November 2014

The
Alpine
Club
Nov 2014
AC Newsletter
No: 3 Nov 2014
Sponsors of the AC Climbing Fund
I’m happy to report great activity from AC members
over the summer. Despite poor weather at many venues,
the selection that follows very much confirms a dynamic club,
pursuing our passions in the mountains at all levels.
There have been a number of AC supported expeditions to
the Greater Ranges with rather mixed success. In Pakistan
Jon Griffith (on his third attempt in successive years) and
Kevin Mahoney pushed hard through bad weather on the
unclimbed 7,000er of Link Sar. While they topped out on the
north face, quite close to the west summit, continuing the one
kilometre, steep-sided ridge to the main top simply wasn’t
feasible. Elsewhere in the Karakoram, Peter Thompson’s
team attempting Muchu Chhish (7,453m and one of the highest
unclimbed peaks in the world) was thwarted by poor conditions
on this and other summits.
Malcolm Bass and Simon Yearsley made the best attempt
to date on unclimbed Janahut (6,805m) in the Gangotri region
of India, turning back late in the day only 140m below the
summit. Becky Coles’s team was equally unsuccessful on the
last remaining unclimbed 6,000m peak in Tajikistan’s Muzkol
Range, stopped on the dry summit ridge by a rotten rock tower.
But two of the team did make the first ascent of a nearby
5,500m peak. However, in Kyrgyzstan Jamie Goodhart’s ninemember team to the Djangart region successfully climbed 10
previously virgin peaks of around 5,000m before heavy snowfall
stopped play, while in the Western Kokshaal-too Adrian Dye’s
expedition climbed six new peaks up to D in standard, and four
long rock routes.
Crossing the Atlantic, in the Cordillera Huayhuash of Peru, two
young Italian members, Tito Arosio and Saro Costa, formed
most of a team responsible for the first ascent of the west face
of rarely climbed Quesillo (5,600m), a demanding 800m ED2.
A little further north, our main AC expedition of 2014, organized
by Derek Buckle and comprising 10 members, visited the
Cordillera Blanca, climbing five peaks and attempting several
others. You will be able to read about this in the current AJ,
which thanks to incoming editor Bernard Newman should now
be safely in your hands.
Plenty other AC members were active elsewhere, climbing
new routes in southeast Alaska’s Fairweather Range (a
misnomer if ever there was one) and the Fox Jaw Cirque of
East Greenland, to name but two.
The main summer season in the Alps was largely dismal,
with one campsite manager reporting 26 consecutive days on
which it rained. Our high season joint meets in Pontresina and
the Gran Paradiso suffered accordingly but come the end of
August the sun emerged and clear skies were the order for
much of September, with the Aspirants meet taking place in
Saas Grund during the first two weeks. Organizer Barry Speed
had to turn down many applicants in order to limit the number
to a comfortable 18. This was a new venture for the AC, in that
two professional guides were employed to give initial training
and subsequently advice. It proved highly successful, with 13
separate routes completed on eight different peaks: a recipe to
develop in coming years.
The AC has been well
represented at a number
of events. Adele Long
organized a small group of
female mountaineers who, hosted by the Italian Alpine Club,
took part in the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the first
female ascent of Mon Viso. Apart from reaching the summit
via the Normal Route, they were also presented with a bottle
of fine wine by the local mayor to give to our Queen. We’re still
working on this.
Shortly after, Clare Roche and her team were in Kleine
Scheidegg celebrating the 150th anniversary of Lucy Walker’s
first female ascent of the Eiger. Unfortunately, too much snow
at altitude prevented an ascent, in fact at that stage in the
summer there had been no ascents at all, but they were able to
climb the Monch and Gross Fiescherhorn as compensation.
Adele and her team also joined Charlie Burbridge and Alan
Lyall in Meiringen to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
death of the great Swiss guide Melchior Anderegg, who was
employed by a number of eminent AC presidents of the era.
After a veritable marathon of speeches, the event was hugely
enjoyable and convinced those present on the great value of
maintaining close links with Swiss associations. Over in the
Ecrins, we were well represented at the 150th celebrations
of Whymper’s first ascent of the Barre, as you will read from
Hywel Lloyd later in this newsletter.
Former Hon Sec Françoise Call organized an excellent
international Chamonix Mountain Festival, based at the equally
excellent and hospitable UCPA. A number of AC members were
there, as you will read later. Further south, three of us (two as
Italian hosts) took part in the Third Valle dell’Orco Trad Climbing
Meet and enjoyed wide - or perhaps that should that be wild international company, the usual wonderful Italian hospitality,
and a mix of brutal cracks and thin friction slabs in northern
Italy’s “little Yosemite”.
On the domestic front I am very pleased, finally, to be able to
announce two significant appointments. John Dempster has
bravely stepped into the role of Treasurer and Ursula Haeberli
is our new General Manager, working three and a half days a
week from the club house. This results in us now having two
good administrative staff able to keep the office open five days
a week.
As I write we are finalizing arrangements for this year’s
symposium, AGM and dinner, taking place at the Palace Hotel,
Buxton. We’re hoping to present you with a general “howto” event on the organization of small trips and expeditions,
spanning different disciplines of our activity, to various corners
of the world. With panel discussions that will include our chief
dinner guest, noted American alpinist Michael Kennedy, and
hopefully plenty of (constructive) audience participation, it will
take a different line to recent gatherings, which concentrated on
a single country or area. I look forward to seeing you there.
Lindsay Griffin, AC President
Cover photo: Liz Bedford on the Domes de Miage traverse after completing the Mettrier ridge this summer: photo Chris Bedford
AC Officers
AC Photo Library
President
Lindsay Griffin
Hon Keeper of the Club's
Photographs
Peter Rowland
Vice-Presidents
John Porter
Photo
Sales
S J Hare
Victor Saunders
Acting Hon Sec Roger James
The Alpine Club
Hon Treasurer John Dempster
55/56 Charlotte Road,
Hon Ed of AJ
B Newman
London EC2A 3QF
Hon Librarian
DJ Lovatt
Tel: 020-7613-0755
AC Library Chairman HR Lloyd
Book sales
DJ Lovatt Ursula Haeberli General Manager
www.alpine-club.org.uk
Librarian
T Hudowski
Administrator Iwonna Hudowska
[email protected]
Area Notes
Contact AC Journal Editor
It is important that members contact Bernard Newman, the Editor
of the AC Journal, to report their
mountaineering activities both in
the Alps and in the Greater Ranges.
It is also important that members
forward comments and observations about their mountaineering
experiences to the Expedition Information Centre (EIC) so that the Club
can record and build an extensive
database that will help all mountaineers to fulfill their ambitions.
AC Lectures
London Venue
55/56 Charlotte Street,London
General and Informal Meetings
Lectures start at 7.30pm
Tuesday 11th November 2014.
Derek Buckle - Peruvian Classics - an
Account of the 2014 AC Expedition to the
Cordillera Blanca
Over four weeks in June ten members
of the AC successfully climbed five peaks
above 5000m in four separate valleys readily accessible from Huaraz, the Peruvian
Chamonix. In this talk Derek will illustrate
the opportunities available in this attractive
region of the Andes and give an account of
the team's achievements.
Tuesday 25th November 2014.
Colin Beechey - Alpine Classics for
Mere Mortals
Colin has given 2 previous talks on Alpine
‘Grandes Courses’, climbed over many
Alpine holidays while completing his round
of the Alpine 4000ers in 2000. In his lecture
Colin will describe a selection of medium
grade routes, mainly in the AD grade,
achievable by most alpinists of average
ability. These will include The traverse of
Les Courtes, The Morgenhorn/ Bluemlisalphorn traverse, Fletschorn/Lagginhorn
traverse, Badile North Ridge and others,
some well known and some less so.
AC/SMC Edinburgh
Lectures
The venue is the Royal Overseas League,
100 Princes Street, Edinburgh
Lectures start at 7.30 pm prompt.
Tuesday 11th November 2014
Susan Jensen - Adventures on an Unclimbed Peak in the Indo-Karakoram Our
own indefatigable Susan Jensen relates a
historic ascent:
The existence of an unclimbed 7000m peak
in the Indian Karakoram was due, at least in
part, to an historical error in surveying, leaving the peak, Chamsen, largely neglected
and hiding behind another Peak called
Plateau Peak, itself over 7000 metres. The
correction was discovered and an Indo-British
expedition to climb it was organised. They
then found another reason it hadn't been
climbed: it was awfully hard to get to. The tale
of the area, the unclimbed col, the Valley of
Death, the rescue and the climb will be told.
Tuesday 9th December 2014
Dave Broadhead - Caucasus 1984
Dave Broadhead has numerous talents other
than the updating of the Munro Archives, as
will be seen to full advantage here.
Despite the ominous date, in the summer
of 1984 Dave Broadhead and Des Rubens
accepted an invitation to attend an International Mountaineering Camp in the Russian
Caucasus. As well as firsthand experience
of the ill-fated Soviet Union they enjoyed
some fantastic climbing and achieved some
historic and rare ascents by capitalist lackeys
of mountains such as Ushba, considered
by some the most beautiful mountain in the
world, and of course Elbrus, highest summit in
Europe.
(As if this were not excitement enough, mince
pies and mulled wine may be served at this
event.)
Tuesday 13th January 2015
Members’ slides/images.The traditional
January ‘death slot’ is an opportunity to catch
up on the adventures of 2014 as well as
showing off achievements of the Xmas/New
Year break. A ration of about 20 images per
member, please.
Tuesday 10th February 2015
Mick Fowler
Though not a member of the SMC, Mick is
well known for his exploits in this country! attempting the unclimbed North Face of Hagshu
in Kishtwar this autumn, some material from
this adventure may end up on the screen
here.
Tuesday 10th March 2015
Peter Berg - Whymper’s Scrambles with a
Camera
Peter is an AC member who will be showing
this lecture in Scotland for the first time.
The lecture is an introduction to and a
re-creation of the magic lantern show that
Whymper took all over the UK, Europe and
the USA, using his own text and photographs
1870-1895. Much of the lecture is devoted to
the Matterhorn area so a viewing this year, the
150th anniversary of the first ascent, is most
appropriate.
SW Venue
Upper Room at the Nova Scotia Hotel
Hotwells, Bristol BS1 6XJ
Lectures start at 7.30pm
Tuesday 19 Nov 2014
Edith Kreutner – Mountaineering expedition to the Djetim Bel in Kyrgyzstan
In August 2014, four members of the Austrian
Alpine Club left the Alps for some mountaineering adventures. The aim of their expedition was to set up base camp near the Arabel
Pass and explore the nearby valleys with
their mostly glacier covered summits (42004700m).
Tuesday 9 Dec 2014
John Kentish – An Alpine Ski Traverse –
The Mediterranean to Chamonix
John will be talking about a traverse, mostly
on skis, from Menton on the Mediterranean to
Chamonix, a distance of 530km with 35,000
metres of ascent. It was undertaken in early
2014, by a party of three, without using any
mechanical uplift.
Tuesday 20th January 2015
Details to follow.
Tuesday 17th February 2015
Clare Roche - The Other Golden Agethe Nineteenth-century Development of
Womens’ climbing.
Most people are familiar with the idea of
the ‘golden age’ of mountaineering but this
is implicitly male and many are unaware of
women’s achievements. This talk considers
both the quantitative and qualitative nature
of women’s alpine climbing and their place
within the mountaineering community as
well as wider society in the nineteenth cen-
Lakes Venue
Hawkshead Breweryin Staveley
near Kendal
Lectures start at 7.30pm
The venue is the upstairs bar at the
Hawkshead Brewery in
Staveley, near Kendal.
Lectures will start at 7.30pm
Tuesday November 11th 2014
Jim Gregson - The Really Northern Playground - expeditions to North Liverpool Land,
East Greenland. Following on from the Lakes
2013 lecture Jim continues sharing details
of his expeditions to Greenland with this one
about North Liverpool Land, East Greenland.
Tuesday December 9th 2014
Harriet Tuckey - The First Ascent
This book is about Harriet’s dad, Everest the
First Ascent, the Untold Story of Griffith Pugh,
the man who made it possible won the British
Sports Book Award for Outstanding General
Sports Writing.
Tuesday February 10th 2015
Malcolm Bass - Janahut
Malcom and Simon report on their trips to
the Indian East Karakoram (Rimo III attempt
and Dunglung Kangri first ascent) and the
Garwhal Himalaya (Janahut near miss).
Peak Venue
The Outside Cafe,
Hathersage
Lectures start at 7.30pm
Wednesday 12th November 2014
Malcolm Bass and Simon YearsleyMalcolm
and Simon will be talking about their attempt
on Rimo and first ascent of Dunglung in 2012
and their attempt on Janahut in 2014.
Wednesday 10th December 2104
Jim Gregson - The Really Northern
Playground - expeditions to North Liverpool
Land, East Greenland. Jim Gregson will be
talking about two expeditions to the icecap
and striking mountains, a perfect area for ski
mountaineering and first ascents, with an eye
out for Polar bears”.
London Bunkroom
Bookings
Bookings should be made with the
Club Administrator by e-mail or phone
0207 613 0755.
Bookings need to be made in
advance so that arrangements
may be made to obtain keys and
receive instructions.
tury. Women alpinists had their own defining
decades.
Tuesday 17th March 2015
George Cave - Bristol Djangart Expedition
2013: Bread, Chess & Mountains Tales from the Bristol Djangart expedition to
find unclimbed peaks on the Kyrgyz-Chinese
border.Along the way they also climbed
alpine style to summit seven previously unclimbed mountains up to 5200m in height.
Ap
‘If you go down to the woods today.........’
Iwonna worried about what’s happened to
Tadeusz!
Important
Membership
Details
The Club is ready to update
and re-print the Member’s
Handbook. Please will all
members check their entry
and inform Iwonna at HQ of
any changes.
Please
check your
entry
poNew
int
m
Ursula Haeberli
li
er
General Manager
en
t
I am delighted to announce that we have now
recruited a new General Manager to help in the
running of the Club.
She is Ursula Haeberli, a Swiss national who
has jointly run her own very successful events
based company for 12 years.
Ursula, who is a member of the SAC, has now
moved to the UK with her family and is living in
London.
She will spend the next few weeks getting to
know us and understanding how she can best
assist Club Officers
in delivering their
various projects and
ensuring the smooth
running of the Club.
The Club Office will
now be open 5 days
a week (except Monday afternoons)
Why not come to
the AGM and Dinner
on 29 November to
meet her!
Roger James
“What counts is the
individual challenge,
no matter how fast
how steep or how
high” (Ueli Steck).
I look forward to
meeting many AC
members.
Ursula Haeberli
REP
MEET REPORT
- 2014 NEW AND ASPIRANT MEMBERS MEET
eet
AC M ort
Rep
Raring to go - outside the
George Starkey Hut!
This year the Alpine
Club new and aspirant
members meet took
place over the weekend
of 27 to 29 June 2014
and was, once again,
held at the George
Starkey Hut (ABMSAC)
in Patterdale.
The weather was perfect, which allowed us all
to make the most of the
weekend. In line with the
tradition set in previous
years, on Saturday the
Ryan and Tom on Pinnacle Ridge
majority of attendees
combined forces to undertake a group outing up Pinnacle Ridge and
then on to the summit of Fairfield.
In the meantime, the benefit of having a meet co-ordinator who was
six months pregnant is that she was happy to stay in the hut and undertake a peeling, chopping and baking marathon. The result was a
communal meal on the Saturday night of veggie spaghetti bolognese
and chocolate cakes with strawberries and lashings of cream.
We were joined by Mike and Marian Parsons, who, as ever, were
a great source of information about the club. They, in turn, brought
along their guest, Alan Hinkes of 8000m peak fame. Having the opportunity to meet and speak to experienced members and climbing
legends such as each of these people is surely one of the great
benefits of joining the Alpine Club, and was certainly appreciated by
the new and aspirant members in attendance.
Sunday saw the majority of attendees heading to Eagle Crag in
Grisedale for some vertical action. With five or maybe even six AC
climbing teams, we managed to collectively tick off the majority of
climbs at the crag. Another two teams decided to avoid the crowds
and headed to Gill Crag, and the remaining attendees decided to
leave their ropes behind and went instead for a more leisurely walk.
With an estimated average attendee age of under 30, the meet was
particularly encouraging for the future of the club. There was lots
of enthusiasm from attendees who were predominantly at the start
of their alpine careers, with perhaps half of those present looking
forward to joining AC meets this summer.
Thanks to everyone who came along and helped to make the meet
a success.
Jenna Robinson
Attendees: Allen Abramson (aspirant - pending), Darren Axe (aspirant), Imogen Fisher (aspirant), Lorna Fisher (aspirant), Matthew Guy
(aspirant), Sam Harrison (aspirant), Alan Hinkes (guest),
Kai Holdgate (guest), George Margesson (full), Tom Ogg
(aspirant), Ryan Osborne (guest), Marian Parsons (full),
Mike Parsons (full), Ewan Paterson (aspirant), Dave Payne
(aspirant), John Proctor (aspirant), Bryce Rigler (aspirant),
Jenna Robinson (full/meet co-ordinator), Hugh Robinson
(full), Adam Ryan (guest), Jonathan White (full) and Madeleine White (guest).
Some new & some
familiar faces enjoying a
well-earned veggie spag
bol on Saturday night.
13th/14th February. Scottish Winter Meet,
Corran Bunkhouse (www.corranbunkhouse.co.uk)
This sociable (unless you spend too long on your route!) meet returns
to Corran, which we have previously found to be an excellent venue.
The hut is between Glen Coe and Ben Nevis, but is also within easy
reach of Creag Meagaidh, Glen Shiel and Argour (and for those going South on Sunday even more opportunities). The cost will be £16
a night.For details contact Roger Everett via Alpinet.
9th - 16th May. Glen Brittle - Joint Meet with
Craven Pothole Club
After an enjoyable meet in 2013 we will return to be one of the
first parties to use the refurbished Glen Brittle Memorial Hut. Although Skye does have some caves, there are no plans for caving at
present, but there will be a strong cavers influence on the arrangements. Cost £70 (increased because the hut is now smarter). Hut
details can be seen www.gbmh.co.uk
Meet Co-ordinator: Paul McWhinney via Alpinet.
11-18 July. Joint ABMSAC/AC meet will be in Madonna di
Campiglio in the Brenta Dolomites, from 11-18 July. Anyone
interested should contact Pamela Harris-Andrews,
[email protected].
AC Meets 2015
18 July – 8 August - Alpi
Alpine M
Meett Argentiere
Ar ntie – Joint
with ABMSAC, CC, FRCC, SMC, LSCC, Wayfarers and
Yeovil MC.
It is 12 years since the AC Alpine meet visited the Chamonix
valley so a meet in the area is long overdue. Then for 2015 we
will be based at Camping du Glacier D’Argentiere www.campingchamonix.com. There is something for everybody in the area,
hard mountain routes, easy mountain routes and everything in
between, masses of recently developed sport and trad climbing in
the Aiguille Rouge with superb views over the Mont Blanc range,
a whole guidebook of valley cragging for when the weather is not
so good, walking, mountain biking and of course plenty of retail
therapy opportunities for when the weather is really inclement !
The campsite is very friendly with free hot water, showers and
WiFi, bread and croissants are available in the morning, there is
even a pizza van on site twice a week, booking is not possible but
there is usually spaces available and we will have the group tent
again for use as a meeting place. The guest card gives free bus
and rail travel within the Chamonix valley.
Co-ordinator: Keith Lambley ([email protected])
What Meets would you like the Club to be running? Contact Paul McWhinney with your ideas:
[email protected]
The 2014 Chamonix Mountain Festival
As a partner in the second (international) Chamonix
Mountain Festival, which took place during the first week
of July, the AC was well represented amongst participants.
The weather threw some surprises but didn't stop climbs being accomplished on every day. Superbly organized by a hard-working
team led by festival founder, former AC secretary Françoise
Call, these gatherings promote a spirit of non-elitism, actively
encouraging climbers of more modest abilities - no age limit, no
grade limit! Alpinists arrived from Africa, America, the Middle East,
and all over Europe, many without partners. A mix-and-match
approach ensured the meet quickly became extremely sociable.
Gear manufacturers allow equipment to be borrowed and "tested"
throughout the event, and the accommodation package at the
relaxed and hospitable UCPA included a week's free pass on any
téléphérique and valley transport. Also instrumental in the success
was that the participants came simply to climb as much as possible and have a jolly good time, with no particular list that really
needed to be ticked.
At the start Brand Experiences allowed participants to sign
up for a day's climbing with a professional, whilst during the
week there were several entertaining and informative lectures.
Conditions didn't encourage too much in the way of high altitude
ascents, but the full spectrum of climbs was achieved, with one
team even taking the underground ice climbing option in the
Glacière de Parmelan.
There were a couple of important charity initiatives. Jerry
Gore's Insulin Challenge team battled difficult weather, high
winds, and the loss of two tents before placing several members
on the summit of Mont Blanc. In the process they raised £5,000
Summer in Chamonix 2014!
Knut Toensberg
A serious couple was sitting on the
top of Aig du Plan worrying about
the burning question: when would
the forcasted evening thunderstorms
start? And what descent to choose:
Down the crevassed glacier via the
Requin hut and Vallée Blanche - or the
not too entertaining retreat the same
way back again to Aig du Midi?
for Insulin for Life, which funds lifesaving treatment for young diabetics in the third world. Veteran mountaineer Norman Croucher
was also at the festival, returning to the Alps 21 months after
cancer diagnosis. Norm's Survivors Climb was a little more modest in its ambitions, with a couple of 2,500m ascents complete
with film crew, but raising awareness, and money, for the charity
Hospiscare.
With many participants from the 2013 festival returning enthusiastically for the second, and equally enthusiastically anticipating another, there is likely to be a third in 2015, though this might
spend rather more time on the Italian side of the massif. It is a
highly successful formula, and continues to develop relationships
between British and foreign climbers. Follow progress on www.
chamonixmountainfestival.com, where it is also possible to sign
up for a newsletter.
Lindsay Griffin
Norm’s Climb: on the Brevent looking
northeast along the Aigs Rouges
CMF attendees avoiding the rain!
Gus Morton above the remnants of the Mer de
Glace on Aspirant Sunrise. Photo: Lindsay Griffin
What we did on
and headtorches on our
heads at around 04:30.
There was not enough
snow to warrant skinning up at all and we
trudged up all the way
to the start of the grade
4 ice gully, carrying
skins that were not
needed.
Pelvoux - North
Face Central Ice
Slope
On about the 1st of June
there was a report online
from someone regarding the
Violettes Glacier descent
from the Pelvoux, commenting on how it was fully covered
with snow right to the bottom
of the Neve Pelissier, and that
they wished they had had skis
for the descent. We seized on
it as an opportunity to climb
the N Face of the Pelvoux and
have a quick descent. It rained
for a few days after that, but the
snow line was low enough for
us to think that descent would
stay in the same condition.
As we both live in Briançon
we decided that rather than
have a poor night’s sleep in a
bivvy, we would just set off from
home very early. Richard picked
me up at 03:30 and we drove
to Pre de Madame Carle, and
set off with skis on our backs
The ice gully was not
present and there was
a lot of running water,
so we lost a bit of time
working our way up
the rocks to the right,
and in particular having
to avoid a large loose
boulder right on the
only obvious line of
attack.
The traverse and the upper
snow slopes were in excellent
condition and we soloed most
of the way, just roping up for the
last 200m were it got a bit hard
and icy.
The descent ended up being
a bit of an epic. We whizzed
down the first section with
whoops of delight, but the snow
cover that had been there a
week before had all but disappeared in a week of warm rain.
We had to load our skis back
onto the rucksacks about 6 or
7 times to abseil or down-climb
sections, which took quite a toll.
We had hoped the skis would
cut the descent time from 4
hours to around 2, but in the
end it took us about 6 hours to
get down. Still we were back
home in Briançon before midnight having managed a good
2000m of ascent and descent.
Phillip Ingle
Pic Gaspard SSE Arete
This was a fantastic route.
Again plagued by days of rain and
poor weather we saw an opportunity approaching, but with the
risk of some rain on the walk in
and bivvy. True to form just as we
found the bivvy spot the heavens
opened and we got drenched. We
managed to find a rock to hide
under to cook though and had a
good meal, and by the time we
finished it had stopped raining and
the skies cleared enough for us
to see the ridge and the start of
the route. I had found an old CC
article about the first British ascent
of the route and we both read it at
the bivvy before getting our heads
down.
http://goo.gl/awnNtL
night. We moved together up the
rest of the first section, staying on
the ridge line all the way. We carried on moving together through
the first ‘pitch’ of the second section and up to the grey overhanging wall of the second ‘step’. Here
we strung two pitches together to
get through the two grade 5 sections and then carried on moving
together through the third step and
onto the final ridge.
It was only on this final ridge
line section that the rock became
a bit poor and loose and we had
to tread carefully not to dislodge
large boulders onto the ropes. The
final gully up to the summit had a
good new bit of tat round a boulder, and there were another five
newly threaded abseil points all
the way back to the Glacier Claire,
and the glissade all the way back
to the bivvy site. All in all a great
day out.
Phillip Ingle
Dawn came and we headed up
to the route, we soloed the easy
ground up to the ‘black
patch’ that is mentioned in
all the guides and then did
two pitches. The sun hit
us here and started drying
out those bits of clothing
that were still wet from last
Summit of Punta Rossa with Grand Paradiso in the background. Photo: Sam Harrison
Final few moves onto the summit block of
Grand Serre. Photo: Sam Harrison
our holidays .......
Chris and Liz Bedford have had a
good season - see below.
Breithorn W: Triftjigrat
Dômes de Miage - Sommet E:
Arête Mettrier
Perrons de Vallorcine: Traversée
E >> W
Grand Paradis: Face N - Voie
Bertolone
For more details:
http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/
list/users/549198/orderby/date/order/
desc
Chris Bedford on the summit of the Gran Paradiso (the
true summit, no Madonnas here...) photo: Liz Bedford
Liz Bedford and Madonna, Gran Paradiso.
photo: Chris Bedford
Liz Bedford traversing in to the correct line, Gran Paradiso
N. face; it gets steeper...
photo: Chris Bedford
Liz Bedford on the Domes de Miage traverse after
completing the Mettrier ridge. photo: Chris Bedford
Celebrating the first female ascent
of ‘The Stone King’ - 150 years later
On the 1 September 2014, a group of four women Adele Long,
Amanda Graham, Caroline Phelan and Rya Tibawi (3 AC
members and 1 CC member) went to Saluzzo, at the invitation
of the CAI Saluzzo and the Piedmont tourist board, to celebrate
the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first female ascent
of Mon Viso. Contrary to the official records, the first ascent by
a woman was not that of Mary Isabelle Straton’s and Emmelline
Lewis Lloyd’s in 1871, but of
a 26 year old Italian woman,
Allessandra Boarelli and a 14
year old girl Cecilia Fillia on 16
August 1864.
The team (minus Amanda
who arrived 2 days later) were
welcomed on arrival and, as
guests of the Deputy Mayor
of Verzuolo, the town where
Allessandra Boarelli was born,
were given a plaque to commemorate the event, a tray of
the local apples each and a
bottle of wine to be given to
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
Dinner was held in ‘il Morsetto’,
the building in which Allessandra Boarelli had lived.
After further meetings with
dignitaries, visits to local museums, and a huge lunch the
following day, the team made
their way, slowly, to the Rifugio
Vallanta, to the west of the Mon
Viso range. The plan was to
climb Punte Gastaldi, 3210m
(PD) and Visolotto 3351m
(PD/AD) to acclimatise before
embarking on Mon Viso. The
The team on top! On the summit of
weather was rather mixed, and
Mon Viso on the 8th Sept this year.
reports of Visolotto
were not good, so
we climbed Punte
Gastaldi on the first
day and walked to
the summit of Monte Losetta, 3054m
on the second.
Amanda joined
us the following
day, and we all
made our way to
the Rifugio Quintino
Sella via the passo
Caroline Phelan, Amanda Graham,
Giacoletti (Grade
Adele Long, Rya Tibawi
II). The following
day we made our ascent of Mon Viso, 3841m via the voie
normale, more like PD rather than the F given in the guide
book. Verglas in the early morning made scrambling over the
rocks quite tricky and, higher up, cracks were filled with hail
and snow. But as the sun came up conditions improved.
At the summit we signed the special book to record the
female ascents. Unfortunately the awful weather in the Alps
this year rendered Mon Viso unclimbable for many weeks
and we were recorded as numbers 81 to 84, a long way
short from the 1000 women the Italians hoped to get to the
summit in this anniversary year.
To round off the trip, the CAI arranged a dinner to celebrate our ascent and to say farewell, a "family affair" with
three generations represented in some cases. At this we
were all given another bottle of wine labelled with the anniversary logo to mark the event.
On Sunday we finally had a day off and time to enjoy the
Antico Podere Propano hotel and the sights and cafes of
Saluzzo.
On Monday, fully rested, we drove to Grindlewald to join
Clare Roche and her team to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first female ascent of the Eiger…
We wish to thank the Alpine Club who supported the trip,
the CAI Saluzzo, particularly Dr Livio Perotti, Paula Bonavia and Paulo Allemani, ATL and WOW, especially Alberto
Anello who arranged our visit.
Adele Long
The Queen of the Dolomites
Orco the beautiful granite valley in the Gran Paradiso National
Orco,
park in Italy, looked like the area of most sunshine, so we headed
there. There’s a great guide book and we headed for the ‘all crack
classics’!
Climbers from around the world gathered by the fire in the evenings,
cooking in the open and drinking ale and wine as we chatted and
laughed. You could stay
there forever it`s soooo
good.
But - we dreamed of
fine alpine exposure!
There was a 48hr
weather window in the
North. We drove the 6
hours, cooked up pasta
in a car park, booked
the Rifugio Falier
and began the walk
in. Above the hut and
all around us rose the
immense walls of the
Valley Ombretta and the
South face of the Marmolada ‘The Queen of
the Dolomites’.
As the sun sank we
John with wife Anna on Don Quixote
saw the line of our route
Don Quixote, 750m 6+
of south face limestone climbing. It was to be the first alpine classic
for our party of four. I’d printed the topo from planetmountain.com, we
awoke at 04.30 for an alpine kick start of coffee and dry cake!
We racked up at the bottom of the route as the sun rose.
There was no tick tock of timed alpinism for us, we were holiday
alpinists after adventure.
We enjoyed every pitch as the exposure increased.
We climbed through the crux as the cold began to chill our finger tips
and toes and as we approached the summit the change to darkness
blew all around us; holds froze and visibility dropped to a torch lit
cone of light. Unsure of the rappel and the walk down the glacier in
darkness we pulled on bivvi bags one between two, lit the stove for
The S Pillar (TD V) on the
Barre des Ecrins
sweet tea, ate nuts and dried meat.
A bright starry sky developed above us and the blanket cold cloud
of a temperature inversion hung below.
Around us rose the giant faces and peaks of the Dolomites. Cold
winds took the heat from our bodies so we made the move and rappelled to the glacier. As the wind dropped we walked into the rising
day; colours of the bright night and the warmth of morning contrasting all around us. We returned to our motors 28 hours after leaving
the rifugio. Large dark
clouds began to fill the vallee, we`d made our weather
window, tired; our thoughts
wandered, the sun looked
good in the Chamonix vallee “lets head there”.
After a few days climbing
and resting around the awesome Refuge d’ Envers des
Aiguilles we headed back
into Cham. Ben and I made
our way up to the Brevent
east face and and climbed
Premier de Corvee.
1st pitch 7a: pure sport
pitch, small footholds and
crimps.
2nd pitch 6c: a mix with
trad and bolt. Amazing
smears and laybacks.
Ben Hirst on pitch 4 6c
3rd pitch 6c: wide hanging
crack. Perfect for hands, forearms, knees and twisted feet. Bang your
own pro in, cams.
4th pitch 6c: the real deal. A steep face crack on pro, moves into
a rest (Ben enjoying the atmosphere above). Then sport it up for a
fantastic finish (clip bolts above the roof to the finish) hanging high
above the valley.
It was our last route before the home bound road and what a belter
to finish on. We took the cable car back into to Chamonix as the wing
suit jumpers flew past. A true taste of the Chamonix dream.
John Proctor
we mistakenly went up from the ledge too soon taking the 6a variation, which was tough in big boots and with a pack, but there were
about seven pegs in the four meter long difficult section, so there
wasn't really any exposure. A couple more moves saw us up the mirror slab and onto the top of the Bastion for 2.30pm in the afternoon.
I went for a
The last 300m of broken ridgeline had a fair amount of snow cover,
walk up to the Balmes François Blanc with Sarah and the kids
and after trying to stick to it for about 100m we opted for a snow
on Wednesday for a recce of the south pillar, and decided that as the
and ice gully that went at about grade 3 that took
walk was relatively easy and short there
us to about 30m below the summit. Arriving there at
was no need to carry all our bivvy gear, we
5.30pm the sun was still fairly high in the sky and we
could simply start early from the car park at
felt pretty good with our day so far.
Pre de Madame Carle.
The summit ridge in descent seemed to go on
Richard and I set off from Briançon the
forever. It took us an hour and a half to get to the
following day at 3am, left the car park at
abseil at the end by the Dôme des Ecrins, where
4am and were negotiating the rimaye two
we packed most of our gear away except for a few
and a half hours later. We struggled to find
pieces in case of crevasse issues. It was nice to
an easy way up the wall just beyond the rihave a good track down the North side of the Barre,
maye and ended up going up a steep juggy
which wound its way through all the crevasses, and
chimney with far too much loose fine gravel
avoided most serac danger.
on every hold.
We packed away the rope and harnesses as well
After that the going was easy for a while;
at the bottom of the face, knowing that on the long
we were moving together because we
flat trudge along the Glacier Blanc all the crevasses
had started off that way, but the ground
are only about 2cm wide and not a real threat.
could easily be covered without a rope. We
Just as it was getting dark we got to the part where
kept moving together up past the red tower
the glacier steepens up a bit and the path heads off
and the grey tower through the odd move
onto the scree on the left. Richard had been up there
of III and IV, covering the distance fairly
a few weeks previously when the lower path had
quickly. On the whole the ground was reabeen good, so we went for that one, which by now
sonably solid, but there were enough loose
had lost any snow cover and was a bit of a maze
holds and rocks that you had to double
through the widening slots with some precarious
check most things before putting your full
balancing along knife edges and a few jumps over
weight on them, or try and keep the load
wider slots. By not stopping to rope up again we
well spread between the points of contact.
made it to the moraine just before we needed head
At the bottom of the Bastion we were
Phil in the ice gulley near the summit.
torches to see, and by the time we had taken our
moving together still; but the V- traverse
crampons off it was dark.
looked horribly loose so I dropped my coils
The rest of the descent past the Glacier Blanc hut was an exciting
and Richard put me on a belay. I really did not enjoy that pitch, the
speed walk down the path which seems quite technical in the dark.
central section involved standing on loose blocks then doing a powWe made it back to the car park for 11.30pm and were home before
erful move up putting all my weight on three loose blocks that were
detached from the face and wedged against each other - scary. I was midnight.
So the South pillar within the day, from home back to home - pretty
happy to get to the triple piton hanging belay.
pleased with that one.
Phillip Ingle
After that the rest of the grade IV section of the Bastion was very
enjoyable climbing in an excellent situation. At the top of the bastion
6 days - stuff done!
It doesn’t
sn’t
Rimpfischorn reflected
always have to
be high! The Alps
were gripped by
a series of low
pressure systems
bringing storm
after storm to the
high mountains.
Having used most
of our annual leave
allowance on a
most excellent trip
to the High Atlas
in February we
had only 6 days to
feed the rat with Alpine pleasures.
The agenda was a series of classic
4000m peaks but the weather had
other ideas and for once we took
the hint and chose to duck and dive
throughout central Switzerland.
Day 1. Meteo Suisse… ‘Orages
dans l’apres midi’. Arriving in Geneva courtesy of Easyjet, on time
and around midday, we picked up a
hire car and travelled east to Saas.
Pleasant weather tempted us to stop
off en-route to flash the fun, Via Ferrata De Belvedere, above Nax just
south of Sion. Day 1 out of Scotland
and within 5 hours of leaving EdinGerry ‘ferrating’!
burgh we are limbering up on
lovely limestone, albeit with
rather an excess of stemples
and cabling (the Swiss have
really overcooked the ferrata
concept) but who was complaining…such fun.
A short descent to the car saw
us motoring east again and
arriving at Saas around 8pm
….too late for food at our lodgings but in plenty of time to read
the meteo for the next day…
not good…. Beaucuop d’orages
dans l’apres midi.
Day 2. Sometimes you just
have to go with the weather
and so with a forecast
of good (ish) weather
for the morning with
storms in the afternoon
we decided on the ‘voie
normale’ on the Allalinhorn, as an acclimatisation, you understand.
First cable-car up with
the international ski
teams
(ooh, attitude at altitude!) saw us heading
up a bad weather trail
on this so frequented
mountain, the route this
year is way over to the
east to avoid the loaded
slopes below the col.
The meteo played fair
with us and firm squeaky névé saw us summit in 1hour 40 minutes to enjoy
this brilliant belvedere.
Once back in Saas Fee we headed to the pleasant Kappelenweg crag for
some sports routes just as the storm hit and the rain started in earnest.
Day 3. The original plan was scheduled to be a relocation to Klein Matterhorn to put us in position for Castor and Pollux, but alas the forecast was
for ‘Nuages et orages dans l’après midi’ so it was another day for flexible indulgence. Off we went to Naters above Brig for cragging on one of the area’s
many sport crags. Once again it proved a good choice as we had the hot
rock all to ourselves and the instant weather readout from Klein Matterhorn
website was showing 70 Km per hour winds and heavy snow.‘
Day 4. At last a change in the weather, this time the forecast was for
‘Orages’ but the reference to ‘l’apres midi’ had dropped implying all day mank
(as we say in Scotland!). A decision was made to relocate to a hut and an
area which I had never visited, the Burg Hutte. Situated on an idyllic spot
above Fiescheralp an hour or so of uphill walking in light rain saw us arrive to
a friendly reception and a most comfortable hut. The hut sits at about 1700m,
high enough for some stunning views and low enough to be below the worst
of the weather, it also had a resident pine marten. The hut is surrounded by crags, which in turn are festooned with multipitch sport
routes. As the rain went off the crags dried and we headed out to try
linking 5 pitches of 4c to three pitches of 5a and 5b. The climbing
was on beautiful slabby rock with moves very reminiscent of the
Etive slabs but with bolts to ease the pain of balancey runouts. Just
below the third pitch of 5a it started raining, well it was always on
the cards (and more importantly in the forecast) so we abbed off and
returned to the hut for tea and medals.
Day 5. Forecast…’Orages dans l’apres midi’…quelle surprise!
After breakfast we wandered out to climb Burgwand, an 8-pitch 4c,
wandering route which climbs the north face of the little mountain
“Burg” opposite the hut. This proved an excellent varied excursion
with a big easy 3-pitch traverse in the middle that reminded us of the
middle of Agag’s groove. Once back in the hut we had some tea
before heading down the hill
and relocating west to try
and salvage a big mountain
for the trip. Les Diabelerets.
Day 6. Forecast…no need,
one look out of the window
revealed that the mountain
which had been there the
previous evening was now
missing! Not wanting to be
accused of ‘lack of effort’ we
set off to have a look at Les
Diabelerets from the upper
station of the Col du Pillon
lift system. We were viewed
with a look of pity, disbelief
and disgust from the only
other person in the téléphérique, the driver. As rain
hammered against the windows the cables disappeared into swirling cloud
and the big empty ‘frique swung alarmingly as
it delivered its indefatigable cargo. Once at the
top station (Scex Rouge) we decided to go for
a Scottish type exploratory look, compass bearings, full Goretex, 5 meters visibility, just like
home. It was probably just as well that the visibility was so poor as this part of the mountain
leading to The Dome is littered with ski lifts etc.
However we couldn’t see much of them and we
enjoyed a Cairngorm style walk around the top
of the cliffs to the start of the glacier approach
for the summit of Les Diabelerets. Once at the
Dome we hunkered down for a while and were
Murray and the Strahlorn rewarded with some excellent views caused by
Resting on Feejoch
cloudscapes shredding themselves open on the crags. There was no way we
were going onto the glacier in these conditions so we settled for the walk and
headed back to pack for the return journey.
So, 6 days, one ferrata, one 4000m peak, one 3000m top, 2 single pitch
crags, an excellent new hut visited, 2 days doing mountain multi-pitch sport
climbs and a recce of Les Diablerets for a future acclimatisation day ( you
understand..). Not bad considering the meteo had been consistently foul for
the whole trip. What did we learn? Well, excellent internet based weather
forecasts now allow identification of the areas most likely to be out of the
storms, it pays to be flexible and open with plans (we climbed every day of
this short trip) and it is good to visit less frequented areas and huts. We didn’t
see any other British climbers on our trip and I wonder if perhaps they were
sitting in the pub in Chamonix moaning about the weather? On the day we
flew home we heard sad news of a guide and 5 clients who lost their lives on
the Aiguille D’Argentiere. For once we didn’t feel too disappointed about our
decision to stay off the high hills.
Gerry McGarry
us up a steep zigzag path leading to the best of best quality névé.
It lasted to the base of our chosen ridge, hot as the sun arrived but
perfect timing for the grade IV above. Just a couple of Grenobleans
in front, we moved through and in the words of our new friends, ran
An opportunistic
pportunistic 20 days in the Alps across July and August. Rou
Routes
up the rock, revelling in the Bosigranian quality of the granite.
ranging from PD classic mountaineering to TD Alpine rock, plus a bit of
We waited on top and enjoyed their company, which was repaid with
cragging and a sprinkle of Via Ferrata’s. Roger Phillips, Noel Withers,
some local knowledge about the abseil to a shadowy north snow
Pete Finklaire, Simon Laker.
slope. Replacing crampons whilst dancing at the end of an ab rope
Everywhere we went they all said the same, ‘worst summer
reminded me that 50% of Alpine climbing is planning! Down-climbing
for years’. Didn’t say much, but we had a cracker. Perhaps not the
to the sun bought us round to a Col and a slushy, hot, long descent.
routes we intended, or the areas we wanted but sometimes, drifting
Tea and home-made blueberry pie fuelled the valley return.
with the weather, snatching opportunities, makes for a refreshing
What now?
change.
Weather good for a day but not two in a row so back
First trip July.
to Le Rateau East to complete the proper route. GloriWeather atroous weather, a sneaky traverse to an icy couloir and a
cious throughlittle suspect rock took us to a summit I missed before.
out the Alps,
We were still a team of three, and we planned for a
but a possible
week in August (Noel replaced by Pete) but with an opwindow in the
tion to extend if weather encouraged - it did!
Dauphine.
A return up Pic La Grave may seem repetitive but
A fast drive
first time for Pete, good air training for us.
down in the
The next day saw us on a cragging day. Two fun routes,
Campa’ and
no stress, a classic ridge and a direct 5 kept the rock
the Aiguille Du
motors ticking.
Goleon seemed
Another good single day, consensus was for a mouna good first
tain route, big boots but do-able in a day. The Arête des
choice. Nothing
Bruyères fitted the bill. A beautiful walk up and turning
technical, small
the valley corner the sky-line ridge of teeth, pinnacles
glacier and a
and gendarmes came into view. We moved together
good height. A
- good rope practice (much needed) - and with the genlong mooch up
eral fluidity that comes with being acclimatised and back
to the hut then a
in the groove. Climbing was never hard, maybe HS in
really attractive
places, rock was fantastic and sticking to the crest gave
walk up the valsome classic ‘a-cheval’ moments. We passed a group
ley and onto the La Meije appearing through the clouds
and soon we were on the descent.
short but, to me,
Finally, two good days in a row! Up to
too long glacier.
the Selle hut and the South Ridge of the
Snow was low but spotting
Rateau West. We followed a guide out
someone on the summit rise
early but took a lower, safer line across the
showed the way as clouds
slabs. Once at the Brech a cunning ‘zig’
began to swirl. A snowy,
crossed the ‘schrund, some mixed, then an
rocky scrambling arête led
ice head-wall, L crampon finding nooks in
up into the whiteness. The
the rock, R crampon nicks in the ice, and
top arrived not before time,
the brèche was reached. Old, barely seen,
head a bit puffy but fabulous
footsteps showed ‘a’ way but not ‘the’ way
to be up here, alone, in the
up the ridge until clouds descended almost
mountains. Summer had
hiding the snarling cornice. A quick ice axe
started, account opened,
prod revealed the break-line so we took a
that comfortable belonging
lower way. Tiring now up the steeping ridge
in the mountains.
but at the end we had a treat. Three times
More claggy weather,
the clouds played with us, swirling then
then another window, so we
revealing a fang, white streamers roared
arranged to meet back in La
from its crest, boiling and thrashing. A step
Grave. I arrived late Thursup to the summit and the fang became La
day and woke to a beautiful
Mejie, dramatic, inspiring and a suitable
Friday morning, up on the
crescendo to send us on our way down.
first ‘frique’ and squeaked
Back in La Bérarde our selective guideArete de Bruyeres
up to Le Rateau. Weather
book showed one route on the
closed in as snow began to
Tête de la Meye. Du 5. After 20
fall. Ahead continentals ground to a halt on
pitches of 5/5+ we were met
the snowy mixed ridge with a howling wind
with a view down three valleys
screaming at their confidence. Felt like a
crowned by the backside of
good day in Scotland to me and a chance
La Mejie. This really meant
to nip by, which I did.
La Meije had to be next.
Back down the team had finally arrived
Now fit and acclimatised the
raring to go. Rog keen as mustard after
Promontoire walk passed by
50 years in the hills, Noel keen after a full
with metronomic progress. The
blown knee operation, Pic La Grave a
usual friendly chat in broken
good first thrash.
French with the most traditionThe Saturday morning even better but
alist of guardians began to take
lots of new snow after the previous week.
a sinister turn. We caught a few
After a ginger step onto the avalanche
words, cloud descending, wind
debris that familiar spooky feeling told us
rising, snow, 17 or was that 70
to try again, which we did further left. This
kph?
time it wasn’t a feeling but a stark reality,
It was confirmed, Armagedthe hole was something more, a slot deepdon was due and it would start
er than could be seen and edge crumbling
mid-morning. We and he talked
even as being inspected. Third time lucky,
ourselves out of it, woke late
Descending
off the tete Nord Du Replat
we crossed the bergschrund and thumped
and descended early. Were we
( after dancing
at the end of the ab rope!)
up a pleasantly steepening slope which
guilty of criminal compliance as
didn’t avalanche as we crossed into the sun and up a lovely summit
it turned out to be a ‘do-able’ day, a perfect day – the old man (and
ridge. Finally some views and a deep blue sky, forecast correct and
us?) misled by satellites and algorithms. No problems, the recce is
for once in our favour.
done, next year another to add to the list.
A Via Ferrata rest day and a forecast you couldn’t have bought saw
Time for a final grasp of the granite, a 250m 6a ‘Hands Up’
us in La Bérarde. A superb hot sunny walk up to the Chatelleret hut
seemed a fitting finale and our summer came to a close
and warmth of welcome that would cement our place in Europe if it
Not what we expected but maybe all the better for that. A summer
could be bottled, got us in pole position for a wonderful day on the
of grabbed opportunities and unplanned courses. High huts, valley
SE Ridge of the Tête Nord Du Replat.
rock, summer streams. Just being there is sometimes enough.
The pre-dawn jump across a bubbling glacier stream launched
Simon Laker
Alpine ‘finagling’
Just before sunrise from the Gratton bivouac hut
before our ascent of Punta Rossa. photo :Sam Harrison
With the sun comes the clouds! photo: Sam Harrison
Horrendous weather in Chamonix so I escaped to the Valle
dell’Orco with Jaimella Espley. Photo: James Thacker
Dr Peter Foster on the Coolidge Couloir
on Mont Pelvoux. Photo: James Thacker
Celebration of Whymper’s 1st ascent of Barre des Ecrins
Whymper is clearly a great hero in the Ecrins Massif. With AC members, H Walker and A W Moore, and
two guides, Michel Croz and Christian Almer, Whymper made the first ascent of the Barre des Ecrins on 25th
June 1864.
Exactly 150 years later, five AC members - Sue & John Hare, Ingram & Hywel LIoyd, and Jerry Gore joined the celebrations at the Refuge des Ecrins. Around 100 people, mainly French, crammed into the hut
for an excellent supper. Hywel made a very short address of congratulations and good wishes on behalf
of the AC. In the dawn, all in the hut set out to climb the Barre des Ecrins and were joined by 50 French
Alpin soldiers in white camouflage smocks. We all made the lower summit of the Dôme de Niege des
Ecrins,4011m; weather on top was oscillating between clear then very thick cloud and most turned back from
the final ridge of the Barre – said to be the scene of ‘Almer’s Great Leap’ across a
chasm on the first ascent.
Two guides, as Whymper and Croz, made the ascent in period costume and another local guide – who was also a sculptor – made a stainless steel skeletal statue
a little larger than life. He brought this up from the Vallouise side while friends
brought up a set of 4 wings from the other side of the mountain. The sections were
assembled together and the stature erected on the summit, to celebrate the united
valleys of the Ecrins. It will remain there for this summer and then be placed in the
museum in Valouise.
A fast descent was made to the village library of Ailefroide, in time for the official
opening of a small mountaineering exhibition, which included some historic photographs from the AC Photo in the displays.
Then we rushed to Valloiuse where there were celebrations in the village square.
There were many speeches from the Mayor and other dignatories; these included
ones by Sue Hare (who has splendid French) and John Brailsford. Hywel made
a presentation of a framed photo of Frank Fox Tuckett for their exhibition; Tuckett
tried but failed on his ascent attempted a few days before Whymper’s foray; there
Rear from left: Sculptor assistant; John Hare; Sculptor assistant; is a Ancien Refuge Tuckett above the Glacier Blanc. It was hectic couple of days
Sculptor, Christian Burger; Jerry Gore, Christian's father; Centre: but excellent fun for everyone.
Hywel LLoyd, Hon Library Chairman
Sue Hare; Front from left: Hywel Lloyd, Ingram Lloyd.
Fann(e)ying about!
Time of my life feature
by Mike Mortimer
Lino Lacedelli (1925-2009) is best known through his first
take a grade 5 chimney but with scant information we climbed the
ascent of K2 along with Achille Compagnoni. The final settlement
direct which is quite a bit harder. On reaching the terrace that splits
of the controversy surrounding their ascent resulted in Lacedelli’s (and
the whole face it was easy to get back on route and we were nicely
particularly Compagnoni’s) reputation being somewhat diminished.
warmed up for the first grade VII pitch which, with good protection and
However, there is no doubt that he was a formidable mountaineer
reassuring rock, proved very enjoyable. Spurred on by an impending
and a great rock-climber. Testimony to this is the route he (with Luigi
storm we quickly reached the top, having paused only for a photoGhedina and Guido Lorenzi) established on the SW face of the Cima
graph of Marjorie on the (now) famous flake traverse. The descent
Scotoni in the Fanes region of the Dolomites in 1952. Little was
is very amenable and with the aid of the chair-lift we were back at the
known about it for more than a decade but eventually it became recog- hotel in plenty of time for our evening meal.
nised as a great route and,
In retrospect although we were
until the modern era, one of
pleased with our effort, the Gran
the most difficult in the area.
Mur is not really one of the DoloIn 1982 whilst Marjorie and I
mite’s great routes as there are
were taking the wild and beauonly four hard pitches above the
tiful ski run from the Lagazuoi
ledge and despite the impressive
cable car to Armenterola I
situation it lacks a feeling of combecame aware of a series of
mitment. However, we now felt
steep and very attractive walls
ready for the much sterner task
on the right. The highest and
provided by the longer and more
finest of these turned out to be
daunting Lacedelli.
the home of Lacedelli’s greatHaving booked out of the hotel
est rock climb. Other routes
we were back to ‘tentless’ campthat we got to know were
ing in order to make an early
Claudio Barbier’s “Via del
start. The walk up to the face past
Drago” on Lagazuoi Nord and
Rifugio Scotoni, though steep,
the equally fine but consideris relatively short and pleasant
ably easier SW corner of Cima
so one is nicely warmed up for
del Lago.
the start. However, the crux
Five years later and after a
comes as early as pitch two and
week of climbing in the Val
is viciously overhanging; it can
di Mello we found ourselves
be climbed free but it is normal to
back in the Dolomites and the
use the several pegs for hands
time seemed to be right for
if not feet. Just where the angle
an attempt on the Scotoni. It
relents somewhat the line bends
seemed sensible to ease the
over to the left and, tiring fast I
transition from granite to dolowas appalled to find that there
mite by doing the “Schubert”
were several hard moves at VI+
on the Piz Ciavazes which
that just had to be climbed propwas accomplished after a very
erly. Having got this pitch behind
late afternoon start. Fortuus we should have been feeling
nately we knew the descent
full of confidence but the first part
well and got back to the car
of the route is dominated by a
desperate for food just before
large roof and from below there
dark and somehow Marjorie
appears to be no way round it.
managed to persuade the staff
Our Italian topo indicated “stretto
at Sporthotel Arabba to serve
cunicolo” (whatever that meant)
us a meal at 10 o’clock. Later
at the top of pitch five. Setting off
that night an ill-chosen bivouup the rather loose and unproac spot close to the summit of
tected yellow crack I was none
the Passo Falzarego proved to
the wiser; not until my head was
be such a trial that Marjorie inalmost hitting the roof was I able
sisted we find something more
to see the solution. To the left
salubrious. However, having
there was a horizontal slit several
failed to find a suitable B&B,
metres long and just high enough
Marjorie’s negotiating skills got
to crawl along only after removing
us a special half-price deal in
one’s sack. Although it was easy
Hotel Planac which is nicely
enough the rubbly ledge sloped
Mike on the Diedro Meyerl (7) on the Sasso della Croce
placed just above the Alta
outwards and created the feeling
Badia.
that one would roll off into space;
The weather was rather
equally terrifying was watching
unsettled and given that our “deal” was half-board any route had to be
Marjorie go through the same experience with just as little protection.
accomplished in a total time of 12 hours hotel to hotel which seemed
The stomach traverse soon becomes a comfortable ledge marking
a bit unrealistic for the Lacedelli so we decided that Messner’s “Gran
the end of the first section and a storm over on the Marmolada sugMur” on the Sas dal Crusc (Sasso della Croce) was worth consideragested that it was time to retreat. No obvious possibility presented ittion. The two-stage chair lift from San Leonardo speeds the apself and Marjorie would not hear anything of it, besides wouldn’t we be
proach to the beautiful chapel and Rifugio that is the common start
protected by the next line of overhangs! So with feelings of trepidation
for routes on the magnificent south-west face but there is a fair bit of
I set off heading for what is now a famous and much photographed
loose scrambling to reach the climbing proper. The first four pitches
traverse. Though not particularly hard it felt very committing, espe-
engage a local guide. I was put in touch
with the extreme climber and skier Francesco Tremolado and after some debate we
decided to try the Diedro Mayerl, a route from
which Derek Walker and I had retreated in
bad weather thirteen years earlier. The Mayerl was one of the hardest Dolomite routes of
the sixties being consistently steep and technical for 500m on what is sometimes less
than perfect rock. There are several hanging
stances that add to the arduous nature of the
climbing and just when the top seems to be in
reach the climber is forced out of the diedre
onto a very exposed and poorly-protected
traverse out to the right. However, the climbing is magnificent throughout and the easy
descent with its panoramic views can be
enjoyed to the full.
Two years later we were back to do the
other Scotoni classic established by Cozzolini
in the depths of winter. It is more open and
Francesco on the traverse of Via Fachiri
(Cozzolino) Cima Scotoni
cially as the overhanging section starts to loom overhead. The
subsequent stance is quite comfortable and, amazingly, the way
through the overhangs suddenly did not look so daunting. The
climbing confirmed this impression with good holds and reasonable protection and, somewhat anticlimactically we were soon
on the second ledge that marks the end of the difficulties and
provides the normal way off the face.
The descent is quick and easy, allowing us to get down before
the storm broke overhead. After some soup we spent the night in
the car; next morning the face was plastered in snow!
It was many years before I was to do another big classic in
the Fanes area. Worn-out knees had forced Marjorie to lower
her sights in the Dolomites and in 2005 she encouraged me to
Francesco on Via Fachiri with
Lagazuoi (Nord and Sud) and
Civetta in the distance.
Climbers (circled) at the end of the Stomach Traverse on the Lacedelli route on the
Cima Scotoni taken from the Via Fachiri.
less impressive-looking than the Lacedelli but equally demanding
and, with a long sustained traverse leading leftwards into the central part of the face, just as committing. By chance, one of Francesco’s friends appeared behind us with two aspirant guides doing
the route as an assessment, so it was quite a social occasion.
Since then I have done one or two routes each year with Francesco. It has to be admitted that climbing with a guide is not nearly
so satisfying as planning and executing a big route oneself but it
certainly is more relaxing. It is possible to enjoy lots of other aspects of climbing in the Dolomites and Francesco has introduced
me to areas that I had not previously visited. Most important of
all, it has enabled me to continue to experience steep adventurous climbing in a challenging environment safely into my eighth
decade.
Mike Mortimer
Top tips
We would like to include at least one ‘Top Tip’
from a member each issue. If you have an idea
please contact the Newsletter Editor.
Keep your Ice Screws
sharp.
The Newsletter will be devoting space each issue highlighting the knowledge and experience of our members.
We hope to cover all areas of climbing from specialised
techniques, to gear, to solving any problem that alpinists
might encounter.
Modern ice screws are wonderful!
Their fantastic efficiency and ease
of use have helped democratize all
forms of ice climbing but particularly
steep-ice cascade climbing. Modern
ice climbers no doubt take them for
granted but old timers like me are
eternally grateful for their arrival as
they have helped prolong our steep
ice climbing careers as we would
have given up years ago if we still
had to climb with the old drive-ins,
snargs or, God Forbid, Stubai corkscrews!
Keep your extremities warm.
Have you ever seriously considered of what would happen if your
hands got so cold that you couldn’t use them when half-way up a
route? Most of our experience isn’t in such extreme conditions so we
tend to take a spare pair of gloves and think that will be enough.
Well, you may be fine – but if some
unforeseen weather change or injury
suddenly changes the ball game will
your precautions be enough? This
year we were climbing in Canada
and it was cold, -30C, so I included
some heat packs in my pack that
my son had given me when I left
home (and insisted I carried with me
on routes!) Half-way up Polar Circus
one of my mates happened to take
his gloves off as he as a bit worried
about how his fingers were. The
shock at the sight of his white-tipped
fingers was palpable and continuing
the climb was instantly put in doubt.
Luckily I had more than one pack of
‘Hothands’ with me so I gave him 2
packs, 1 for each glove which saved
the day. After the climb was done
his fingers recovered but without the
Hothands he could easily have been
much more seriously affected.
‘Hothands’ or their equivalents are easily and cheaply available and
can be used to provide extra heat to any part of the body (ie under your
helmet, in your gloves, in your socks when bivvying, anywhere else you
might want!) An extra external heat source is vital if you are tired especially when standing on a stance, bivvying etc. Putting them in boots
can help but in this enclosed environment there is less air flow so less
oxygen to help the chemical reaction which generates the warmth. But
it may still be worth it - Lindsay thinks so!
Dick Turnbull
“I used to carry a small pair, not for my hands, but to put under
my insteps for “summit day” at high altitude.” Lindsay Griffin.
Acclimatisation - ‘how to’
‘Relax - look after yourself’.
But – like all things they need
looking after and above all need to
be kept sharp. Compared to the old
gear they will go in (just!) even when
blunt but the whole point of them is to bite and spin-in effortlessly
and quickly which they definitely won’t do if the have been bottomed out on rock or otherwise abused.
Petzl’s Limice
Originally the process of sharpening modern stainless steel
wide-bore ice screws was really difficult as the shape of the teeth
is based on complex curves and precise angles which are easy to
damage and distort using a file. Manufacturers did attempt to give
some guidance for sharpening by publishing videos on YouTube
but it still remained a fraught process for most. Grivel even offered
a sharpening machine to retailers (Needlesports have one) but
the reality is that one usually needs to sharpen ‘in-situ’ when you
are on a climbing trip and realise that your screws are blunter than
you want!
Having realised that ice climbers needed an easy way to sharpen
their screws regardless of make, Petzl, with their usual ingenuity,
introduced their ‘Limice’ hand-held sharpening device which has
provided a perfect solution for climbers on the move The Limice
(www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/verticality/anchors/ice-protectionaccessories-0/limice) is a hand-held device with which you can
fettle up your screws without needing a workshop so that they will
‘bite and spin’ nearly as good as new. At approx £55.00 it is a modern ‘must have’ piece of gear for most steep ice climbers (those
that bother to put gear in that is!!)
Dick Turnbull
at most risk from altitude related illness are young fit men (perhaps
brought on by competitiveness?). Try not to ascend more than 300m
on average between sleeps.
Sensible stuff: Put on clothes when you are cold and take them
off when you are hot! Hats for sun and cold, gloves, sun block
(I recommend P20 as one coating lasts 10 hrs) and category 4 sun
glasses all contribute to prevention. Being comfortable makes you
more relaxed.
These days perhaps because of the popularity of commercial treks
and expeditions to high altitude there is an increasing amount of scientific research that goes into understanding, preventing and curing
altitude related illness. This is obviously a
good thing but it does have a down side,
particularly as all the findings along with
Eat & drink - loads!
"real life” horror stories are available at the
How much fluid to drink. My rule
click of a mouse. The down side is that it
of thumb is drink loads so that you are
is easy to become spooked about the very
frequently peeing and it is clear and copious.
idea of going to altitude, convinced that if
Use a pee bottle/Shewee in the tent at night.
you don't at least take handfuls of drugs
Also fill your drinking water bottle (mark it
you will die a horrible death.
clearly to avoid confusion!) with warm water
My experience of altitudes from
for a hot water bottle and a drink.
5-8000m over the last 38 years is quite
(Sherpas never drink cold water at altitude.)
different.
Don’t drink alcohol at altitude, it will
It is worth remembering that the
make everything worse!
reason for going to altitude is to enjoy the Move slowly but perhaps not this slowly!
I'm no Doctor but experience tells me that
experience. Not only will undue worrying
most people can acclimatise using this
about altitude illness prevent that, it is also
regime and that drugs are best for solving the problems that can't
proven to increase the chances of it happening.
be solved by prevention, additional rest and descent. Anyway if you
Pace of ascent:
disapprove of performance enhancing drugs in sport, why should it
I suggest that you go as slowly as you can, don’t race to get there,
be different for mountaineers?
Tom Richardson
particularly when you first arrive at 3000m+.Statistically the group
150th Anniversary Ascent of the
Presanella
Douglas Freshfield, golden
age mountaineer and Alpine
Club president from 1893 –
1895, was just 19 years old
when he won a mountaineering
duel with Julius von Payer and
made the first recorded ascent
of the Presenalla on 27th August 1864.
At 3,558m the Presenalla is
the highest peak in south west
Trentino and this summer has
seen a raft of events celebrating the 150th anniversary of its
first ascent.
John Ball, first president of
the AC, was an early explorer
of this area and he and Freshfield are celebrated characters
in local mountaineering history.
So the link with the AC is strong
and I was lucky enough to be
invited to represent the Club and
join the celebrations.
Edda Nella, Deputy Mayor
of Carisolo, had arranged a full
agenda for my three days in the
region. It was a new and inspiring
area for me with the spectacular,
spiky skyline of the Brenta Dolomites on one side of the valley
and the beautiful granite area of
the Presanella on the other. After
packing in a tour of local sights, a
demonstration of traditional glass
making skills, a Q & A session
with local students, a public lecture and much sampling of local
cuisine, the way was clear for an
ascent of the Presanella.
The weather in the Alps has been
terrible this summer but luck was
with us and the day of our ascent
dawned clear and crisp. Eight of
us met in the village of Carisolo at 4am and headed off to the Rifugio
Segantini where we were treated to breakfast. Two of our group
then continued up the normal route from this side while the other six
headed up towards the col at the foot of our chosen route, the north
east ridge. Climbing in three ropes of two I was lucky enough to be
teamed up with local guide Marco
Maganzini. Marco is not only
great company but he also carried all the ropes and hardware,
provided me with all the equipment I was unable to squeeze into
my Ryanair weight allowance and
didn’t laugh too much at my ridiculous appearance in huge goggles
worn over my glasses as a result
of my having forgotten my contact
lenses. He was also most understanding of my leisurely mountain
pace and altitude induced gasping. One can ask no more from a
climbing partner!
Summit success was savoured
in traditional AC style with a fine
bottle of wine supplied by the local
alpine club, the Societa degli
Alpinisti Tridentini.
Thereafter, in appropriately
high spirits, we weaved our way
back down the normal route to the
Refugio. About half way down the
sole of my boot fell off completely but
that merely added more interest to
an already fine and memorable day.
On arriving at the Rifugio I learned
that 20 members of the local choir
had come up from Carisolo intending to give us a singing welcome.
Unfortunately though we spent so
long enjoying the mountain that they
sang a welcome without us and then
descended before we arrived. That
was a pity but all was not lost as I
was lucky enough to hear two of
them singing their song ‘Presanella’
at a private performance before leaving for my plane.
I arrived back in the UK laden with
gifts, fine memories and feeling the
strong link between the AC and this
area is very much alive and well.
Mick Fowler
ONE DAY AS A TIGER
Alex Macintyre and the birth of light and
fast alpinism.
by John Porter
During his short life, Alex MacIntyre had a meteoric impact on the mountaineering scene. At the age of 28 he was tragically killed by a single rock
that fell high from the south face of Annapurna - in that moment the climbing world was robbed of one of its brightest stars. Alex had already risen
through the ranks to become one of the leading figures of British mountaineering’s most successful era. Born to a Scottish Catholic family living near
Hull in Yorkshire, Alex went on to trail-blaze his way up hard new routes on
Himalayan giants like Dhaulagiri and Changabang, and left in his wake a
glittering record of firsts in the Alps and Andes. How Alex climbed was as
important as what he climbed: along with partners such as Voytek Kurtyka,
he pursued the vision of a purer form of Alpinism, whereby ascents were
made as quickly and as unencumbered as possible.
John Porter offers us a poignant insight into the life of his friend Alex,
showing mountaineering at its extraordinary best and tragic worst, while
drawing an unforgettable picture of a dazzling, argumentative,
exuberant legend.
Price: £20
more details available from
www.v-publishing.co.uk
New
Guide
T h e D o lo m it e s
Here is a new, stunningly attractive Rockfax guide that
hat speaks directly
to the AC membership!
The new Rockfax Dolomites guide brings Rockfax’s now familiar and
popular layout (great colour photos etc) to a famously complex area.
The guide includes a wide range of crag climbs, via ferrata and
famous long classic climbs.
The guide uses its well-known topo layout for crags, a verbal
description for via ferratas and annotated route photos alongside
proper route/pitch descriptions for the longer,
more complex Dolomite classics.
This is a selected guide and most areas are included (with a couple of
notable omissions!) and will become the ‘go-to’ guide for most of this
famous and fantastically rewarding climbing area.
Price: £29.95
(This is a Big Heavy Book! You will need a smartphone to take photos of the pages
you need on your route/via ferrata etc or be very strong!)
Membership
We would like to welcome the
below into the Alpine Club.
Alpine Club
Guide Books
Full Membership
Kevin Mahoney
Iain Hook
Phil Children
from ONLY
£7.00 each
Aspirant Membership
Alasdair Blackshaw
Tom Lehane
Simon Ball
Robert Damon
Rhianwen Thomas
Thomas MacAndrew
for AC members
£10 for twin edition
Dolomites Guide
£20 for 4000m Peaks
£2
all prices inc P&P
Contact Iwonna for
details.
(please buy through HQ
(p
as the Club loses least that
way!)
Roca Verde
New
Guid
e
Spain’s best kept climbing secret
secret!
t!
‘Roca Verde’ publicises one of the best-kept secrets in European climbing;
the fantastic sport climbing in and around the ‘Cordillera Cantabrica’ mountain
range in north-west Spain. ‘Roca Verde’ has selected the best crags in Asturias,
Cantabria and Leon, to create a guide which incorporates the complementary
areas most utilized by the regions’ climbers.
Roca Verde contains over 40 selected venues, over 190 distinct sectors and
nearly 3000 routes. Just as importantly, it includes the information the locals
know; how to choose the right venue for sun or shade, summer or winter and for
whatever grade you climb.
Roca Verde is available in all good climbing shops but can also be bought at our
website: www.rocaverdeclimbing.com
Price: £30.00
‘Stop Press - Richie has just opened a rental house in Asturias for climbers
wishing to visit the Roca Verde region. See www.casaquiros.co.uk for info.’
Saturday 29th November 2014
AC Annual Dinner and AGM
The 2014 Annual Dinner, AGM and Symposium
will again be held at the spectacular, recently refurbished
Palace Hotel, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AG
(For overnight accommodation see box below.)
Specially selected real ale will be served from
Friday evening
Dinner ticket price £30.00 per person
(excluding drink)
Tickets for the symposium and dinner can be
purchased by either of the following:
Payment to the Alpine Club’s PayPal account by following this link:
http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/payments/Dinner-Symposium.html
(N.B. Preferred method - You do not need to have your own PayPal account)
or send a cheque payable to :
Alpine Club plus SAE to the Office Manager, 55 Charlotte Road,
London EC2A 3QF
- marking the envelope : annual dinner / symposium.
Tickets will be emailed to the PayPal address.
For cheque payments the enclosed SAE will be used.
You can still book your tickets
Guest Speaker:
Places to Stay
Michael Kennedy
Either The Palace Hotel
(call the Hotel direct on
01298 22001)
Or elsewhere in Buxton
- see list of options on
the AC website.
One of America’s foremost mountaineers who, from 1974 to 1998, was the
editor of Climbing magazine, the most
influential of American climbing publications. In March 2009, he took the
position of Editor-in-Chief of Alpinist
magazine for a couple of years.
£15
AC Symposium
Sym
mposium
‘How to do it!’
It is normally pretty damp in November. What better time to consider
planning the next trip. You may have
already been on several big trips
and want to hear about regions you
haven’t been to before. Or frankly,
you have been climbing in the Alps
and have decided that 2015 is the
year to make that trip that you have
been daydreaming about since laying
hands on Christmas Crack in December 1971. This year the Symposium
will peel back the layers of organisation required to do it well.
The 2014 AC Symposium takes a
practical view on how to organise,
fund, plan and execute a mountaineering trip to alpine and the greater
ranges around the world. The Symposium will feature a panel of experienced alpinists who have been
there and done it and a selection of
speakers who will cover most of the
aspects involved in carrying out the
climbing trip of a lifetime.
Tickets are £15 for AC Members
and they are available via the
website.
10.00 -10.45
Becky Coles
Nuts and bolts (! Ed) of expedition planning
10.45 - 11.30
George Cave
Technology Support for Expeditions
11.30 - 12.15 Julian Freeman-Attwood
Access from a boat: Expeditions to the
Antarctic and Tierra del Fuego
12.15 - 13.00
Lunch
13.00 - 13.45
Panel Discussion
Chaired by Stephen Goodwin
13.45 - 14.30
Twid Turner
Big Wall Climbing
14.30 - 15.15
Victor Saunders
Commercial Expeditions
AGM at 4pm
ook
b
w
Ne 0.00
£2 Now
t
Ou
Everest Revealed
Th
i t D
The P
Private
Diaries and Sketches of Edward Norton 1922-24
Available from the History Press
Call 01235-465500 Marston Book Services
The unveiling of a statue commemorating the
100th Anniversary of the death of Melchior Anderegg
Past President Leslie Stephen has been immortalised in bronze
with his guide Melchior Anderegg in Meiringen and the AC sent a
strong delegation to join in the celebrations.
The statue, which is life size, overshadows the less lifelike
statue of Sherlock Holmes, which sits nearby. The pair of
climbers are depicted in vision of stoic determination, faces
turned against the elements. It is all very impressive and the
celebrations were enormous fun.
It all kicked off in the town church with some tremendous
yodelling by the Swiss and a well sung response from the
Chamonix Guides. The AC did not sing, although the author
was raring to go. Readings and tributes followed including a
speech from Switzerland’s recent ex-President. The tributes
were laced with references in English to the Alpine Club and
its pioneering spirit which opened the Alps.
Outside the church the parade formed up led by the Swiss
guides, then the Chamonix guides and then the Alpine Club.
The procession led back to the statue, which was unveiled
with great humour and aplomb.
Then there was the party. The Chamonix and Swiss contingents could dance but not like the AC. Simple food and great
company is often the secret of a great party and this proved
to be the case and the evening ended with promises to meet
again at the Chamonix event in May 2015.
We would like to extend our gratitude to Patrick Anderegg
and his family for their generosity and kindness over the week-
end of celebrations and we look forwards to seeing them again soon.
Charlie Burbridge
Alan Lyall and Charlie Burbridge alongside Leslie
Stephen and Melchior Anderegg in Meiringen
New AC web service
The
Clu You
bn r
ex you eeds
pe
rie r
nc
e!
Expedition
Information
Centre
www.alpine-club.org.uk/ac_exped/
The AC and its members have unparalleled experience in organising successful mountaineering expeditions to all the great mountain
ranges of the world. The Club is now launching the extensive new
web-based service for all mountaineers to help them utilise our
members’ priceless and hard-won knowledge in preparing their own
expeditions.
The Expedition Information Centre is the accumulation
of your experiences, continually updated to provide the latest
information on where/what to climb, local conditions, equipment,
insurance, food, available grants and many other relevent aspects
essential for a successful expedition.
This site depends on AC members contributing their experiences
on a regular basis and will reflect the Club’s continuing vibrancy and
considerable contribution to British mountaineering.
www.alpine-club.org.uk/ac_exped/
How to contribute:
email
[email protected]
with your experiences, photos
and the site will be regularly
updated.
eet
M
C
A
rt
Repo
campsite booked – no going back now! The venue
was Saas Grund, just down the hill and half the price of
Saas Fee – the time early September when the mountain huts are emptier, less congestion on the favourite
routes, and the weather usually still settled.
The first day saw the party on the Hohsaas glacier,
instruction in snow and ice technique, crevasse rescue,
and glacier travel – general safety training and use of
technical equipment. This proved hard enough on a
sunny day, 100m from the lift station and half an hour
from breakfast, not to mention the several ice screw
belays handily pre-placed – how would we manage
at the end of a gruelling day in bad conditions, with a
single axe for a makeshift belay if lucky – let’s hope the
situation never arises! The second day saw the whole
Ben, Rob, James, Tamara, Ian, Paul, Rhianwen and Charlie.
party on its first 4000m peak, a chance
to understand roped walking on steep
Crevasse rescue practice
ground and hopefully to shake everyone
It seems there is a new generation
out and form partnerships for the following
of young things under 20 who live
days. The guides then ‘retired’ and we
on grade 7 sports climbs in conwere left to our own devices.
verted church–come climbing walls,
How would people pair up – in the mounwho seldom see the light of day, let
tains, a partnership of shared responsibilalone snow or ice. And at the other
ity and trust is of pre-eminent importance.
extreme a cadre of 50+ old-timers who
What routes should they do, how has the
fondly remember the days of bowline
weather affected the grades, leave from
harnesses and Dachstein mitts, being
valley or hut, start times, etc – endless
laughed at by friends at the local golf
questions – but the organiser must not
club, and somewhat scared of venturcross the line into advisor – ‘I suggest you
ing back to the high mountains. With
check that with Kevin’, became my stock
these thoughts and the inspiration of
phrase.
Neil Johnson at the
As the days passed
Buxton conference last
the routes flowed
year, the idea of an ‘As– Weissmiess, Lagpirants’ meet was born.
ginhorn, Nadelhorn,
But what sort of meet
Alphubel, Mittagis this? Surely not the
horn, Jegihorn – the
time-honoured tradigrades didn’t matter,
tional climbing meet –
the importance was
rock up at the campsite,
that everyone pushed
consume beer until
themselves within safe
sense and judgement
limits and achieved a
is totally suppressed,
potential very personal
and point yourself at the
to themselves. High
hardest routes going –
value ascents included
then the inevitable epics
the South ridge of the
and near disasters are
Lagginhorn and solo
recounted with licence
achievements on Aland at some length
lalinhorn North ridge
liberally oiled by further
and Lagginhorn W
copious beverage.
ridge. The weather
And should a climbsmiled throughout and
ing club be training its
we suffered only a
members – the dilemma
single minor casualty –
Ian,
Paul
and
Rhian
on
top
Ewan
Paterson
on
top
of
the
Allalinis common to all sports
bruised face and knee
of the Nadelhorn
horn after soloing the north ridge.
clubs of the modern
from a trekking slip.
era. Much discussion
A full routes record
ensued regarding the legal ramificawas kept, and a few statistics – 57 astions - suffice to say this issue was
cents on 8 different peaks by 13 separate
never resolved and undoubtedly the
routes – I like to think the Aspirants bediscourse will continue in the climbing
came Alpinists. And only 85 beers drunk
bars up and down the land for some
– this must be something of a record in
time. The old timers fondly remember
moderation for a climbing meet.
the haphazard meets of yester-year,
instruction was unknown, safety never
Notes by Barry Speed, Sept 2014
mentioned, we seemed to just make
- with thanks to Mira of Shoenblick
it up as we went along. How we
Hotel,
Kevin and Julie-Ann our mountain
survived is a mystery. But of course
guides, and of course all the Aspirants
we can and should do better – and for
who took part.
this meet a compromise was reached
– professional guides would be
Attendees:
employed to give initial safety instrucBen Simpkins, Rob Baldock,
tion and training, and on hand to give
James Brunning, Andy Clark,
advice throughout the meet.
Harriet Clark, Ian Evans, Tamara
An email round the Alpinet confirmed
Goldin, Paul Maries, Charlie
that we indeed have a rich untapped
Pearson, Rhianwen Thomas,
seam of Aspirants, would-be Alpinists, in fact an overwhelming number
Pamela Holt, Tom Ogg, Ewan
that could have filled the meet several
Patterson, Barry Speed, Piotr
times over. Numbers were limited to
Hohlaubgrat, one of the classic
Szawarski, Howard Telford
18, two guides employed, hotel and
ridges on the Allalinhorn
Alpine Club 2014
A
Aspirants
A
sp
Alpine Meet
Don’t forget your own
‘Member’s Area’ in the
AC website!
AC Services
If you still have not done so, do register for Alpinet at
www.alpine-club.org.uk/alpinet/index.php
you can look up the latest addresses of
members and change your own
details, sign on to circulation lists etc.
ALSO - send in your email address to ensure you
get kept up to date with our regular
AC Email Bulletins.
Send it to [email protected]
and Iwonna will include you on the list.
AC T-Shirt
The latest AC T-shirt, now in a
‘technical’ fabric i.e wicking, fast drying etc! This is proper modern clothing
that all discerning AC members should
be wearing! Available only in Charcoal.
Sizes S,M,L (unisex) and Ladies S,M.
Availble through the office
Second Hand Books Sales:
[email protected]
Price £16
From time to time the Library offers a list of surplus books that are for sale
to members. To save costs and delay, we will now do this by e-mail. If you
cannot receive e-mail, then please give the AC Library a note of your
name and current address and we will post any new lists to you.
Availability of World Maps
The Alpine Club has access to a variety of detailed world maps that
are available to Members to help plan their
expeditions to the wider ranges. Typically we have numerous
Russian 1:50,000 to 1:200,000 maps available in
electronic format that can be emailed free to interested parties on
request. Please provide either the map reference
number or the specific location and possibly name of the mountain(s)
of interest. The following regions are available:
Himalaya, Karakorum; Hindu Kush; China - Tibet; China - Central;
China - Xinjiang; Pamirs; Fann Mountains; Tien Shan; Altai; Sayan;
Kamchatka; Iran; Caucasus; Turkey; Morocco;
Ethiopia and South America.
Available in paper format are a number of 1:50,000 maps
of the Indian Himalaya. These are only available for use in the AC
Library but may be copied.
Requests for electronic maps should be made to Derek Buckle (address in Handbook) and to our Librarian Tadeusz at
[email protected] for information concerning the
collection of hard copy maps.
We are also trying to put together a collection of other electronic
maps such as those available for Chile, Alaska and possibly elsewhere. If you have such maps it would be great to have them more
generally available for members. If you send them to Derek Buckle, I
will put together a supplementary list of what is available to add to
the Expedition Information Centre on the AC web site.
AC
Ne
w
nowsto
ck
i
n
Buff
You too could look as good as
this! Get that cool mountain look
with an AC Buff!
Only £13 from the office
AC Climbing Fund
£10,000 pa
grants for AC
members!
sponsored by First Ascent
The AC Climbing Fund supports private expeditions, provided that at least one of the participants is an AC Member.
Your future private expedition could be on this list! Details and an application form - check with the website for
current details - can be found on the AC web site at
www.alpine-club.org.uk.
Don’t forget to visit the AC website: www.alpine-club.org.uk