Update

Too many things have been going on lately and i have been pretty lazy with my blog.  I will try to do a quick update about the past weeks as the time constraints remain very vivid during these cold spring times.

First of all - Margalef.

The picture above is from another sector i have recently discovered there - Cabernet, looking down at the Cami de la Ermita.  Cabernet is the opposite of Laboratori - the other famous sector of Margalef full of famous routes, where one usually can see Sharma, Pou, and their paparazzi friends.  Whereas Laboratori is full of  short bouldery mono routes close to the road in a rather claustrophobic canyon, Cabernet is long, sustained, and open to the winds of time.  The view is one of the best around Margalef, down the valley and up to the sun.  Lonely climbers can sleep at the old abandoned Ermita, or sit around a friendly fire if others are around.

And the routes are incredible.  Two projects remain there for me - Califato Coach (what Pau calls the little sister to Rambla), a long, sustained, and overhanging one, and the short bouldery Mar de Fons below.  Both are rated 7b, but are very different in style and project approach needed.  Like the Catalans say, I have feina there!!!

Above is the picture from the inspiring Klaas Willems, working on Pais de Monos, a neighboring 8a+ in Cabernet, a project for future days maybe, when my fingers will grow stronger..!

Second, Montserrat.  We have been going back to the Mother Mountain lately and it is as good as ever - despite the cold times, the snowy times, the sad unsunny and happy sunny days.  Several good days have seen us around the walls of Vermeil and Cova de Arcada - some projects went down, some others remain, and some rap rings are left to the more skillful climbers as bounty on a couple more 7as that i was not able to finish.  That is the circle of life, and the Mother Mountain remains immortal.

Above picture by Remi, myself working hard to lead the awesome line of Vox Populi, a 7b to the right of Ultravox - another pending project in the gold mine of Montserrat Sur sport climbing.


And third - the skiing.

I managed to get out for 2 days to Deux Alpes, and benefit from incredible sunny weather and family times there.  Skiing remains good, i got a chance to have some reminiscences from my past ski touring days.  Yes, it was good - and maybe sometime in the future i will use my old skis again...Not this season though!

Formigal Skiing

When the climbing partner is down with flu, the plan B can easily become skiing at this time of the year. That is the short story for this w-end that saw me taking up the old habit of long drives (4 hrs) to visit Aragon and its ski resort of Formigal, at the French border and facing the magestic Pic du Midi d´Ossau below:


Although the promissed fresh snow apparently chose to cover Madrid´s Barajas airport instead of the ski resort, the skiing was still good, especially on Sunday, when i managed to even climb an arete on a by-standing pinnacle (picture below from pinnacle) to use up the remaining 3cm of fresh powder and pretend i´m ski touring. One way or another, the point is being made that Pyrenees skiing and scenery have nothing to envy the Alps ones!

Andermatt Ski Travel

Ski touring or travelling through Switzerland, this small and hilly country selon Douglas Adams, is as good to end the year as one can wish.

We started in Oberrickenbach, near Engelberg, with the purpose of using up all the Switzerland maps left in the cupboard for so long. Relaxed loop took us to the hut where we hoped to sleep, but it proved full. We had to do another 600m up the col and go back at night to the car - a good intense way to start the holidays.

Next stop on the list, or the base for travel - the village of Andermatt, le pot de chambre de Suisse, as it usually snows for any reason there. We started a relaxed day skiing around the Gemstock station and going to the Vermigelhutte in the end of the day. It was the only refuge we found unguarded on this trip. Apparently all the Swiss decided to go up the mountain during this holiday time. The biggest surprise came in form of two swiss ski tourers coming with their carrots, onions, sauce and all the cooking ustensils for a great pasta - that they shared with the crowd! Those people know how to live and how to ski tour, no comments but a big thanks.

Next day, we traversed to another valley, went up the Ravetsch, and down to the Maighelshutte, a guarded happy place with running water and very tasty jambonaut. But the most tasty during the day was the descent from Ravetsch (picture from the top), with probably the best fresh powder i have ever experienced while ski touring.

Unfortunately the good weather decided to abandon us at this point, and the next day, instead of going for Badus or any other mountain, we went down to the village of Tschamut and back to Andermatt by train (blessed country where you ski down to a train station, and than ski from the train station back to your hotel!)

Next, we went up from Realp village to the Rotondohutte , apparently another popular destination despite all the going up required to reach it. They did not have place for us for the New Year celebration, and we had to go back down through a glacier valley to Oberwald and back to Realp by train again. Below is Ren enjoying the river traverse on the long way down

We started the year at Flaines, with perfect snow and fresh powder.

Wildhorn Traverse

Skiing - again, and this time it feels as if spring is nearing summer instead of it being beginning of February. Global warming, that's the way it goes now in the Alps. Having to carry skis already in February on the shoulders at 2 700 meters - what a world...


Anyway, the tour organized by our Belgian Neige et Montagne had a good program and not too tough an itinerary. We went up the lifts at Col du Pillon to the top of Diablerets and traversed from there through the Sanetch Col and the arretes to the top of Arpelistock, at 3K, and then down in good powder to the Geltenhutte. Yes, we do apparently have to pass each time climbing areas while on skis! Geltenhutte was pretty crowded, entertainment being provided by André, a sicilian living in Switzerland, who won a kiss from me for having repaired one of my skis.

Unfortunately, one of our group members screwed up his shoulder on the way up and had to abandon us half way, going down with Mathieu from Geltenhutte. The remaining six of us continued the traverse the second day, going to the top of Geltenhorn, another fun arrete, down the south face, and up Col de Brochets. View on Glacier 3000 skiing area of Gstaad from the col:

German and French names cross here as the North part of the itineray is in Bernese canton, and the south in Valais, border running through those same arretes that provided our skiing fun. View of the descent on the other side of Col de Brochets:


Last day saw us up Wildhorn - as well as a couple of other parties dropped off by the numerous helicopters. Weird feeling of pride and shame in the same time...rich people getting to the top the quick way - but then again their satisfaction level is certainly much less than ours. They don't even go to the summit cross - just get out of the helicopter near the summit and ski down. Helicopter take-off as we photograph it from the summit:


The descent was very enjoyable, especially the lower part of the Iffigenalp lake and valley. This is Cyprien showing us how it's done on the lake traverse under big rocks:


Thanks to the whole team for making this a worthwhile outing.

Titlis Tour

Skiing adventures this w-end took us to Engelberg, the monestary town, in the middle of this small, hilly country that is Switzerland. Perfect two-day tour around Titlis, little known, but stunningly beautiful mountain - glaciated on one side, where Engelberg lifts are, dolomite-toweresque on the other:

The tour is an upside-down kind, first it took us to Titlis's summit, an easy 200m walk up from the top of the lifts, and than down to the valley on its other side, a more technical undertaking requiring a couple of rapps. Approaching the first rappel station, limestone peaks look very much like the Canadian Rockies. We are on our way down to the Wenden valley, where the famous summer climbing destination, Wendenstock, is.

Usually this tour is done in a day, but as we wanted to make last the pleasure, we continued up and down to the SustliHutte, boys running up Grassen summit, and myself following the arretes to the col. Good swiss hutte, welcoming as always - although gas was not working, we had to do the cooking over the wooden stove.

The second day we went up the col opposite to the hut, with a stunning view of the Sustenpass - here is myself approaching the windy top of the pass:


And finally the fun descent down to Engelberg, illustrated by Olov's prowess, the Swede showing us how it's done: Ready!


Steady, GO!!!

Tour around Dents du Midi **

Continuing on our skiing spree, we spent two days around Dents du Midi, on the other side of Rhone valley from Dent de Morcles. We started at the Marecottes ski station, another three-lift swiss-style wonder, with an impressive access road from Martigny and beautiful ice lines in the valley en face. One has to be motivated to visit all the skiing villages in this country - small or big, commercial or family-type, there is no end in sight, at least for my limited possibilities.

First, we went up the prominent col in front of the lifts near the Luisin. We traversed to the col on the other side without going for the summit (S4 descent). From there we saw the col de Fontanabran on the opposite side of the valley and a beautiful, virgin of ski traces yet, descent we'd follow the next day. Not to mention Mont Blanc and Grand Combin in the distance.

Here is Renaud with our next objective of the day - col de Susanfe on the right of the picture:

The descent was in good snow and practically alone. That was the sign of things to come on this surprisingly lonely tour. Afterwards, unfortunately, we had to go up col de Susanfe - just after the traverse of the frozen Lac de Sanenfe (no i don't know what love affair these people have with the 'nfe' sound there...). Not difficult, but long in the end of the day, the col lead us to the Cabane de Susanfe, a lonely refuge in the middle of the valley. The mountains reminded me of the Rockies with their limestone faces half covered with snow and hanging glaciers.

This time we were completely alone at the refuge, not a bad thing for once, except for the old smoking Stanley stove. Weren't that Stanley stove legs used as protection in Yosemite? (Salathe wall? not sure, my memory is failing here) They looked nicely curved and pretty solid to me one way or another.

The next day saw us up that hanging Ruan glacier, an unpleasant going up, using ski crampons most of the way, sometimes carrying skis through the rock passages and making our laborious progress without traces and just a map - not always that clear. Finally up the col between Grand Mont Ruan and Tour Saliere and out of the North face, we didn't go up the summit of Saliere either, thinking more about the descent and another col we'd have to go up that day. To our surpise, the big Lac d'Emosson was far from frozen. Our itinirary mentioned a crossing of that lake, which prompted us to change a bit our plan and traverse higher up instead of going down all the way to the lake and than up our col. Lac d'Emosson and Mont Blanc in the distance.

The only problem with that plan were the very South-facing slopes all around. Not exactly a place you want to be at 2 pm...There are things you have to do while ski touring or when in the mountains in general that make the heart beat go up a bit. That was one of those times. Going down an avalanche couloir to get to the normal ascent way of our col was the culmination of that. The ascent to Fontanabran was thanksfully much easier, simple ski touring diagonal curve way up affair. Due to our subterfuge traverse we gained a couple hundred meters in the ascent and respected the timing if not the avalanche safety on this one. Renaud in front, at the start of the long traverse...

The descent on the virgin slopes was the recompense for having survived the traverse and all other pains of the day. Good powder and first traces, what could be better? Nice valley d'Emaney, with limestone towers reminding of Tre Cime in many more replicas of smaller caliber made up for the rest.

After a not so bad descent all the way to the car, we finished the outing with a drink in the ever-present Cham in a swedish bar with Olov and Magnus. Even the bar-tenders spoke Swedish - soon Cham will totally forget its french origins among the chique boutiques, exhorbitant hotels, and tourist crowds - with skis in winter, or expensive hiking boots in summer. Thanks god they stay in Cham only and leave all the other small villages alone for most of them. Let's keep the secret places secret!

Marteau in Giffre Valley and the Fiz ***

Done with ice, it's time to get back on skis again! Flaine is a station i haven't been to yet, we leave the car at Samoens and go up all the way to the top of Flaine. Panorama on the Mont Blanc and the desert of Plate is worth the visit to this ski station created in the 60ies from scratch. The tour of the desert is marvelous, after five minutes we are in a different world - no sign of people or ski lifts, only rock and snow around. Here is Renaud at the beginning of the traverse from top of Flaine:


Our program is up the Pointe de Marteau, another not too difficult day with a view on the Fiz chain and Mont Blanc, the big father always present in the background. The last couple of meters up the Marteau double my heart beat as the snow is hardly attached to the rock. Going down is joyful, perfect for my limited powder skiing skills - and only two other traces on the whole face - i do enjoy ski touring more and more! If it were not for the avalanche danger, it could be a perfect sport.

The second part concerns skiing down to the Salvagny village through the Giffre Valley in the pristine Sixt Passy natural reserve. It is not exactly easy with a traverse to accomplish with skis over a 30m drop-off that the description qualifies of an S4. For me it's a rappel with skis on my back, longer but safer. I am getting old - and i don't feel that comfortable on skis yet; maybe one day...

Renaud catches a ride and brings the car back to pick me up at Salvagny and off we go to another family dinner in Lucinges. How nice to have both worlds - family dinner and ski touring all in one - that's what one gets for living in the mountains. One day, one day maybe...

Dent de Morcles **

Finally skiing this year, and snow is at rendez-vous in the Alps, at least much better than last year. We start the ski touring season in Ovronnaz, a small ski station in Switzerland with a thermal pool being its biggest attraction. For us, it's the ski touring destination to get to the Dent de Morcles. We take it easy skiing with lifts and than approaching the very comfy refuge Fenestral for the night. It's 100% swiss, with wine, beer, milk, snickers at free service, plenty of wood and almost full comfort. 2 other skiers show up later and we spend a nice evening near the fire.

The second day sees us up Dent de Morcles, an easy way up and down by Tete Noire for some more good snow. Beautiful scenery on Mont Blanc, Cervin, and Lac Leman. Done by 12, we spend the afternoon in the pool, not bad for a vacation!

On the picture below you can see Rhone down below from the summit of Dent de Morcles, beautiful, Canadian Rockies blue.

Berner Oberland and its King

Finally a long ski touring expedition saw us through during these last days of March. Weather got settled and we went off - ready to pay the Jungfraubahn price to penetrate the mistery of this threesome giants' story - Monch endlessly trying to ceduce the Jungfrau and Eiger curiously looking in a different direction with a scorny face.

The first day saw our optimistic plan of going up the Jungfau go down very quickly. We went up the Laumihorn col instead and down to the Konkordia crossing and hutte, as full of snow-excited tourists as possible. Second day saw us up the Gross Fiescherhorn, a pleasant strall, with a final possibility of two summits from the col (see pic below) - Gross or Hinter Fiescherhorn.

I opted for the first one and got the solo ascent of the last 50m of the arrete. That much for my revange on my failed solo attempt on Monch last year. The descent presented us with a beautiful view of our next day's objective, the king of the land - Finsteraahorn.

Finsteraahorn hutte prooved even more comfortable and clean - you would think it were a hotel if not the absence of any water around. The next day was harder for me although I did get to the top - last but not least. The last 200m of the arrete were exceptional - easy but breathtaking thanks to the constant reminders from the North face. Perfect summit, a nice descent and a long long sleep at the hut followed.

The last day we finished with a descent on Munster and a train ride through the Kandersteg tunnel to get back to our car in Spiez. Good trip - and so much more to do!

P.S. - a goat that greated us in Munster, a ghost town à la American Wild West, swiss style.

Glarner Alps or Dolomites in Snow

Lesser-known part of the Swiss Alps (at least to myself), a lost valley and a closed pass - one of the longest-closed passes, rightly called Klausenpass, welcomed us this w-end. It stood up to its reputation - apart from a couple of snowborders on top of the Urnerboden lift (a curiosity in itself, operated by an ageless man speaking some strange language with probable elfish origins), we did not meet any other skiers.

The only human being through the two days was another - trollish this time - guardian of the Clariden hutte. Unfortunately this one was less welcoming and offered us only soup for dinner and scarce bread/jam mix for breakfast. He was not more happy than that to be disturbed in his self-imposed loneliness in this beautiful place.

After some scarry approach on the first day we were alone with over 50cm of fresh powder on these endless glacier plains of Hufifirn.

After the ascent of Clariden (finally, a summit - despite the wind that chased us down), we spent several hours tracking around and back to the Klausenpass and Urnerboden. It is lucky we still have untouched places like these in the heart of Europe.

Cham in the Sun, Gervasutti and Piseux

Surprise surprise, wonderful weather for once, perfect forecast - no questions asked, we are off to tick off some long-standing plans for Cham.

More surprises await though. First one - Midi benne is closed because of wind and we depart at 9 instead of planned 7 30. Too bad, we'll go directly for our plan - Gervasutti couloir on Tour Ronde - see this beauty!

Certainly the plan is (as usual) too Napoleonian for me - first couloir, and an S5 to start off - but whatever, just being there is great - i forget the questions and breathe in the air of my temple. It is like last year at Jungfraujoch - sun, mountains, snow. Perfect planet, no problems - breathe in and pray. Snow is also perfect, 20cm of new untouched powder. Down and up we go. A couple of people here and there in the goulottes, a guy has already made steps up our couloir.

Going up the couloir with skis isn't as bad as i thought i manage it pretty well and still close my eyes and ears to the piercing cry of my body - how are you going to ski down that???

Next surprise, the wind that made the telepherique start later gets at us at the second part of the couloir - best of them all, fresh snow blown at you upwards. Very cold and unpleasant - not recommended to try alone at 3000 meters, after 4hr sleep in the car and a long drive from belgium before that. But no choice there. We don't even manage the last 100 meters separating the top of the couloir from the summit - down, the only thought.

No summit again. That is how Cham is used to treat its worshipers.

Here i finally open my eyes and ears to the painful truth - there is no way i'm putting on my skis in this thing - i'm crazy, but not that crazy...We did bring 2 60m ropes for a reason - a couple of painful rappels and i'm down, watching my partner make his curves. Mmm, i should probably learn to ski at some point - not today anyhow.

Going down Vallee Blanche, we are alone again in a windless world. My temple is back. We cannot resist, put our skins on for the most pleasant experience of the w-end - a happy stroll up Helbronner to get a look at the Torino refuge and get some more of the powder. Weather is finally perfect - we even manage to forget the wind. For once, no other place i'd rather be.

Next objective - refuge de Requin, happy place, probably my favorite here.

And off to bed at 8 pm to be up early next morning for another couloir - a more realistic Breche Piseux this time. We still are too heavy - 2 60m ropes, crampons, ice tools - i'm surprised at my sherpa capacities myself. Certainly, we are long as long could be.

Just enough, a quick rappel gets us down to Mont Mallet glacier - and here the wind catches up with us again. A painful descent down the wind-blown piles and a short serac traverse gets us finally exhausted to the Leschaux. Blissful push to the end of Mer de Glace, and a painful drive back brings us in short 6 hours home. My car made its first test drive :).

Ski touring around Mt Blanc

Chamonix is expensive and crowded - but then again, where better to go to get a full of skiing, ice climbing and mountain fever? For me, it remains THE place. Only 3 days, but weather was with us and we tried to get most out of it. The first day saw us off exploring Grand Montets hors-piste. Snow was not too good despite the recent snow falls, we went off through Argentiere and queue again to descend the peak. The second day we tried a goulotte on Petit Capucin thinking to do Valeria and ending up on its neighbour Chipanddale.



Not a big deal as we only manage 2 pitches of that before becoming desperate with small snow avalanches and our being absurdly long. A descent of Vallee Blanche (a first for both) compensates the trouble, we are alone in a gorgeous setting. True, this is one of the must-does even if you are not a mountaineer at the base. Third day sees us up Brevent and its crowded slopes. We still manage to find some powder traversing the Aiguille Pourrie andn descending its left couloir. Snow is good...

Ski touring around Wildsturbel, Kandersteg

After my ankle problem i had to stay away from the mountains for over 2 months, however i got to test my new ski touring equipment in Austria in January with very little snow in Salbach and then in Wendensee in a superb hutte Austrian style - Rudolfshutte at 2 500 meters with sauna and swimming pool.

Next, the fun took place this past w-end behind Kandersteg - with Belgian Alpine Club's group called Neige et Montagne we got up Wildstrudel - a rather easy outing with a stay at Lammerenhutte and about 750m of ascent. It was lots of fun anyway especially given the snow conditions and the first tracks we got to make.