Saturday, January 29, 2011

Snippets of Activity.

I spent last Saturday, Sunday and Monday based from the Torino hut in Italy. I was working on a photoshoot which included the Rochefort Arete and North Face of the Tour Ronde amongst other things. Cold fingers and toes were the theme of the weekend with temperatures in the mid -20's throughout.
       On tuesday i got on Nuit Blanche, the classic Chamonix 6 for the first time this year. It seems in pretty much the same shape as last year although the top isn't quite as hooked out yet.

Very poor quality phone shot of Nuit Blanche top pitch.

Yesterday Ben, Jon and myself went for a group romp up "Fil a Plomb" on the west face of the plan. Although this is one of the easy classic winter lines of the range, its not so frequently in condition as it was in previous decades. Therefore it was nice to finally do it. We soloed all but 80 metres of the 700 metre route. The crux at present is redicluously hooked out, and would be possible to climb without swinging tools.  The crux is very similar, but maybe a little steeper, to "The Curtain" on Ben Nevis. We topped out 2 and a half hours after starting then wandered up to the Midi.
Me on some ice.

Ice

Ben climbing the smear that makes the crux.
   

No comments:

Post a Comment