Monday 30 September 2013

Welsh Rock

Climbing with my friend Rob Collister, this photo is  Rob starting out on Merlin.

Thursday 12 September 2013

Chamonix rock introductory

 Debbie climbing today!

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Mont Blanc ascent

Debbie and Flo on the wires up to the Goutier hut
 On the summit with Flo... 8.20 am , had to break some trail from the Goutier hut but we were all so lucky with the weather, it was forecast for 30 klm winds but it was only 5 or so.... still  very cold, winter seems to be here!
Happy summit photo!

Monday 9 September 2013

Tete Blanche and Mont Blanc

 Debbie and Flo on the Tete Blanche
 N Face of les Droites looking quite snowy!
A cap on the Verte, harbinger of poor weather,  high winds forecast for tomorrow but decreasing later in the week.
Crampon time  at a wintry Trient hut this morning.
 The Tete Blanche was fun with yesterdays wet snow freezing overnight to give some interesting  climbing.
Above the clouds on the summit! Blue sky,  a cold North wind.

Glacier skills and Aig du Tour

 Florence and Debbie enjoying the glacier.

Turned  a bit wintry on the Aig du Tour yesterday but we got the summit and spent the night at the Cab du Trient.

Thursday 5 September 2013

Ardverikie Wall, South Face of Binnein Shuas

 Around Newtonmore there are many wonderful climbs. today with my friend Roger we climbed on Binnein Shuas. The classic line is Ardverikie wall,  first climbed by D. Lang and G. Hunter in June 1967.  The Scottish  climbing activist Tom Patey was one of the first to explore the crag  but the day was a misty one and he did not see much climbing.  He later said that it was one of the best climbs he had ever walked past!
 My good pal Roger (71) first took me to this climb over thirty year ago so it was great to be back there climbing with him today.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Moy Rock

 With Andy Nisbet we climbed at Moy Rock,  Andy got this project climbed today.

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Matterhorn 2

 Manfred climbing high on the Matterhorn. Then we put on our crampons  and at about 200m below the summit Manfred's crampons broke with the front section falling down the mountain side. It was sad moment as we immediately realised that to continue on the steep snow and ice section would be very difficult and dangerous so we had to turn around. Mike and Tania summited.

Matterhorn

 Manfred, Tania, Mike a and me en route to the Hornli Hut.
 Manfred on the lower Mosley slab.
Tania  and Mike at the Solvay.