Journal 2010
Alex McIntyre Hut, North Ballachulish, 5-7 March 2010
The Cabin, Newtonmore, 26-28 March 2010
Naismith Hut, Elphin, 23-26 April 2010
Mont Blanc, by Ruth Love
“Hey my sister has just climbed MONT BLONK!” “You ROST BIF eet’s MONG BLONG not MONT BLONCK but felicitations to your seester, that ees very good”. I had just texted the good news to my diving instructor brother John who lives in Egypt. He was with a French colleague when he got my text. John and I regularly swap adventure stories and these filter through to my two other brothers (golfers) and hopefully the scariest stories do not reach the ears of our parents.
David Small and I were back at L’Aguille du Midi waiting our turn to descend to Chamonix on the telepherique. We were holding numbered tickets as if in a queue for a deli at the supermarket. We were tired and parched, but elated after the success of the day, Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe at 4810 metres. This was the highest that I or David had ever climbed. At the start, Simon (my husband) had accompanied us up to L’Aiguille du Midi station which still holds the record for being the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world. He took photographs of us as we descended the knife edge, steep ridge onto the glacier below from where one then ascends 80m to the Cosmiques hut (3613m). Exhausted mountaineers were ascending the ridge at the same time which made it all the more exciting. On the right side you would fall to the Col du Midi (3532m), on the left side you would fall down over 1000m towards Chamonix. Many of you will know that this is where the famous Vallee Blanche ski run begins and in winter a guiding rope/wire is placed along the ridge. Indeed a good few JMCS members will have climbed Mont Blanc.
We had prepared as well as we could given weather and time constraints. Simon and I had arrived in France several days before David so I had gained a bit of a head start on fitness and mid altitude training. We completed a delightful 4 day hut to hut walk - Tour de Glaciers de la Vanoise. This took a course entirely above 2000m with a high point col at 2900m and sleeping three nights at close on 2500m. On this walk, that we would highly recommend, we were treated to our first ever sight of the rare Lammergeyer bird. Yes a text was duly sent to Eddie Gillespie (JMCS bird expert)!
David flew in to Geneva and we all met up hurriedly at the car park of the apartment near Chamonix that David was to be based at. I had already packed my rucksack in readiness for a trip up to the Torino hut booked by David the night before from Edinburgh. He quickly caught up on packing and soon we were being transported up to the hut at 3800m by telepherique. We were hoping to acclimatise and refresh our alpine technique. I had missed two Alpine seasons and wondered if I might be a bit rusty. But I found it to be like riding a bike and David is very fit so we soon settled into a good rhythm and felt at home. We only managed one route before bad weather visited. The South East Ridge of La Tour Ronde (PD 3792m) provided some training but the route is rather chossy in places and lacks quality. The final section is clean and pleasant and of course it was good to be sitting just under Mont Blanc the ultimate objective. Unfortunately we were not able to climb the Dent du Geant the next day as hoped but were forced down by a storm. However we had benefited from two nights sleeping high and that certainly helped with acclimatisation.
So then a day off was spent in Chamonix, partly in the fantastic outdoor/indoor swimming pool but largely in Snell Sports, its biggest outdoor shop. I bought new boots and a North Face sports bra! Well I did not want to waste time fiddling with straps and clasps at 1.00 in the morning. Sack packed again and up up and away to L’Aiguille du Midi next day. We knew that a friend of David and Linda’s, “Ozzie Andrew” would be up at the Cosmiques hut with a partner intending to climb Mont Blanc on Monday 19th July. Andrew had been out in The Ecrins for a couple of weeks and was already acclimatised. We were tempted by the kind invitation to join them but we declined feeling that we could do with another day of climbing and acclimatisation. The weather window was forecast to last two more days. We are glad we did wait as everything worked out perfectly and neither of us suffered from sickness or headaches as we steadily plodded up the mountain.
We climbed the Arête des Cosmiques (AD 4c), described as safe but exhilarating, on that Monday 19th. David had climbed it the previous autumn with Cairns Dickson and suggested that it would be a good and convenient thing to do. It’s a short walk from the Cosmiques hut to begin the route and it actually finishes at L’Aiguille Du Midi station. It is a surreal experience to complete the route on a ladder which leads on to the viewing deck of the station. Tourists take photographs of you and ask lots of questions. One feels like some sort of celebrity of the five minute variety! This relatively short route gives time for a rest back at the Cosmiques hut and with a breakfast time of 1.00am for Mont Blanckers, this was very welcome.
We had planned to make a round trip rather than return to L’Aiguille du Midi but by good fortune and my tendency to talk to all I meet in the hills (Irish blood); we obtained some valuable beta from a British Guide one Johnny Baird that changed our minds. Most helpful and friendly, Johnny told us that some of his guide friends had warned him off descending by the Dome de Gouter Route which was “extremely dangerous”. We later heard that several people had died from rock fall a few days before our ascent and others injured. David and I climbed Mont Blanc from the Cosmiques hut traversing below Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit (separate summits over 4000m). We were meant to return by the Gouter route and be collected by Simon on the other side.
Those who have climbed Mont Blanc before will be familiar with how it all works. There were probably over 200 people attempting Mont Blanc that day including those camping on the glacier below the hut. David observed that their tents looked like hermit crabs in those snowy depressions! The hut accommodates 120 people maximum and only has two proper toilets! There are two supper sittings allocated according to intended route the following day. I ate a supplementary boiled egg whilst queuing for breakfast which is very continental and not substantial enough for me! This had been cooked for me by a friend of Simon’s staying on the same campsite back at base in Chamonix. I reckon this made all the difference though David managed perfectly well without one and hates eggs anyway!
We were not the first to depart from the hut (before 2.00am) but not the last either. We were pretty puffed whilst overtaking many parties en route but once we had slotted back into position, were fine again. I even felt I had a bit in reserve. A good part of the route was played out in the dark and a zig zag train of head torches could be seen snaking its way up the mountain. When dawn broke the views were stunning. Rosy hues and what have come to be called by Simon and I as “Pokenthroughs” came with a cloud inversion.
Mont Blanc is often referred to as a snow plod and it certainly is straightforward but the ground covered is consequential and full on mountaineering skills are required. Seracs above are an ever present threat. We encountered a couple of bottlenecks along the way dictating longer rests than we would have wished. We did choose to stop twice for revitalisation/comfort but otherwise kept going. Climbing an ice gully on fixed ropes with one basic lightweight axe (mine borrowed from Stewart’s Melville College) was interesting and I did receive a blow to the temple from a lump of ice whilst we waited our turn. There was also a rickety ladder over a crevasse to negotiate early on. All this to look forward to on descent.
The higher reaches were unknown territory to me. I had no idea how I would fare up above 4000 metres despite the preparation. “Si loin si bien” till about 4500m but it could all go wrong if the physiology did not work after that. It became harder work and breathing was more difficult but I still seemed to be ok and comfortably keeping up with David who was first on the rope and going well. I thought of my Irish grandmother who lived to be 92 years old and gently disapproved of all this “Trotting about the mountains in this weather”. When her husband died she said to me “Ruth if you don’t keep going you’ll just stop”. I decided to apply that advice to the present situation and kept repeating it to myself. An Italian man then passed me on his descent and muttered to me “duo minuti”. Thinking of my grandmother of whom I was very fond and the joy/relief of reaching the top brought some tears. I wiped them off my face hoping that David would not notice but of course he did! A very happy moment.
We made pretty good time and arrived on the summit just after Johnny Baird and his two clients. He kindly took photos of us and also tipped us off about lift passes. He said it was worth a try to ask to convert our single lift pass into a return ticket for little or no extra cost. What a guy! My French speaking, our politeness and David’s quick mathematical thinking got us a result at only 4E extra!
With the summit crowd sporting different brands of mountain clothing, against the bright blue sky, it was quite colourful up there. All very good natured though and the panorama was “epatante” (breathtaking as they say in French). We had to be careful not to get caught up in the strings of a paraglider. Someone was attempting to paraglide off the summit and was becoming entangled and blown about. We shuffled out of the way and watched anxiously but eventually he took off and disappeared out of sight probably touching down in Chamonix 20 minutes later. Our descent was going to take longer than that!
Crask Inn, 18-20 June 2010
Eight people attended the midsummer meet to the cottage near the Crask Inn, on the A836 Lairg to Tongue road. The cottage is fairly basic (no microwave!) but ideally situated to ascend Ben Klibreck without getting in the car and so, not surprisingly, everyone decided to do this on the Saturday. The main party set off eastwards on a good path to the Bealach Easach, from where we climbed to the summit of Creag an Lochain and on to the main summit in very strong winds! We met the other pair, who had ascended more directly over Cnoc Sgriodain, coming down from the summit as we made the final ascent. As this was Andy’s 200th Munro and Rosemary’s 150th, we stayed a while on the summit, where we were rewarded with brief views, and consumed quantities of pink fizz which had heroically been carried up by Audrey and Tony. The sun came out as we descended in the most direct line possible back to the inn, where a cool beer was most welcome! The entire party ate at the inn that night - a very pleasant meal in the sunny diningroom.
The Sunday was rather overcast and so some headed home, but two of us headed north - one to climb Ben Hope and the other to visit the famous chocolate shop in Durness! We then camped the Sunday night at Dingwall campsite and climbed Ben Wyvis the next day before heading home.
Strawberry Cottage, Glen Affric, 10-13 September 2010
This is a great wee cottage in a fantastic location. As usual, the club prevailed on our landrover owners to take their vehicles in with the luggage, and in fact 6 out of the 8 people on the meet got a lift in, leaving Rosemary and Steve to cycle in on a pleasant evening. Unfortunately the next morning was not so pleasant - no point in getting up when you can hear the rain drumming on the tin roof! Graeme and Rosemary pooled resources and indulged themselves with an omelette lunch, accompanied by a glass of wine, and then the weather cleared enough to allow an ascent of the Corbett opposite the hut by some of the party.
Sunday dawned slightly more promising so there was a mass ascent of Mullach Fraoch Choire followed by a total bog trot on the way back as we attempted to find the path marked on the OS 1:50000 map! One of the Landrovers then left leaving four of us to have a quiet evening in the hut and a pleasant cycle out the next day.
CIC Hut, Ben Nevis, 20-22 August 2010
Brian, Anne, Graeme and Pete braved strong winds and showers to get up to the CIC Hut on the Friday evening. Rosemary decided to stay at home!
Blackrock Cottage, 8-10 October 2010
Five of us converged on Blackrock Cottage on a balmy, windy night with atmospheric views towards the Buachaille from the bench at the end of the cottage. Saturday dawned with amazing lenticular cloud formations and high winds. Pete and Helen braved a top of Ben Starav while Tony and Audrey headed off to the Mamores and 4 Munros. Rosemary decided it was too windy and had a one-to-one lesson in ice climbing at the Ice Factor, Kinlochleven instead! The wind continued to howl around the hut through Saturday night and into Sunday, which was also a lot less sunny than Saturday so we all just headed home (I think!)
Christmas Dinner Meet, Muir of Inverey, 10-12 December 2010
A huge amount of snow fell on Scotland in the days preceding this meet, however a thaw set in on the day we travelled north and continued until the Sunday so we were all able to get to the hut safely, although a foot of snow had to be dug out across the driveway before we could get cars in!
The prospect of trudging in wet, slushy snow did not hold much appeal to most and so Douglas was on his own in climbing a hill on foot on the Saturday, although several people were out on skis, touring and cross-country. Some of us went to look for the ‘big tree’ and managed to miss it, although we still had a pleasant low-level walk. Dinner on the Saturday night was superb as always, courtesy of Keith this year, and followed by the customary walk along to the Linn of Dee. Sunday was cold and frosty and so some people got up a hill before going home.
