The missing link

Something that I am starting to see that the Mt Blanc Massiff is great for, and that I am hopefully going to do a lot more of it, is link ups. Meaning that you do regular routes but join them back to back with other routes. The massif is great for this as even though this is a very big and serious place, it's also quite small and very condensed on the grand scale of things. Once you get to know the area and where everything is situated, you can move about the place a lot quicker.

An old Frendo mine

Chris Horobin and his wife Jane are really good family friends of mine and are out in Cham town just now for a week climbing, walking and chillaxing in the sun.

Cretier route- South face Mt Maudit

The weather and temperatures in the mountains are starting to gradually decrease which is helping the high faces come into condition for this autumn, but at the moment most things are stuck in a sort limbo. Whilst the upper slopes are looking in ok shape, the lower slopes with crucial entry slopes are flagging behind and are needing some snow help 'bridge' the gaps. Literally! Some of the snow bridges are looking quite scary and needing beefed up a little.

There and back

So after moaning about last weeks weather raining and melting away our precious ice, we actually got a day of really cold weather and rain/snow was down really low as well. This was much needed and helped conditions on the faces.

After seeing this low snow level and with temps being quite chilly in the mornings over the next few days, I decided to go for the 'Shroud' on the Jorasses.

Mixed week

The past week has been varied doing a few different fun things but having to put up with some really annoying weather.

Innominata Ridge

On Tuesday morning Jon Griffith and I headed through to Italy to climb the ‘Innominata Ridge’ on the South face of Mt Blanc, a major classic alpine route in what must be one of the most magnificent settings in the Massif. We got a very much appreciated lift from a good friend Neil who drove us through the Tunnel du Mt Blanc and dropped us off in Val Veni, but I’m sure we could have got the car a wee bit further! After Neil dropped us off we had a big slog ahead of us to get to the Eccles bivouac hut, which neither of us were looking forward to that much.

Friends on the Frendo

Colin & Will climbing the
Spur.

Last week I planned and agreed to go climb the ‘Frendo Spur’ on the North face of the Midi with a few friends of mine, Colin & Will. Colin is a great friend of mine who I’ve known since last year and has helped me out so much but this was actually the first big route we were going to climb together. Will is living in Chamonix for a month trying to get as much Alpine climbing done and the ‘Frendo’ was actually his first big alpine route, which is a great effort for his first season. I had done this route a few years ago so thought it would be good if I came along as I would have a rough idea of where to go. Well that’s if I could remember!