North Faces…
After a well earned rest David and I headed through to the charming Chabod hut below the N Face of the Gran Paradiso hoping to get a good freeze that looked a lot less likely in the Mt Blanc range. With bleary eyes we left at 3 30am and broke trail to the bergshrund..stepping over onto great climbing snow allowing us to move together until a couple of pitches below the top.
At the top….thanks to Matt Stygal for the pic and the bright idea….
N Face of GP…from high point of bergshrund to little col L of Summit…
We popped back down the incredibly busy normal route through some massive crevasses for the now traditional coffee at the hut and back through to France. Next morning we climbed on the Contamine Mazeud on the Tacul Triangle face. Perfect neve being a reward from all the terrible weather of recent.
Squeaky snow…
With a great forecast for the next day and a half we packed for the famous and elegant Frendo Spur on the Aig du Midi. With the usual queue shenanigans we got an 8 oclock lift, did a little repack, had a coffee and set off from the Plan de l’Aiguille gaining the start by 10.
Midi N face…Frendo just R of central couloir…
Dry rock and great climbing led to the classic snow ridge by early afternoon.
Balancing up an awkward catwalk low down..
Up below the summit rognon…
We’d brought pits, mats and stove for a planned bivi but as there was a great ladder of steps, still bomber snow and David showing no sign of slowing down we pressed the fast pedal and headed up moving together then pitching out the left side of the rognon.
David at the last belay before the sun of the Midi/Plan ridge..
This was my first ever alpine climb in June ’91 and it was a real pleasure to share it again with David, who wont mind me saying that at 60 yrs old deserves a medal for his efficiency on the Frendo.. We had time for another coffee back at the Plan de l’Aiguille while waiting for the queue again…the evening seemed cloudy and breezy, so we were glad not to be out in it!
We finished our little trip together with a nice shady 12 pitch climb called “L’Ile aux razmokets” in the beautiful Berard valley, finishing with a coffee again…Thanks David for the great company in the mountains…
Like a sort of California High Country feel on the Tete des Mesures above the Eau du Berard
