Page 31 - AMA Summer 2024

A short trip out of Chamonix; loaded with rucksacks of ropes, axes, crampons, and warm kit to begin the first of our climbs. The gondola and chair lift got us part of the way up, and then a scenic but sweaty walk and scramble took us to the Albert Hut at 2702m and a close up of our first glacier. That afternoon we were out on the Glacier familiar- ising ourselves with the equipment, roping up and practising some of the techniques required to summit the peaks. After some fantastic food provided by the hut, an early night was had, although ear plugs were essential as we were all crammed into one large bunk bed with nothing but a 2-foot board to separate each of us.
0330hrs and we were beginning our ascent by torchlight up Aiguille du Tour. First a walk, then a scramble, and soon we had reached the Glacier where we roped up, strapped on the crampons, and began an arduous climb in the shadow of the summit. 4 hours later and success! We hit 3542m and our first peak. Enjoying the views was short lived as we began our descent which was surprisingly more difficult as we were still settling into the use of crampons and being roped to one another. After a short breather at the Albert Hut, we returned to the chair lifts and made our way back to the lodge in Chamonix.
Grand Paradiso. With the experience and excitement of our first peak behind us we set off through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Italy and parked up beneath the Grand Paradiso towering 4061m above. A walk up through the woods to the beautiful Chabod Hut at 2750m and an afternoon of confirmation training with the equipment. Plenty of Instagram photos, some good food and a better understanding of the ear defence requirements preceded another early night.
Heading out in darkness again we began our ascent. It was a busy route with head torches all over the place. We made our way to the glacier, kitted up, and began the hard graft. It was at this point that Ben led his group to the summit at Mach 10, treating it more like a selection exercise. Mal and Al on the other hand allowed their groups to pause, reflect and take in the scenery – the three teams high fiving each other as they passed. The final 60m of ascent was a technical climb for the more novice of us, but we persevered to our first 4000m peak. After 15 hours of climbing, we made our way to the nearby town of Aosta and checked into our hotel to rest our weary, and for some, blistered feet.
Pyramid St Vincent. No rest for the group in our mission to acclimatise as we woke early and headed to the Gnifetti Hut at 3635m in preparation for our attempt of the Pyramid St Vincent. Until now we had been spoiled
To others, it was
a gut- wrenching experience as we clung to the cliff face, gripped with fear
in our previous huts. The Graffiti Hut consisted of the old hole in the floor, jerry can of water straight out onto the mountain. That said the food was still exceptional, staff friendly and the views incredible.
Confidence was high, and our now seasoned team of alpinists flew up and down the summit of Pyramid St Vincent at 4215m despite the poor conditions. Cold and with limited visibility, a quick photo with the Corps flag was all that was done to mark the occasion. Returning to the Graffiti Hut early, the instructors got us back out onto the glacier for more confirmation training on crevasse rescue and other useful life-saving techniques. With the snow falling, we returned to the warmth of the hut for evening meal, a now staple game of UNO and a good sleep after a busy day.
And now for something a little different... Rest, what rest! The admin day disappeared as the instructor’s set off to a local La Ferrata with the team in tow. Depending on who you ask it was an enjoyable experience where we casually traversed the rock face in the sunshine overlooking the breath-taking views of the valley below. To others, it was a gut-wrenching experience as we clung to the cliff face, gripped with fear, dripping in blood, sweat and tears as the expletives echoed across the French mountainside.
The Main Event – a missed opportunity. We boarded the Tramway du Mont Blanc at Le Fayet and travelled to the Nid d’Aigle, rising from 580m to a staggering height of 2380m. From here we began a steep and arduous climb into the Tete Rouge. The weather was grim, and it did not look good for our attempt to summit Mont Blanc. That evening the instructors and guides sat down and due to excessive winds and severe weather warnings, the decision was made not to attempt the summit the next day. Rather than wait it out in the hut to see if the weather improved our illustrious leader Ben formulated a plan to guarantee we climbed another peak. So, we got our heads down in preparation for an early departure off the mountain.
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