Alpine Summer Courses 2012
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A quick chat with Richard back from the Oberland12:45 GMT, 19/Jul/12
We caught up with Richard Dupont here in Chamonix this week. He's just over teaching on our Alpine Techniques course after a week of Swiss adventuring in the Oberland and beyond. Here's his latest from the 4000'ers course.
Swiss Week-In-Review with Richard Dupont
Richard, where did you disappear to? We couldn?t find you guys on the radar anywhere.
R:�The three first days were in Grindelwald, where we climbed via ferrata Rotstock in mixed conditions.�Then we went up to Monch hut and attempted the Monch but it was too windy so we did a walking peak which is called Walcherhorn (3692m) in porridge snow.� In French, actually we call this the ?soup?.
And who did the trail breaking?
R: (laughing)�All of us, you know. But mostly, Graham.(Graham McMahon, second three Jagged Globe guides on the course) That?s why he?s so slim now. That and all the flying lessons. Too much fear makes him skinny.
�Then the day after we did the Monch when the winds dropped.
Next we left the valley from all the deep snow and drove to Saas Fee. Graham and myself went up to the Almagellar Hut and Andy Owen to Mischabel Hut to climb the Nadelhorn. We six went for the Weismeiss.
We had to wait for better conditions that first day. So Thursday when finally the weather improved we did the Dri Hornli which is a long grade four rocky ridge, in big boots.�This was quite interesting and involved a bit of rope work in preparation for the next day on Weismeiss.
This was the warm-up day?
R: The boys are very happy though they did come down with lots of bruises on their knees.
After that?
R: Then for the end of the week we had a 4 am wake up and got up on Weismeiss in good conditions. Still a lot of snow and a quick descent between the seracs.
Then back down for some nice cakes in the tea shop in Saas Grund. Not Andy of course! Nor Graham actually. Too focused on his new pilot-light diet.
Thanks Richard, we'll catch up with you again after Dan, Wendy, and company wear you out some more on their mixed-leading course this week.
Celebrating the life of Roger Payne12:52 GMT, 17/Jul/12
To friends and past rope-mates of Roger,
A few special celebrations in place these next couple weeks. This Saturday here in the Alps and then in the UK after that. Details here:
http://www.andypmountainguide.com/index.php/eng/Community/News/Roger-Payne-Celebration
Julie-Ann and good friends putting together the service have asked for any photos you may have of Roger. If you have some to share, send them over by email or by post:
Email to�[email protected]
or
Roger Payne Photos
BMC
177-179 Burton Road
Manchester
M20 2BB
UK
International Arolla Week!12:40 GMT, 11/Jul/12
We have a small but multi-national team in arolla this week. Wai from China, Aaron from Australia,� Jenni a proper Londoner (At uni. in Edinborough!) and myself a confused mix of Welsh born and Kiwi raised now living in Austria!
And We're Live for the Summer!16:21 GMT, 10/Jul/12
Floods in UK, heat waves in USA, here in the Alps bursts of sunshine welcoming in the start of the 2012 summer season.
The summer's started out with bursts of sun. Shocking!
This week the winds take us mostly towards the Swiss wilds with Andy Owen, Richard Dupont and team exploring Oberland. Paul Farmer calls in from Zermatt updating us on winds, lots of snow, and bright sky afternoons. In Saas the floods of last week mellow. Or at least, they've not swallowed up Jim Kerr and his crew. And here in Chamonix our morning stream of winds break by midday so there's been a nice hum of crowds at the Cosmiques and Tete Rousse huts up high, and here in the valley, the pro climbers preparing for the World Cup Climbing Competition lying low before the excitement of the big events tomorrow evening.
Today, photos & updates in from Tomaz Jakofcic and Jim Kerr on their�first week in Arolla and surrounds.
Alpine Introduction and Mont Blanc Summit
Good weather combined with a healthy mix of Scottish banter and proper vin rouge saw our first Mont Blanc climbers through the trials of their acclimatization week of Alpine climbing in Arolla, Switzerland.
Andy, Fareed, and Euan used the time to acclimatize as well as harden up for what proved to be an epic adventure on Mont Blanc. �After pristine conditions in Arolla for the first week, the forecast looked bleak and only becoming more dire once the team hit Chamonix. So with a good laugh the decision was made to pack early and take the shot straight from the valley floor. Gusting winds, some last-minute sandwiches from the valley, and a spare headlamp (just in case...?), had them out for an adventurous, fully-packed day on the great white one.
In case a 10 hour day didn't provide enough drama, the weather came in just as predicted, trapping the team up at the Cosmiques Hut post climb for a full day. Would you believe a table of grown men actually resorted to charades? Well, just about..
Conditions too full-on to stop for photos climbing Mont Blanc, so this batch of shots from the serene Swiss days of the previous week.
An update from Andy when he's returned from his "recovery sail" in Croatia this week.
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