Cragging at La Joux, a nearby little crag with all the holds on upside down.
The Alps
- 2 -
More serious rock climbing: on our way to an epic on the NE ridge of Aig. de la Perseverance, with directions hopelessly mis-translated in the English guidebook.
Climbing on snow: on our way to Aig. du Tour, last day of the Conville course.
Easy access: the Grands Montets cablecar station, the base of the most popular route in the Alps...
The summit ridge of Petit Aiguille Vert. It gets more crowded, but we didn't wait to see.
Official break spot after descending the summit ridge. We rejoice in not having lost any fingers to the crampons of the pushy guides and their inept clients.
Down at the Grands Montets station again, time to enjoy views of the Drus.
Hoping the clear weather will hold, we make our way down onto the Argentiere Glacier to attempt Aig. d'Argentiere the next morning.
Conversation between rope teams, down on the Argentiere glacier.
Another team on their way to the Argentiere hut. We were to try a glacial route the next morning.
It snowed all night, we gave up in thick powder, and made our way down in steady rain.
Another team, another week, another mountain. Sick of waiting for the weather in town, we decide to try our luck.
Things look better by sunset, at the Albert Premier hut.
It's handy having Brits around: Scotland makes them good at walking on a bearing. We cross the glacier in solid mist, and find the right couloir.
The sun makes an effort to appear, on the way up NE couloir of Aig. du Passon.
Near and far ridges, from Aig. de Passon.
Descending the ridge took far longer than expected, so the glacier had turned to slush for our return. And we missed the last cablecar.