Contamine route on Mont Blanc du Tacul

John on the technical crux

Self timer worked ~ us on the summit 4248 m

John on the traverse, after the technical climbing there is a long ridge to the summit

This route was first climbed on the 4th July 1968 by G Gren, G. Grisolle, A Poulain and M Ziegler with Andre Contamine.

Grand Paradiso

Richard and James resting by the edge of the glacier on descent ~Glacier du Mont Grand Paradis

The Vittorio Emanuele II refuge at 2714m

James and Richard by the summit Madonna~4061 m.

bad weather here in Chamonix so yesterday we drove around to Italy and walked up to the Refugio Chabod. We awoke at 4.00 am and then did a traverse of the mountain descending by the V Emanuele refuge and then the steep walk back to Breuil. It was very windy and cold with menacing clouds on the summit. The sun came up and the clouds cleared sufficiently for Richard and James to bag their first 4000 m peak!

Arete des Cosmiques. Chamonix Mont Blanc

These photos show Richard and James/ green jacket: on various pitches of the arete. The weather closed in this afternnon and it was getting stormy as we finished.

Aig du Tour

James and Richard on the summit

Arriving back at the Albert 1er Refuge later in the day

Rock climbing yesterday before we walked up to the Albert 1er mountain refuge

In the mountains

James and Richard crossing some serac fall debris in the Vallee Blance earlier today

The Harker twins

Rainy Day in Chamonix

Patagonia do make usefull hoods on their jackets!

Kathy, with fine view

Floria is a nice cafe on the petit balcon sud

More rock climbing

Kathy leading a nice climb at Le Fayat du Bas which is granular gneiss and good for footwork, 5b and 5 c were the routes we climbed this afternoon.

Here we are climbing on the Rochers Blanc, near the village of Onnion where there is friendly limestone climbing!

Climbing at Vallorcine

Afterward, you can be anti social and abseil down the climb and upset upward climbing teams or . be polite and make an interesting descent on foot via a ladder system.

Kathy on the first pitch, then she lead the second and third pitches and going well!

Was climbing here today, the crag in the background has some fine delicate slab climbing!

Interesting days in Chamonix

Kathy belaying me on the last pitch of a five pitch rock climb today in the Aig Rouge! It was superb to get back rock climbing after all those 4000 meter summits!

Well over the past few days I left my mobile in a London hotel ( the hotel was free thanks to British Airways but the stress of dealyed flights and my client waiting for me at Geneva must have got to me!!!( and my old computer crashed the following day..... Wow.... technolgy is ace when it works eh! My new mobile number is 00447924427008. Its fine thouigh, a days climbing with K in the sun was relaxing and ace for me!

Kathy after our climb in the Aig. Rouge. K and Lindsay climbed Mont Blanc via the trois Mont Blanc the other day. It is Kathys third time to the summit so she is very pleased with herself. Good effort les girls!

Stuart on theValley Blanche

Aiguilles Marbrees - Chamonix Mont Blanc

Approaching the summit-3535 Metres

At rest on the summit.

Champex and Orny hut

Over a couple of days (10 and 11 July) was guiding in Switzerland but the royalty I was guiding does not want her pretty face on my blog!!!!!
Orny hut, if you zoom in on this photo you should see a mallard duck! I realise they are not usually seen at this altitude but the hut guardian is trying to encourage duck shooting!

8 and 9 July Monte Rosa ascent

The new Monta Rosa Hut, 2795m. Its amazing, but so expensive to build that now they have to encourage lots off day tripper to come and buy lunch! Not a place to go if you are searching for peace and tranquility!

Nigel and Liz on the DUFOURSPITZE (Monta Rosa), 4633 m, the highest point in Switzerland

Zermatt days!

The Matterhorn from Zermatt this afternoon.

Nigel (left) with Liz on the summit of the Briethorn this morning. The Matterhorn is behind.

(Above) A team of climbers on the traverse!
This morning we woke at 4.00 am at the Ayas hut. After breakfast we climbed back up the glacier to the foot of Pollux glad that the cold night had firmed up the snow and made the crevasse bridges a bit more solid! Liz was particularly pleased as today she did not fall into any crevasses. We did a traversed of the Briethorn which is a pretty cool thing to do! An ace day!

Mountaineering around Zermatt

The Ayas mountain hut: where we spent last night. This is a private mountain hut owned by the Italian mountain guides.
Liz and Nigel on the summit of Pollux, 6th July10. Monta Rosa in the background!

The twins, Pollux and Castor, Pollux is on the left.

Bishorn from Zenal

View from Bishorn towards Mont Blanc

The Tracuit Hut, ( Swiss Alpine Club) . Its about a 5 hours steep walk from Zinal.
Nigel, Liz and myself on the summit of the Bishorn this morning.

After Mont Blanc, a mornings rock climbing in Chamonix!

Interesting times, when men and mountains meet!
The last day of a weeks mountain guiding with Peter and Keith, it's been a blast and we have taken in some good climbs and summits.Thanks guys!

Keith at the crag!
Peter abseils down one of our climbs

Mont Blanc

Keith, Peter and S on the summit 7.25 am on the 2 July.
Another wonderful Mont Blanc ascent. We departed from the Cosmiques mountain hut at 1.45 am and arrived on the summit of Mont Blanc at 7.25am. Our route took us along the "trois Mont Blanc's", Mont Blanc Du Tacul, Mont Maudit and then Mont Blanc. We enjoyed a wonderful sunrise and there was absolutely no wind, a rare occurrence indeed. We traversed the mountain by descending the normal (Goutier route). An ace couple of days!

Keith and Peter on the summit, Aig du Midi behind!


Looking back from the Col du Brenva on our way to the summit of Mont Blanc