It's about blogging time!

I know I've not posted on my site for a while, sorry about that, but I've not been doing that much climbing over the past few months due to the epic amount of snow we've been having in Chamonix. I have been doing a fair bit of skiing which is great as it's something that I've been wanting to improve at.

Pinocchio

A few days ago Dave and my self went up to do some mix climbing action. We went to climb the superb Pinocchio which is tucked away on the side of the Mt Blanc du Tacul.

Finale...got there

What's the best cure for a body that's a bit tiered from having done a few Alpine routes, the bones are cold and the mind is needing switched off for a week? A week sport climbing in Italy!

Colton-Brooks

 

Pretty much a year ago at this time Dave Searle and myself went to climb our first route together, which was the very fine and classic 'Ginat' route on the North face of the Droites situated in the spectacular Argentire Basin. So it was felt quite funny for us to go back up there, a year on, and climb the Ginat's neighbouring route the 'Colton-Brooks'.

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.