Gran Paradis, Italy

Yesterday we walked up to the Chabot hut in the rain and enjoyed the hut and the good company there and by the morning our clothes were reasonably dry! We had breakfast at 4.00 am and summited at 10am or there abouts in glorious weather, the ladies were ace and did well! We descended by the Victor Emanuelle hut where feet were cooled in the lake!

(Left to R) Kathryn , Jo and Rosie on top

Jo followed by Kathryn on the scramble to the summit, Rosie in front.

Nice days on the hill!

With Rosie, Jo and Kathryn we have had some nice days, the weather is a bit unsettled but we have manged to get some summits in! Rosie (orange climbing helmet) and Jo climbing on the Tete Blanche this morning!

Kathryn, Jo and Rosie ready to leave the Cab du Trient at 5.45 am today! We climbed the Tete Blanche and Petit Fourche.

On the Aig du Tour Summit yesterday.

Women with attitude

Love it, no attitude no altitude. Fresh snow in Chamonix and the first photo (below) was taken this morning from the Montenvers train. This is the Aig. Rouge and normally at this time in July one can walk to the rock climbs there in sandals!!! The Aig Rouge this morning... its July!!!!!

Kathryn, Jo and Rosie on the Mer de Glace today!
Wise girls choose Mountain Equipment Jackets!

Rope Access

Technicians from The Reel Groups newly established division based in Mumbai, India demonstrating their skills at Talon NDT Limited in Aberdeen yesterday.

Evolution... from Left to Right, The Petzl Stop, The Petzl ID ( one of the first self locking descenders), HiTechs Prisim, and then on the far right the Petzl Rig. Petzl seem to stay ahead with their innovative, compact, simple and effective design!

Grand Paradiso from the Chabod mountain hut

Above, Chris on the summit.

Unsettled weather here in Chamonix but over the past two days Chris and I went around to Italy and we were lucky with the weather and summited the Grand Paridiso.

The refuge Chabot with the Grand Paridiso behind.

Aig du Tour and all

On the 17 th July we left Chamonix in the rain and walked to the Albert 1er refuge, arrived at the hut to find it very busy with wet mountaineering gear hanging everywhere to dry. The morning was still not very nice with fresh snow down to about 2200 metres. We left the hut navigating and fortunately our perseverance paid of as the sun burt off the cloud and the snow showers. We summited on the Aig du Tour and then traversed the Plateau du Trient to over night at the Cabane du Trient.... the wind was South Westerly and the fresh transported snow has formed some large patches of wind slab on the higher cols.
Today we climbed the ridge on the Tete Blanche and got back to Chamonix as the rain began to fall again. The forecast is not good for the following days. Chris on the Tete Blanche

Chris on the Aig du Tour summit yesterday

Introductory Chamonix rock climbing

Chris on the rock this afternoon!

Bernese Oberland, Monch and interesing weather.

On the summit of the Monch

Looking back down the ridge that leads to the summit of the Monch as another guided party approaches. The Alpine Chough was enjoying the thermals!

Arriving at the Monch Hutte in Scottish weather!

Swiss summits

Over the past few days we have been mountaineering in Switzerland. Its been ace weather although forecast to break tonight with a very stormy day tomorrow. We are holed up in a nice hotel in Saas Fee.... Liz and Nigel on the summit of Pointes de Mouriti 3564 m. We climbed this interesting peak from the Cab de Moiry 2825m.

Nigel on the summit of the Pigne de la Le 3396m also climbed from the Cab de Moiry

Nigel on the summit of the Allalinhorn 4027m this morning 12th July.

Mont Blanc summit and other days

Enjoyed a few days of good guiding work! Was on the trois Mont Blanc with Chris and Joe and we summit ed on the 7th July and descended via the Goutier ridge and the dreaded Grand couloir where stone fall was impressive. Petzl have funded a study, so we met an interesting lady who is employed to count falling rocks and trying to track them! Yesterday with Andrew we were on the Petit Aig Verte, an ace little ridge and climb! Joe and Chris on the summit of Mont Blanc

Andrew on the Petit Aig Verte.

Arete des Cosmiques. Chamonix Mont Blanc

We met at the bottom of the Aig du Midi cable car at 6.15 am this morning with a plan to climb Mont Blanc from the first cable car, but we could see from the clouds that the weather was not as expected , so we headed up with the thought that we may be able to get up Mont Blanc du Tacul. However part way up that we met groups turning back informing us that the wind was very strong higher up, so we made an executive decision and turned around in the hope that we would have time for another climb instead. Chris and Joe had not done any technical climbs before so we decided to try the Arete des Cosmiques and it turned out to be ace! As we reached the top it became quite windy with light flurries of snow, sharp needle flakes in fact that were clearly visible on the sleeve of my Mountain Equipment jacket! Joe( in the black jacket) and Chris climbing.

Excellent mountaineering!

Trois Mont Blanc

Just back down in Chamonix town after guiding the three Mont Blancs from the Cosmiques hut to the Goutier and down to Les Houches. Was very windy on the summit yesterday at 8.25 am. On the summit of Mont Blanc, with Leo and Nigel. I had to do an emergency repair on my gore tex trousers with hockey tape( thanks for that tip Chick it works well in the cold and held in the 5o k/hr winds.!). There was me saving some cash by buying a cheap pair of over trousers from Sport Extreme, while waiting for my new Mountain Equipment ones to arrive in the post.... So, I did not even get one Mont Blanc trip out of the low cost pair...... there is a lesson here!

Leo and Nigel on Mont Blanc summit.