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wormly81
Jan 24, 2005, 1:19 PM
Post #1 of 2
(1228 views)
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Registered: May 9, 2004
Posts: 280
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It was January 3rd around 10 am and I was getting in a quick nap during final approach to Geneva Airport. I awoke to the hiss of the hydraulic landing gear and was quickly greeted to my first view of the Alps...
A few hours spent in an Airport Transfer Service van brought me to the tourist office in Val Disere. As funny as it sounds, the first feeling I got was that of Jackson Wyoming; this is where the uber wealthy come to buy prada skis and gucci goretex. The town was overrun with Brits on holiday (Also known as Brits on the Piss) but had a nice french flair to many of the town businesses (French flair means that while you wait 10 minutes for your baguette you actually do get the feeling that by moving at half speed the boulangier clerk is doing you a huge favor).
Within 3 hours of arriving in Val D, I had unpacked, purchased my ski pass, and skied from one side of Val D to the opposite side of Tignes. As much research and questioning I had done in preparation for this trip, I was truely ignorant to just how fantastic the ski area was going to be.
The conditions were quickly deteriorating, but started off good. 3 days into the trip we were skiing mostly off piste to find better snow (it took time to transition between an avy newbie and a proficient off piste skier including several avalanche lectures and hours of field study), and by the second week all of our skiing was off piste (except for transportation between areas). Needless to say growing up in the Northeast does not expose one to alpine snow conditions where strength is paramount and big balls are king. The steep, narrow couloirs had me beat and gripped early in the week because I didnt have the confidence to point my skies down hill (way down hill) and suck up the harsh terrain. By the end of our 2 weeks in Val D, I had fallen down more couloirs than skied out, but I did have a few moments of brillance where my confidence and my skills meshed up perfectly to send a steep narrow chute with comfort and ease. I can still hear those girlish yelps and screams that were coming from my mouth when I started filling my potential...
While driving into town at breakneck speed, I had noticed several parties climbing a rather large iceflow above the last tunnel. As the snow conditions worsened, we quickly refocused on climbing; time to explore what this "ice" stuff was all about. Although nobody in our party had a whole lot of ice experience to talk about (my level being "climbed some icy rocks and a chimney on a mountaineering route"), we did have big mountain experience and a whole lot of time spent trad climbing this season. How much different could it be?
Well its different. Very much so but we knew it was going to be like that. Climbing is all about maintaining an environment of learning, and knowing that you know nothing is the key to getting better. So we, knowing that we know nothing, set off to surf that frozen waterfall over the tunnel.
Yann led his first proper ice climb (that would be one in which he used protection) but still held tight to his roots by only using 3 screws in 45 meters (bad beta). My first ice climb (following this class 4 route) was an absolute blast. I knocked off a huge dinner plate on some suspect ice which must have had a laser guidance system set on my camera, because it landed on it and nothing else. Lesson number 1 for an ice climber: "Dont drop a layer that has your camera in it no matter how much its warming up". As our time in Val D went on, we got another 2 days of iceclimbing in. Each climb was progressively harder and on the last climb there was an overhanging bulge that required some serious cohones (especially when your climbing in some 1965 Lowa Alpsite leather boots and a pair of strap-on touring crampons). Everyone sent everything clean and it couldnt have been any better. Be assured, iceclimbing is a very involved persuit; something I know I will spend the rest of my life exploring.
Arriving in Chamonix was one of the greatest things ever. Being a climber, I had arrived in the mecca of climbing and was in awe of the mountains and the glaciers that seemed to be overhanging town. I got my first look at the Dru; a massive pillar of rock that has been and will continue to be my goal for the end of the 2005 climbing season.
2 days later I walked off the Aguille du Midi, a cable car accessed peak at 3700 meters. A short but committing ridge climb takes you down the backside into the Valley Blanche, a sea of snow, glaciated, very unhappy.... It was a very warm summer in Chamonix and winter had only brought one big dumping so the crevasses were unseasonably large and required the utmost concentration while moving very quickly. We arrived at the base of the Gervasutti Coulior on Mt Blanc de Tacul and got on belay. Unfortunately, the snow bridge crossing the crevasse at the bottom was completely collapsed. An hour of doing everything possible to cross the crevasse yielded no results and the easily climbed coulior on the other side laughed as we retreated back to the Midi. I quickly remembered that I was on Mountain time and that I was insignificant to the greater forces that be. Perhaps too much success during my climbing career has flawed my perspective of natures control over me; Chamonix truely helped remedy this problem...
A few days later the weather rolled in. The cable cars were all shut down so we hiked out to the Col du Montets to climb some freestanding ice pillars. A great trek (what a freaking hangover) took us to the ice climb where it was obviously not in condition to climb. After scraping off an inch of ice with the adze of an ice axe, I realized that again the Mountains dictated our agenda.
With the mountains still fuming and snow dropping about a foot a day, we finally got up the mountain on skis and put in some freshies down some pretty incredible couloirs high on the Brevant. I felt the fresh powder under my skis and made great runs with a very high level of confidence in the deep stuff. Unfortunately, we were still in the middle of a terrible blizzard and couldnt see anything other than the direction the couloir continued and perhaps a friend 50 meters ahead. I know I got some face shots in but then again, they werent any different from what I could see when the snow wasnt shooting over my head.
Well there you go. It was great. Anyone who loves the mountains needs to find a way to explore the Alps.
And Im spent.
Peace!
Jeff
PS. The following links to my best photos from the trip.
http://forums.alpinezone.com/...clude=view_album.php
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sgorman
Feb 6, 2005, 10:28 PM
Post #2 of 2
(1228 views)
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Registered: Jan 19, 2003
Posts: 50
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wow thanks alot dude, that sounds really cool.
nice pictures too
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