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The Chamonix Meet
- August 1999
by Dave Hallmark
I'll apologise now for
the length of this report, but a lot of people did a lot of things. So let's
get started.
We left Preston on
Friday afternoon and arrived in Chamonix Saturday afternoon to be greeted
by Mick and Gary, they had arrived a couple of days earlier. On their
first day they did the Midi-Plan traverse (PD) descending by the SE Face
of the Aiguille Du Plan (PD). They must have gone at Mick's pace because
Gary had the next day off while Mick ran up to "La Jonction". We arrived
just after his return, one mini-bus, seven people and enough equipment
for a year in the Himalayas. As we started to unpack Jeremy appeared,
closely followed by the owner of the campsite who was carrying most of
Jeremy's possessions. By 6 o'clock nine people had their tents up, gear
sorted and brews in hand quizzically watching Jeremy erecting the "chuck
wagon" - the name his tent quickly acquired.
Alpine starts, up
at quarter to five, muesli and a cup of tea, off you go and drag your
rucksack to the telepherique in time for the first one at six only to
find it's delayed for an hour, it had snowed overnight! What kind of an
excuse is that in the Alps? British Rail would have been proud of it.
So it's 8.30 now and there are nine of us at the start of the Cosmiques
Ridge (PD+), axes and crampons sharper than a surgeon's scalpel ready
for off on what was for most of us our first alpine experience.
I'm on a rope with
Mick but I'm in front this time, I thought this would have made for an
easier pace. Wrong -I've now got this voice constantly from behind like
a coachman's whip - "Go on get past this group", "You can overtake these
if you keep going", and "Don't stop now they are catching up". This is
acclimatisation! Acclimatisation for what, Hell!!?
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Just behind us Jason
and Alan, having completed one abseil, tied on again and coiled up the
rope only to find another abseil ten feet further along the route. Further
down the line Dave Hewitt tried to ski off the side of the mountain when
his crampons balled up with snow! However we reached the top without too
many incidents and everybody had a great day.
The next day the same
nine set off again, this time to bivvy above the Argentiere Hut. We spent
the night in a pretty spectacular location. We were up at half past two
in the morning and started the dark trek to base of the Y Couloir (AD).
At this point I didn't feel too good and decided to go back and Gary,
who didn't like the look of the weather came down with me. Thanks Gary,
I didn't fancy the descent alone.
Mick, Mike, Jason
and Alan ascended the couloir and Jeremy, Barry and Dave Hewitt were on
the other side of the mountain climbing the SW Flank (Milieu Glacier)
(PD). |
Ropes, crampons and
ice axes came into use on the steepening snow slope up to the start of
the couloir which ended in a near vertical ice wall. A 20 foot section
of mixed climbing led to the bed of the couloir and from there 3 hours
of climbing on 45 degree snow to a final section of rock at the top. A
6 - 7 foot deep runnel in the centre of the couloir provided some entertainment
as its vertical sides were crossed several times. A final rock rib led
to within 15 minutes of the summit (13000 feet) which was hidden in the
clouds. A few minutes to catch a much needed breath and then down the
SW flank and across the Milieu glacier brought us back to the hut.
Aug 5th, Mick and
Jason got an early start and climbed the Chere Couloir on Mont Blanc Du
Tacul (D). The rest of us set of for Le Index, a popular rock climb further
up the valley.. We got off the telepherique, walked to the base of the
route and prepared to climb. This is when we realised how popular it was.
Four leaders on the first pitch at the same time! Ropes everywhere and
seven members of the PMC right at the heart of it. Mick, Jeremy, Jason
and Dave Hewitt then headed up to the Couvercle hut and climbed The South
Ridge of the Aiguille Du Moine. The next day they attempted the Whymper
Couloir on the Aiguille Verte but retreated due to due to bad weather
(rumour has it that they went up the wrong couloir in the dark of the
1am start).
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The rest of the group
added La Chapel and Le Brevant on the opposite side of the valley to the
growing list of climbs. It was on the latter I spent three hours staring
at the Aiguille du Midi and the Frendo Spur (D+). Back at the campsite
it was decided, Mick, Jason and myself would give it a go over the following
two days.
The first day on
the Frendo we climbed a rock buttress for approximately 2000ft which passed
off without much incident and we reached the bivvy ledge by about 6 o'clock;
had something to eat and settled down for the night. What a night; perfectly
clear above and storms flashing all around in the distance. Modern technology
allowed us to speak to the rest of the group at the campsite in Chamonix
by Jason's walkie-talkies, and Jeremy gave us a run down on the weather
forecast. |
By the time we were supposed to leave the ledge (4am) the storms
weren't in the distance anymore but crashing over our heads and the weather
forecast plainly wrong, so we delayed and delayed. Our nice rocky ledge
was now covered in snow. At 7am we decided we couldn't wait any longer
and we prepared to continue climbing,as it looked as though the storm
was easing a little. As soon as I stood up a bolt of lightening crashed
over my head, there'd be no breakfast this morning, "Let's get out of
here"!
Hands already cold
from packing up we set off up the snow ridge, axes buried deep in the
snow, hands buried deep in the snow, all the solid stuff was under a layer
of new soft and very cold snow. Round about now I came out with one of
those statements you never forget, "If I ever get of this mountain I'm
selling these axes and crampons". All the talk was of reaching the Midi
station and who would buy the coffee - "I'll pay" "no I'll pay". Strange,
it's usually the other way round. The Midi station looked really close
and we could see people watching us, but it wasn't that close as it took
another four hours to reach, but we didn't care, we we're having fun on
the ice couloirs of the top section. We reached the top at two o'clock,
shook hands, and took a couple of photos then grabbed the next telepherique
down, all a bit smelly, so everybody gave us plenty of room. We didn't
bother with the coffee, - "Trois formidable biere s'il vous plait". The
satisfaction of sitting in the sun with that beer can't be put into words,
we all felt about seven feet tall, even Mick.
At about the same
time Dave Hewitt and Gary were making an attempt on Mont Blanc itself,
but were turned back after reaching the Dome de Gouter by deep fresh snow
and bad weather. The next day Mike, Barry, Alan, Sheena and myself went
to the Mer De Glace playing in the crevasses. Mick and Jeremy had time
for one more route, Les Lepidopteres on the Aiguille Du Peigne, and one
more experience of abseiling off the mountain in yet another storm, while
the rest of us had to pack up and say farewell to Chamonix. I have a feeling
we'll be back next year.
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