRc/UtWiSBT8InI/AAAAAAAACNA/jTEJDvgIz7o/s640/P1080980.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben and me on our route. Me just through the crux<br />
on the 3rd pitch IV, 5. <br />
<br />
Photo - Calum Muskett</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcjbg8lsDlw/UtXuRTJD-qI/AAAAAAAACNY/DkeqpA8zFyg/s1600/P1030593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcjbg8lsDlw/UtXuRTJD-qI/AAAAAAAACNY/DkeqpA8zFyg/s640/P1030593.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben on the last pitch. The crux of the route is<br />
the chimney above V, 6.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Dave and Calum’s route looked amazing. We’re pretty sure it
was a first ascent as well, or first winter ascent of a summer line. Either way they
said they still had an epic time and really enjoyed it. They reckon what they
did was about Scottish VIII, 8. You can read their accounts here;<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
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Dave – <a href="http://davemacleod.blogspot.com.ar/" target="_blank">http://davemacleod.blogspot.com.ar</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Calum - <a href="http://www.muskettmountaineering.co.uk/2014/01/go-with-the-flow/" target="_blank">http://www.muskettmountaineering.co.uk/2014/01/go-with-the-flow/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Fingers crossed for some finer weather weather soon. Hopefully we can get on some rock next time.</div>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-15467208793270513372014-01-06T09:21:00.003-08:002014-01-06T21:01:27.914-08:00Patagonia, Mojon Rojo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yyviJsJXxI/Ustok86hgxI/AAAAAAAACLM/W8NFmEzUeP0/s1600/IMG_1150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yyviJsJXxI/Ustok86hgxI/AAAAAAAACLM/W8NFmEzUeP0/s1600/IMG_1150.jpg" height="410" width="640" /></a></div>
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So after our exciting flights and travels to get here, I am
finally writing from Patagonia. There were a few moments along the way that I
was un-sure I’d make it here due to delayed flights, and almost missing a
connecting flight where we had to travel from one airport to another. But now
that I am here I can relax, or so I thought…<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m over here until the end of January with Calum Muskett,
Dave Macloed and Ben Winston. Mostly this trip is about Calum and Dave free
climbing Cerro Torre. Ben Winston is going to film and photograph them, and I’m
along to be Ben’s climbing partner for the project. I’ve also got a bunch of
photo shoot stuff to do for Rab and Zamberlan, because as we all know
Patagonia’s weather isn’t renowned for it’s perfect blue bird days with a cool summer
breeze. It’s more commonly known for being windy, but windy would be a dramatic
understatement for here. So at least we’ll get a load of images for these
companies who have so graciously invested in this trip. You could say it’s a
month of work, but I think a lot of people would have a go at me for calling it
‘work’. Hopefully if we get a load of this ‘work’ out off the way soon, we can
get to climb a few things for ourselves. No matter what happens on this trip,
I’m just pretty stoked to be here and see this part of the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Eai27U03Q/Ust0fcgLqrI/AAAAAAAACL0/hBtPHCf_cLA/s1600/P1030313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8Eai27U03Q/Ust0fcgLqrI/AAAAAAAACL0/hBtPHCf_cLA/s1600/P1030313.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The in-flight entertainment was amazing!</td></tr>
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After 2 days of full travelling we arrived in El Chalten on
Wednesday night to discover that there was a good day of weather the next day.
So Ben and myself decided to head up for a small peak called Mojon Rojo, and do
some photo shoot stuff up there. Then we would at least have something in the
bag at the start of the trip. This route is a perfect alpine peak for someone
who is new to climbing in the mountains, as there’s not really much
difficulties and is very safe. It’s really similar to stuff like ‘petit
aiguille verte’ and ‘domes du miage’ in the Mt Blanc Massiff. It’s a perfect
route to go ‘fast & light’, instead we thought we’d change this by taking
20kg bags of photo shoot materials and use the ‘slow and sh*te’ tactic.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4A_hvl7oGSQ/UstubOm3eEI/AAAAAAAACLk/5xP6ekjwX-s/s1600/_DSC2695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4A_hvl7oGSQ/UstubOm3eEI/AAAAAAAACLk/5xP6ekjwX-s/s1600/_DSC2695.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the approach into Lag. Sucia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
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I’d really recommend Mojon Rojo to someone looking to climb
an easy classic alpine route in Patagonia. You really don’t need much kit for
it, and if you felt fit enough you could easily do a round trip from town in a
day. If you wanted to spend a bit more time in the hills and take it easier on
the legs, then there is a perfect bivvy cave just before the glacier. You still
have a big day up to the bivvy, which is about 6 hours from town. The glacier
is very safe, but I would recommend taking a rope and crevasse gear just in
case. Also maybe take a few slings for the climb up to the summit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h39xZtqWYig/Usts1Kp5i_I/AAAAAAAACLY/1SIvRKv4sFM/s1600/_PAT2781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h39xZtqWYig/Usts1Kp5i_I/AAAAAAAACLY/1SIvRKv4sFM/s1600/_PAT2781.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Mojo Rojo. Copyright- Ben Winston.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p><br /><o:p></o:p>
<br /></div>
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It felt pretty surreal to be amongst the Patagonian
mountains, within 24 hours of arriving, for a photo shoot. We were just south
from Fitz Roy and Poincenot, a couple of the many famous towers that make up the
El Chalten Massif. These things are like sky scrapers that lean over you even
though they are still a few kilometres away. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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It was great to get first days shoot out of the way, plus
get to see the place and know how the walk ins feel. Mostly it was pretty
spectacular to be able to head into the mountains and see all these huge towers
that are steeped in history.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fs5qZxJuUK0/Ust4gtTCAxI/AAAAAAAACMA/KQlxYA9TJCM/s1600/_PAT3285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fs5qZxJuUK0/Ust4gtTCAxI/AAAAAAAACMA/KQlxYA9TJCM/s1600/_PAT3285.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick brew at the bivvy cave before the slog out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<br />
The main thing I’ve discovered here is that the walk ins are
huge. The majority are on brilliant paths, but it’s still so much distance to
get to the climbing. I’m a more used to the steep ups of Chamonix, rather than
these long gradual approaches. However the views and scenery here do distract
you from the long slog in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Looks like the next few days are going to be pretty windy
and cold up high. So there won’t be much happening for us in the mountains
apart from a few hike/runs up to the lakes to look at conditions and get some
footage. There might be some warmer weather coming next week, but that is too
far away to know for sure. For just now we’ll just have to play the waiting
game, which consists of cragging, bouldering and lots of tea. I’ll post up soon
with any news or any of the other happenings that happen along the way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-69910169930662793232013-12-26T05:53:00.000-08:002013-12-26T05:53:13.280-08:00Happy Birthday Jesus.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you've all had a merry old time and enjoyed yourselves. 2013 has a been a pretty exciting year. Was a bit gutted that the Autumn climbing season didn't really happen for me, but I've got a feeling that 2014 is going to be great.<br />
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The weather has been very mixed here in Chamonix over the Xmas. A lot of wind, warm air up high, very little snow fall. Had about 10cm in town over night. Yesterday (Christmas day) was spent with my family in the morning exchanging presents, then before I ate and drank too much I thought I'd go for a hike up the Zig-zags with my old man. The conditions were interesting. Very dry at the bottom with 4/6 inches of fresh snow at the top. The evening was spent with friends eating and drinking too much, but hey that's what Christmas is for.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting way to spend Christmas day.</td></tr>
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Hope you all enjoy the rest of your holidays before we get started with 2014.Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-6156725966266090312013-12-20T07:53:00.001-08:002013-12-20T08:04:52.958-08:00North face of the Grandes Charmoz<div class="MsoNormal">
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Jon and Myself had actually went for this face last year,
but were unfortunately shut down on the first pitch due to poor conditions.
Even though the face isn't steep, apart from the upper sections, you still want
good conditions to climb the route fast and efficiently. As I said in a
previous post. The Autumn hasn't been too good to us so everyone has been quite
un sure what will be good to climb. Then Jon told me that some Italians had
climbed the Charmoz.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First pitch from the bergshrund.</td></tr>
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We heard that the Italians took a few days on the route, so
we thought it might be safer to take a lightweight bivvy kit just in case. We
also took a bigger rack than we needed. So the bags were a bit heavier than we
would have liked. I got to give my Zamberlan Paine 3000 a good day out to see what they were like high up in the snow. They are probably a bit light for the winter but the temps are pretty warm just now and I knew we'd be moving the whole day. Also I used my favorite hard shell pants, Rab Polartec Neoshell, in a new yellow colour which looks great in the photos.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun runnel climbing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me heading into the second snowfield.</td></tr>
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The route really lends itself to a huge round trip from
town. Meaning start very early from Chamonix, hike up, climb the route, descend
down the back and hike back down to town later that evening. Simples!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me starting up the upper chimneys.</td></tr>
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We left the Montenvers car park around 4.30am, and made our way
up the 'James bond track' to the top station. We then dropped down the ladders
onto the glacier, which feels horrible as you that you have to climb another
big set to come off the glacier. The glacier had a load of windblown snow which wasn't that nice
to walk along, and ended up costing a wee bit of time. We reached the
bergshrund around 9.30, which was about 2hrs behind our schedule. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon climbing out of the upper chimneys.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon starting up the last section.</td></tr>
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The first pitch is meant to be the crux, which I suppose it
could be as there isn't much gear in it, but the ice is really good. Which
allowed us to simil climb the whole route. You could solo most of it but I
personally wouldn't be keen on the upper chimneys where there's some loose
blocks. We topped out into the sun around 3pm, and found ourselves this perfect
place for a brew. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last move of the route.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy chappies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brew stop before the descent.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arty farty photo from Jon. </td></tr>
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The descent was ok down the back of the Charmoz. You have
about 7 raps and a bit of down climbing, then you reach the Nantillon glacier,
which we decided to go down on the left. A quick walk down a moraine ridge
brings you to the huge big path (in the summer) where we probably should have
headed either to Montenvers or the Midi mid station. Instead we took a direct
line down through the forest. No matter how long you stay in Chamonix you'll
always make these silly choices.. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of the descent down to Cham.</td></tr>
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If you wanted to go for it a bit lighter, then just take
about 5-6cams, small rack of wires, and bunch of extendables. It's also a
really good route to take just one climbing rope and a tag line for the raps. I'd
definitely take a stove to make water. I'm so glad we climbed this route in
this style of single push from town. Really good training especially for the
full on long days I'm expecting in Patagonia.</div>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-54060389842362386272013-12-10T13:27:00.000-08:002013-12-10T13:27:13.868-08:00Bringing Home the Bacon<br />
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This Autumn hasn't been the most productive, due to really
poor weather and conditions. Mostly I've
just been training either at the zoo, which is the local dry tooling venue, or
at the wall. So I'm feeling strongish on the axes just now. However I've not
done that much in the mountains so I wasn't sure what my head would be like on a
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climber on the 'Deferlante', a WI4 next to Sector Ecosse.</td></tr>
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So on Saturday Graham Mcgarth and Myself went up to the Rive
Gauche area, to go have a look at 'Bringing home the bacon'. It was a route put
up a few years ago by Nick Bullock and Pete Benson. They plus a few other Brits managed to develop
a lot of cool routes on this wall. The sector got nicknamed 'Sector Ecosse' as
it's all traditionally protected, and you can find yourself climbing on a lot
of turf. So was quite nice to go and feel like I was home again, even just for
a little while. Well... Not that little, I did take my time on the route.
Purely just to feel like I was in my homeland, not because I was pumped out of
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'Bringing home the Bacon' is about Scottish VIII, 8 or M6+.
It has 3 pitches but I wouldn't recommend the first if it isn't that snowy, as
we found out. The crag is easily accessed in 20 mins from the Grandes Montes
mid station. We skinned in from the mid station so we could ski back down the
home run, but you can easily walk in from the lift station as well.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me rapping in from the top.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham rapping into the first pitch.</td></tr>
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Once we found the top of the route, we tied a 50m sport rope
to a boulder. Then we abbed down that and rapped off or half ropes from the end
of the sport rope. This easily brings you to the top of the first pitch. We
decided to do the first pitch for the sake of it, so we did one more short rap
down. Like I said I wouldn't recommend this pitch if there's not a lot of snow
and ice around, it's just easy grooves with a lot of loose rocks lying around.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next time gonna make the description a bit bigger, or bring my glasses.</td></tr>
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Graham lead the second pitch, which climbs this awesome
crack line that goes straight up this wall. It has a few cracked bulges at the
top of the pitch which gets the forearms going. Unfortunately there wasn't much
ice in the crack. Which does make it easy for finding the gear, but I think it'd
feel even more enjoyable to climb with ice filled cracks. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham starting the second pitch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the last bulges of the second pitch.</td></tr>
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The last pitch is the crux, and I was quite keen to give it
a bash and see what my head would be like on a hard lead. From the belay you
climb diagonally up left on these obvious cracks filled with turf. You get
really good pro and the after about 20m you'll find some in-situ wires, below
this bulging roof. From here you traverse hard left for about 15m. The start of
the traverse isn't too bad, you get some really good horizontal torques along
with good protection. The feet are pretty small and spaced apart, so good feet
work along with sharp points on the crampons is well recommended. Especially
just before the end of the traverse, where it's pretty thin and bold. Take a
few knifeblades, I did but Graham decided to keep them on his harness. At the end of the traverse you come to a blank
slab, which I convinced myself was the way. I didn't fancy climbing the bulge
above me as I was sure that it looked really steep and pumpy. So I was sure I
had to carry on the traverse for another few metres, until Graham told me to
man up and go straight up. Turns out it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. Good
blob of turf, then some cracked blocks brings you to the top. I was told to
take a stubby ice screw as normally the exit is a streak of ice, I didn't need
it this time, but would recommend taking one just in case. It was a really cool route and I would go back and do it again another time when there's a bit more ice. Great fun to get pumped and scared again. Luckily for me it was still daylight when I was climbing,
but unfortunately the light was disappearing
whilst Graham was on the traverse so had to just trust anything that his feet
would land on.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me starting up the third pitch, Unfortunately the camera stopped working<br />after this photo.</td></tr>
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We packed the bags, slung them on our backs and clipped into
our adorable little approach skis. This was the first time skiing and mixed
climbing in my new Zamberlan boots. Skiing in climbing boots requires a lot
more balance than normal skis boots as you don't have these big plastic cuffs
to support your ankle. However some boots like the Spantik ski pretty well as
they have a stiff outer boot. So basically I'm just telling you my excuse for
falling over. Which is what happened at the bottom of the GM home run. I lost
my balance after hitting a patch of ice and then fell backwards. Then one ski released
and nose of it dived into the snow underneath me. However as I was still travelling
down the slope I landed on the tail end of my cut down skis, and ended up being
mounted on my ski like a shish Kebab. Which
resulted in torn soft shells, thermals, boxers and bawbag! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was Pre 'Sac attack'!</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-7628651675895216262013-12-06T09:29:00.001-08:002013-12-06T09:29:37.180-08:00Videos;Here's a couple of interesting videos to watch on your Friday night.<br />
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First one is about testing the strengths of slings when used to attach yourself to the belay. That's why when you can you should mostly use your ropes to attach to the belay.<br />
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https://vimeo.com/27293337<br />
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The second is watching people trying to self arrest when there partner has fallen into a crevase. Amazing how fast it goes before it's too late. But I recommend you turn the volume off. The music is terrible..<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxArSDMsiQI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxArSDMsiQI</a><br />
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Have a good weekend.Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-78892651592135010772013-12-06T05:39:00.003-08:002013-12-06T05:39:45.965-08:00Patagonia & Zamberlan<div class="MsoNormal">
This January I am heading out to Patagonia for the whole
month with team of pretty talented climbers. Hopefully if all goes to plan and we'll
come away with something pretty cool, but no matter what the outcome is I know
it'll be a pretty special trip. I've wanted to visit Patagonia for years, and
I'm really looking forward to seeing a bit of South America.</div>
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The trip is mainly supported by Rab, as myself and one of
the other members are Rab athletes. Thankfully a few other companies have got involved
with us and are also supporting us and the trip, is a massive help to us. I'll put a post up soon with more details about the trip and who's on it, but for just now I'll let you know where we're heading.</div>
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One of the Companies who is supporting the trip and has graciously
decided to Sponsor me is Zamberlan. So I'd like to say a big personal 'Grazie'
to Zamberlan. They are an Italian family based company that has been making
boots since 1929, and are situated near the Dolomites. The fact
that it's a family run company, which is in its third generation , says a lot
to me. I have great respect for the Italians attitude towards family. They stay
really close and take care of each other. </div>
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Their boots are really popular in the Uk amongst the hill
walking community, but now they have a great selection of footwear whatever it
is you enjoy. From scrambles, rock climbing, ice climbing or high altitude. They
got it all.</div>
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Mostly I've been using there Ice Tech 2000 boots, which are
designed for dry-tooling and ice climbing. I've also been using there Paine
3000 on a day's ice climbing last week, and a pair of the Rapida rock shoes.
All of these boots are really well made. You can see the company takes great
pride in their work, which is good to know.</div>
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I'll soon be putting up a review on these items and more
from the company when I get some fun images of me using them. Until then check
out their site with and selection of footwear, also have a read about where the
company is from and how it began.</div>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-7064729919098259392013-11-10T03:30:00.001-08:002013-11-10T03:30:29.210-08:00Where's your head at?<div class="MsoNormal">
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Sorry I've not wrote on my blog for a while. I've had a few
things going on. I'd like to say they've been wild, exciting and entertaining
things... But they haven't. My heads just been in a funny place lately. For the
past two months I've been on stand-by waiting to get into the mountains, but
weather and conditions have been rubbish this season. So mostly I've been
training on the tools at the local dry-tooling venue, at the wall or run/hike
up to the mid stations. I'm gonna try back log a few things that I did
do over the past few months.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colin and Me running a stunning ridge.</td></tr>
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<o:p>This summer was a bit up and down, got a few cool things done but nothing epic. Then I tried to get strong at running, which I try to do every year..</o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Lauren running through some boulder terrain.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nRYvh2__LqM/Un9nDVWx4FI/AAAAAAAACFA/q-Egh5XkMMY/s1600/DSCN0905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nRYvh2__LqM/Un9nDVWx4FI/AAAAAAAACFA/q-Egh5XkMMY/s640/DSCN0905.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm ok at running but
eventually I go and re-irritate my shin splints or give myself some other silly
tweaky injury. One of the best days running I had this summer was a day in
September with Colin, Lauren and Sandy.
Colin is such a trail runner who's done some big races and has many more ahead
of him, so keep an eye on him here; <a href="http://colinthornton.blogspot.fr/">http://colinthornton.blogspot.fr/</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wee dip in Lac Blanc to cool the feet down.</td></tr>
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We started at the
Brevant top station and continued along the Aiguille rouge to the Col du
Montes. Sometimes it's really fun to go out running with a group as you can have a laugh
with each other, take some cool photos and try compete with each other... Well I do. I
learnt how fun running down hill can be. It's very much the same skills used in
mountain biking and skiing.<br />
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Some point in the middle of July I went up Mt Blanc, but I wanted to see how fast I could do it in. This was something I had wanted to do for a while but was a bit
uncertain about how to do it. I wanted to run/hike quickly from Les Houches
to the summit of Mt Blanc. I knew that I could safely and easily get up to the
Gouter hut in my trainers, but after the hut it's all snow for another 1000m
vertical. I hadn't been up they slopes before so didn't know if I could carry on in trainers or need crampons. As I didn't have light weight mountain boots or crampons, I thought I'd take my
main climbing boots which weight 1700g and my crampons that weight 824g,
thinking that I'd probably need them after the hut.. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost at the Bellevue.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running along the train tracks.</td></tr>
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I set off from Les houches at around 5.30am, then headed
up towards the top lift at the Bellevue station and from there I went along the train
tracks. Now I had never climbed up or down the Gouter (normal) way to Mt Blanc.
I knew that the train tracks continued around to the Nid d'Aigle, but I thought
I'd take a short cut that I knew of.... Turns out it's not a good short cut in
the summer when there's no snow on it and is just filled with scree! Gotta
learn the hard way sometimes. I think I probably lost about 30mins trying to force
my way up these horrible slopes. So after that messy patch I continued on the
well marked path up to the Tete Rouse, and then across the Grand Couloir. This
is the only patch that I thought was a wee bit dodgy in the trainers, but I had
my axe and helmet on so felt comfortable enough. After the colouir I scrambled up the blocky
slopes to the hut. These slopes are actually pretty fun to run up, as the whole
area has been swept of its original loose rock from the bazillion people that
have been up it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back on track, heading up to the Tete Rouse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TWHr7qnlgRI/Un1KYXURQII/AAAAAAAACD8/yKzAkGQt6U8/s1600/P1010924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TWHr7qnlgRI/Un1KYXURQII/AAAAAAAACD8/yKzAkGQt6U8/s400/P1010924.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Colouir.</td></tr>
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So once I reached the hut it was about 10.15am. I went
inside the gear room just to chill out for a bit, and then I decided I would
try and carry on to the top in my trainers. I thought I'd just go up the first
slope and see how it felt in the trainers, and if I didn't like it I'd come
back and get my boots. So I ditched the boots and crampons in the gear room,
which felt soo good not to have them on my back anymore. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just reached the hut.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2Ij1D1nlrM/Un0R3Jo_ChI/AAAAAAAACDU/dUdBcLcuSgo/s1600/IMG_0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="137" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2Ij1D1nlrM/Un0R3Jo_ChI/AAAAAAAACDU/dUdBcLcuSgo/s640/IMG_0176.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Gouter hut.</td></tr>
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Obviously I stuck to the massive trail that meanders up to
the summit, but interestingly I found I had better grip just next to the trail
where it was still frozen and bumpy rather than in the actual track where
hundreds of crampons had churned the ice/snow up. The snow slopes to the summit
isn't one continues up, it has up, and down sections. So little quick footsteps
on the ups, but on the plateaus and the down slopes you can really open up the
stride. It felt amazing to actually be running on these vast snowy areas. Am
not gonna be modest and lie about it, It makes you feel like an absolute hero running up there. So cool to run on hard pack snow up in the mountains.</div>
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The upper parts on the ridge is where you really need to
concentrate and watch what you're doing. It's not technically hard, but it's
like a giant staircase up the Bosses Ridge that turns into a narrow track up
the final ridge. I'd just like to emphasis that if at any point I was unsure
or uncomfortable, I would have turned back. I was wanting to see how light and
fast I could comfortably go up Mt Blanc, I wasn't doing this for a record or to
impress anyone. Which sounds a bit silly as I'm putting this on my blog, but my
blog is to share my stories with whomever wants to read them not to boast about
what I've done. That's what facebook's for..</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly there.</td></tr>
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I reached the summit pretty much bang on midday and was
really chuffed with myself. It was a bit windy on the top but not too bad so I
stuck around for a bit.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3sXl89QSy34/Un1KYxRFpnI/AAAAAAAACEA/Cpdnla6hUj4/s1600/P1010927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3sXl89QSy34/Un1KYxRFpnI/AAAAAAAACEA/Cpdnla6hUj4/s640/P1010927.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pleased to be on the top.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oPQYOx3TxNc/Un1KoEGByUI/AAAAAAAACEM/xiX9NKePseU/s1600/P1010930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oPQYOx3TxNc/Un1KoEGByUI/AAAAAAAACEM/xiX9NKePseU/s640/P1010930.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just chilling on top for a bit.<br />
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It took me around 6hr 30mins bang on from the Bellevue
station in Les Houchs up to the summit. I reckon I could take an hour off that,
if I go the right way and don't bother with the extra 2.5kg of weight. Please
don't think I'm being reckless or anything going up there in my trainers. If I
did feel it was icy or dangerous I would have turned around no questions asked,
I also had my axe with at all times.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYGCBSHIz2Y/Un1KQrECcYI/AAAAAAAACD0/v6MO-9AWNpg/s1600/IMG_0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tYGCBSHIz2Y/Un1KQrECcYI/AAAAAAAACD0/v6MO-9AWNpg/s400/IMG_0191.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still got to concentrate on the way down.</td></tr>
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On the way down I took it easy at the top, then once back on the
lower open slopes I could get a good jog on again. I think one thing that
surprised me was that because I was always moving, my feet never really got cold.
Which If you knew me and my circulation you'd be impressed. Once back down at the
hut I decided to treat myself to the most expensive tart in the world... her
name was Russell! Only joking it was a myrtille tart and cream that tasted way
to good. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wee treat for being a good boy..</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-50913256047893234492013-08-26T07:33:00.000-07:002013-08-26T07:33:36.116-07:00Big day oot...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CFzgFwtRBv8/UhtRuAFSoCI/AAAAAAAAB_8/9Zu-91T65E8/s1600/P1020430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CFzgFwtRBv8/UhtRuAFSoCI/AAAAAAAAB_8/9Zu-91T65E8/s640/P1020430.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My main objectives for this summer have mostly been bigger longer days out in the mountains. I think that's my favorite style for out here. Mainly cause I just like being in the mountains but moving in good style. Not Michael Jackson style, but light and fast. I've
not got a lot of things done this summer that I would have like to have done, but there's still time. So on Friday I went for a little walk...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXo0HKHJ1qk/UhtRRMJ6QPI/AAAAAAAAB_s/08qGeHqIuuQ/s1600/P1020398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yXo0HKHJ1qk/UhtRRMJ6QPI/AAAAAAAAB_s/08qGeHqIuuQ/s320/P1020398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gear for the route</td></tr>
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I was keen to link up the Frendo spur on the North face of the Midi with Mont Blanc via the 3 Monts route. I left Chamonix at around 1am. This would allow me to get up to the midi early enough so
that the snow wouldn't be too soft for going up the 3 Monts. Walking up from town to the mid station was actually probably the scariest part of the day. Walking through the wood s at night and getting spider webs in the face all the time... Did get a fright when some creature sneaked up on me, and all I could see were these eyes illuminated from my torch. I
reached the base of the route at around 4.30am. There were about 4 other
climbers who were at the start as well, which sucked in a way as this meant I
had to be really careful not to knock any rocks off above them, which could
easily happen on the lower parts of the route.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-oZOpIivVk/UhtRPC6NPuI/AAAAAAAAB_k/7XZhLyLvC30/s1600/P1020409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-oZOpIivVk/UhtRPC6NPuI/AAAAAAAAB_k/7XZhLyLvC30/s400/P1020409.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost like a big spooky castle in the early hours.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80W1GGkKN4E/UhtRJgR5vpI/AAAAAAAAB_c/uh8dwadodWo/s1600/P1020411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80W1GGkKN4E/UhtRJgR5vpI/AAAAAAAAB_c/uh8dwadodWo/s400/P1020411.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Other climbers approaching the base of the Frendo.</td></tr>
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Whilst climbing the lower parts in the dark following my dot of light, I managed to
climb up into the wrong area a few times. So lost a bit of time on the lower
half of the route. You'd think this was my first time on the route getting, getting lost, but It was my 4th!!
Also lost a bit of time trying to get an in-situ wire out of a crack... well I
couldn't just climb past it, it would be on my mind all day if I hadn't tried
to retrieve it! I was soon back on track and made my way to the upper rock
sections. There is some fantastic rock climbing on this part. Every time I have
climbed this route I've gone so many different ways, but now I have it dialled!
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half way up the Frendo.</td></tr>
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Fantastic golden rays of morning light were on the upper snow
crest whilst I was climbing up. They just make everything feel so much more... awesome! The upper part was in ok condition, as the freeze thaw cycle had
formed this chewy water ice that every climber adores. But I wouldn't like to have
been on it much later when the cheweyness melts away and your left with some
glacier black ice. I didn't want to rush up the Frendo and trash myself for the
rest of the day as I still had a long way to go.. but reached the top at 8.30,
and felt ok to carry on. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gh48O7vjTiI/UhtR6W5zZGI/AAAAAAAACAE/615U-SyTlos/s1600/P1020433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gh48O7vjTiI/UhtR6W5zZGI/AAAAAAAACAE/615U-SyTlos/s400/P1020433.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wee pecker!</td></tr>
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I could now put away my 2nd axe away and bring out my trusty
walking pole. It was now time to get the head down. I would have loved to motor
my way up to Mt Blanc but I hadn't been up high for over 2 weeks so I knew
things would be slow. Out came the i-pod which would allow the brain to focus
on something else rather than the tiredness I'd soon be feeling. One of my main
focuses for the day was to stay hydrated, so to make sure I could get water I
took up my Jetboil with me to make water whenever I needed it. Just before the
top of the Tacul I got it out and filled up my bladder.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SIEWpG8bKk/UhtSak026HI/AAAAAAAACAk/wDIGk1Pw_ZQ/s1600/P1020439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SIEWpG8bKk/UhtSak026HI/AAAAAAAACAk/wDIGk1Pw_ZQ/s400/P1020439.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topped out of the Frendo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9gT0S_OBYE/UhtSdaJJPbI/AAAAAAAACAs/jkNltudE6HY/s1600/P1020444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9gT0S_OBYE/UhtSdaJJPbI/AAAAAAAACAs/jkNltudE6HY/s400/P1020444.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back to the Midi, and down to Chamonix.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vWlwQnvaU8Q/UhtSyApn8JI/AAAAAAAACA0/_Q6y94srAXQ/s1600/P1020447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vWlwQnvaU8Q/UhtSyApn8JI/AAAAAAAACA0/_Q6y94srAXQ/s400/P1020447.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brew stop.</td></tr>
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I didn't have to worry about the soft snow at all. There was
a really cold wind that kept the temps down, which was great for the snow but meant
you had to cover your face up and wear the insulation layer whilst walking.
After Mt Maudit I really felt the altitude getting to me. So with this and the
cold wind I was going pretty slow. This wasn't too bad as I knew this was just
going to be a long day no matter what so I may as well take my time and not get
too trashed. The last slope up to the summit of the Blanc was really slow going.
At the top I just slumped on the Italian side to get a break from the wind. It took me just over 4 hours to do the 3 monts.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJrreqy6YLA/UhtS1gUdfWI/AAAAAAAACA8/X33S9ex_W-Y/s1600/P1020454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJrreqy6YLA/UhtS1gUdfWI/AAAAAAAACA8/X33S9ex_W-Y/s400/P1020454.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before the Maudit slopes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03CMVLm6Bfk/UhtS56A7ezI/AAAAAAAACBE/ZrOGIsAGdV4/s1600/P1020458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03CMVLm6Bfk/UhtS56A7ezI/AAAAAAAACBE/ZrOGIsAGdV4/s400/P1020458.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not long to go... or so I thought!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ecstatic! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds coming my way from Italy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cWx6QcKYLcU/UhtTr1pFslI/AAAAAAAACBs/MmYJRaIzHyk/s1600/P1020473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cWx6QcKYLcU/UhtTr1pFslI/AAAAAAAACBs/MmYJRaIzHyk/s640/P1020473.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I recognise that face...</td></tr>
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Wasn't really any summit celebration, especially with these
big black clouds building all around! Made my way down the normal route, but
after a while I had to stop for another water break. Then I just continuously
moved all the way down to the Tete rousse hut. Where I took the harness and
helmet off. I stupidly tried to rush down the next section to the Nid Agile,
but ended up hurting my knees and feet. So learnt a wee lesson there. I wanted to walk all the way down to Les Houches, where I live. However my legs, knees, and feet were so sore that I got the train all the way down to Le Fayet, where Dawn and Graham picked me up and drove me home for a quick clothes change and then into town for a pint of Guinness and a burger!</div>
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It was a fantastic day out. One of the longest I've had out
for a while. That's route off the list let's see which one is next...</div>
Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-58163133259502355232013-08-11T13:49:00.000-07:002013-08-11T13:49:45.717-07:00Ni dieu ni Maitre - Croix de Fer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<o:p> </o:p>Every once in a while we all need to get away for the day
and just have fun. Well for me going up to the Croix de Fer, above
Sallanches, was just the place for that. There are so many huge limestone walls
looming over the 'Valle de l'Arve'. Some of which have top notch mutli-pitch
routes on them. From easier grades which take on some interesting features to
major aid fest through some huge roofs. Others are quite poor rock but still really impressive. Croix de Fer is good rock and super impressive!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morgan (Scout leader) Diaz.</td></tr>
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Morgan gave me a shout a few days ago to see if I fancied going rock climbing. I was planning to do some long traverse in the mountains on my own, but knew I should go rock climbing as I haven't done much of it this summer. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well good mooooorning!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approach to the cliff.</td></tr>
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Morgan mentioned the Croix de Fer would be cool objective to go for. My original thought was that as it's south
facing limestone I would suffer massively from the heat. Us Scots don't do so
well in the sun. However after reading in the guidebook that it's a
summer crag and best climbed in August. Well this is August, so let's go for it.
Originally we planned to head up Friday night, camp at the bottom, then start
early to climb as high before the heat of the day. Unfortunately Morgan ate
some bad rice! So we left on Saturday morning instead.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our route went up between the roofs just in the shade.</td></tr>
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We left Les Houches around 6:30 and reached the car park for 7:15. You walk up for an hour on a 4x4 track in the trees before you get your first sight of this towering limestone wall. It always amazes me how if you just make the small effort to escape from the Chamonix valley and go see some other areas around here, you'll be rewarded with some spectacular sights. So after the
first hour of the walk in you come to a beautiful little refuge. From there it
doesn't look that far, and it isn't, but
you soon find out why it's a 2 - 2.5hr walk in. The cliff is like this big
castle protected by these surrounding steep grassy slopes. Which at first
glance don't look too bad but after you get involved it becomes quite tiring.
Especially if you're not on the path! Once you're on the path it ain't that
much easier, but thankfully there's some in-situ ropes around to hope out.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morgan almost at the belay on pitch 1.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morgan on pitch 2.</td></tr>
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The phenomenal views just keep hitting you as you get closer
and closer to the 300m wall of limestone. It has this huge arete that you walk around which complements to its beautiful shape. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on Pitch 3.</td></tr>
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We reached the bottom our the route, which was called 'Ni dieu
ni Maitre' and consists of 7 pitches from 6a-6c. I lead of first and my first
thoughts was how sharp and grippy the rock was. I don't think many people come
up here, which gives you that sense of properly being in the mountains. Not
like the circus that can sometimes happen on a route in Chamonix. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morgan on pitch 4.</td></tr>
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<u>Ni dieu ni Maitre - Croix de Fer</u> **** 6c (6b oblig) 250m, 2 x 50m ropes, 12
draws, small set of wires.</div>
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L1. 6a+, easy terrain to start, be careful of some loose
rocks, then awkward move into a groove. </div>
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L2. 6a, climb into a ramp that leads right, then traverse
out left under a roof on unerclings and jugs.</div>
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L3. 6b, really teachy move from the belay out left, be
careful of a few loose blocs above the belayer! Tehn go around left and through
a crack in a bulge of rock. Climb up on cracks & sidepulls, then finish on
some blocs with a small traverse right to the belay. I'd say 6b+ for this
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L4. 6c, awkward moves from the belay, leads to easier slab
climbing where you come to a wall that make a rising traverse rightwards across
the wall. Hard move to a hand rail (awkward clip). Then a few powerful moves to
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L5. 6b+, technical wall and slab climbing. Interesting moves
on some small flutings before the belay.</div>
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L6. 6b, Thin moves from the belay to a break, then traverse
out left. Really fun moves take you up to the belay.</div>
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L7. 6a, first move from the belay is out there! Then steady
until two stupidly placed bolts. I clip first, down climbed went into a groove
on right then climbed out and up to belay. Careful of a huge bloc sitting
there!</div>
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At the last belay you can do one final pitch up some grassy
steps that brings you to the top of the tower, your then greeted with this phenomenal platform of grass with loads of cool wild flowers. Unfortunately
we were in the clouds, so there wasn't much of a view. However it did give
us a feeling of the lost world, that someone or something else is watching you.</div>
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You abseil back down the same route which makes things very quick and simple. We packed up, but we still had to go back down these super steep grass
slopes, which was quite scary. Then on the way back past we stopped at the refuge
for a glass of sirop from the lovely family than run the hut. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice camping spot up here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZp7QD43ju0/UgfnF_9btoI/AAAAAAAAB-k/3pL4uEHn4_Y/s1600/P1020354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZp7QD43ju0/UgfnF_9btoI/AAAAAAAAB-k/3pL4uEHn4_Y/s400/P1020354.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the in-situ ropes to get back down.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No man's land...</td></tr>
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Such a beautiful place to go, with great climbing at all grades all around here. Or if you don't fancy climbing going up for a hike and seeing this
wild place is well worth it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous hut at the bottom of the wall.</td></tr>
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Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736543362055658402.post-35165735096081474782013-08-08T14:21:00.001-07:002013-08-08T14:21:50.141-07:00Going out to play!<div class="MsoNormal">
I find it funny how as a child we didn't think about things
too much, we played! We'd spend hours just messing around and not have a care
in the world. It's what made us tick. One of the biggest things we all probably
did as a child was run. Whether it'd be a game of tig, hidey, playing football,
getting a chase from someone or kicking around a plastic bottle and shooting it
between two jumpers for goalposts. We just ran for hours and didn't think too
much about it.</div>
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At what point did it change, and we found running to be an
activity that we have to find time for? When did we start going for 'a run'? When did we stop kicking
the plastic bottles around? I don't have the answers I'm just wondering...</div>
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<o:p> </o:p>At the end of the Winter season I got really inspired to do
more running this summer, so I started doing bits of running as the snow left
the valley floor. However I stupidly ran too hard too soon and managed to give
myself minor shin splints. So this set me back a little, which was a shame as I
had gotten really excited about the running and entered a few races for the
year. To stay fit and to keep the legs strong I got on the road bike, knowing
that this won't irritate my shins. I have never been a strong long distance
runner but it's defiantly something I want to become a lot stronger at. I'm
much better at the up's.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game face!</td></tr>
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On the last weekend of June the Mont Blanc marathon was on,
which hosts a number of different races to suit everyone's taste. I had entered
the vertical Kilometre race, which was to be my first ever running race. It's a
track that zig-zags it's way up the hillside below the Brevant bubbles. I've
ran the trail many times before as it's a perfect training slope for the
mountains. Your pretty much always on your toes the whole way up, which gets the
calves and hamstring going. Plus it's also brilliant for learning how to pace
yourself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn't feel ubber strong for the race, and was in Vall
dell'Orcco for 4 days of crack climbing and eating piazza. However I really
just felt so open about the race I had no expectations, I had ran it many times
so I knew I'd get up it at least.. I was actually quite excited by it, and
really enjoyed the whole experience. Which is a feeling I want to take with me
for every race I enter.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to tell if I'd be back in time for tea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7ZNclchNX4/UgQGRlhmdvI/AAAAAAAAB6M/EuEQJWAxp70/s1600/P1010757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7ZNclchNX4/UgQGRlhmdvI/AAAAAAAAB6M/EuEQJWAxp70/s400/P1010757.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felt rubbish going up the road, but managed to smile for the camera.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hyBlcDJgang/UgQGbrVWWYI/AAAAAAAAB6Y/44MgTp8fSzw/s1600/P1010759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hyBlcDJgang/UgQGbrVWWYI/AAAAAAAAB6Y/44MgTp8fSzw/s400/P1010759.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view of me that most people saw! ;)</td></tr>
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When you enter the race you have to give a predicted time,
which I estimated at around 50mins. I had a quick warm-up and then rushed down
to the starting line for 16:00. Which was the starting time on the website, no
other details. However I found this board with everyone's name at starting time
on it and I was on at 17:45! I met up with Ally Hurst who was also running and
also starting around the same time as me. We had a grumble about how this info
should be on the website before hand. So we left the start line at sat in
Misha's house, drinking tea and eating biscuits! Time actually went past quick
and Ally gave me a quick shout that I'd be starting in 5mins! We rushed down to
the starting line dumped our bags that would be taking up to the top. Then I
got in line until the counted me down to
start running.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IKc1xINbnMs/UgQBrvAX7vI/AAAAAAAAB5U/lzg7j2_FKU4/s1600/DSCN4003s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IKc1xINbnMs/UgQBrvAX7vI/AAAAAAAAB5U/lzg7j2_FKU4/s320/DSCN4003s.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the zig, or the zag!<br />Pic taken from the bubbles. Cheers Emily.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost at the station platform.</td></tr>
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I hated running up the steep tarmac road that takes you to
the start of the trail, but once on the trail I just went into automatic mode
and paced it quite well up the lower sections. My predicted time worked out
well as I passed a few people near the bottom and had most of the middle
section to myself. It wasn't until the upper parts where it steepens up that I
was stuck behind a few people, as it's a single track with no possibilities to overtake..
It's ok at first as it forces you to slow down which allows you to get your
breathe back, but then soon enough your wanting past. Everyone is generally
pretty good with letting others past though, so works out well as a race.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p>At the top you reach the station platforms which allows your
legs to stretch a little, but then you have the last slope to the finish line.
Annoyingly my calves got epic cramp and they wouldn't allow me to really open
the legs up for a sprint finish. I finished in 48.59mins, which I was pleased
with as it was under my predicted time. I'll definitely be entering it next
year, and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes a challange...</div>
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Here's a link for the results of my category; <a href="http://mbm.livetrail.net/classement.php">http://mbm.livetrail.net/classement.php</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How every race should finish..</td></tr>
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I had entered the 'Tour des Fiz' which is a race that runs
around the Rocher du fiz, just outside Chamonix. It is 64km long and has 5300m
ascent in it. Unfortunately though small niggles of injuries came back on me
and I decided not to take part. This is one I'll love to do though. </div>
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The next race I have coming up is the Rab Mountain Marathon
in the Lake District on the 28/29th of September. It's a 2 day race where you
have to navigate and carry your own tent, sleeping bags and food for the 2
days! Then head straight down to the pub
afterwards. Can't wait! I'm running it with Colin Thornton, who spends more
time on the trails than in his house. He's going for the Leadville 100 in the
States next week. I just hope that he can use a compass for our race!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-um-CWuTSJVQ/UgQE7U4q8wI/AAAAAAAAB58/Onr1zaTKTwo/s1600/rab_mm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-um-CWuTSJVQ/UgQE7U4q8wI/AAAAAAAAB58/Onr1zaTKTwo/s400/rab_mm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Details for the RMM;</div>
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<a href="http://www.darkandwhite.co.uk/challenge-events-outdoor-activities.asp?race_id=417">http://www.darkandwhite.co.uk/challenge-events-outdoor-activities.asp?race_id=417</a></div>
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So maybe we've all focussed our 'playing' into specific
areas, but I've got two jerseys if anyone fancies a 'kick aboot'?</div>
Ally Swintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533765738369963326noreply@blogger.com2