I’ve been out in Chamonix for the last wee while. I haven’t been blogging because I haven’t really been doing anything very interesting. Before I came out here I was doing some rope access work on Gatwick airport which was MAJORLY crap. It pretty much made my decision to get out of the UK for the winter, which seems like it was a good call seeing the storm reports from home. I came back to Chamonix to drive buses for mountain drop offs, but mainly for the 3 days off per week to ski and climb. The weather here hasn’t been amazing, lots of unsettled grey days, and nobody seems to think climbing conditions in the mountains are up to much. So for most of the time its been skiing on days off, or messing around at some dry tooling crags, laughing at how crap, weird and terrifying I find it. I also had my BMG avalanche course and ski induction in La grave back in January. It was nice to ski La Grave and see a whole new area of the Alps. The Avalanche course was interesting and we all learnt how to dig very scientific neat snow profiles and analyse the snow pack, with rulers and stuff.
1. An Ice climb
Last week I went to Cogne to have a go at Repentance Super. This is possibly THE line of Cogne. Its a superbly obvious straight up and very steep frozen waterfall. As a bench mark WI 6 its not a push over but since climbing Nuit Blanche (WI 6) 2 years ago this seemed like the next logical objective. I doubt I climb WI 6 and both were probably more like WI 5 condition, but its still a head game and exposed pumpy stuff up there. I went with GInj (Ginger graham McGrath) and Ally fulton. Ally Swinton told us to leave chamonix at 3.30 am to be first on the route. We all thought he was being a twat with an outrageous suggestion like that. We left at 5 and just made it to the route before the crowds gathered. Thanks for prompting us to leave early Ally. We took a pitch each, with me taking the last up an incredibly exposed pillar. What a position. We had quite an banter-full day which climbing as a 3 usually provides. Despite being first on the route and breaking trail to the base, a french guide and 2 ladies kindly cut in ahead of us from the left sending down a rain of ice chunks and shoulder bashers. I swore lots, and hoped all the farts coming out of my ass were wafting up and making their day unpleasant. In the end, when all 6 of us were squashed on the penultimate belay I took it all back (not the farts) and was quite happy to let them go first and use his hooks.
2. An Alpine Classic
The next day the weather looked good for the second day in a row which was quite something in this season of quite silly weather. So maybe it was good to try something in the mountains. Rory and I went up the Rebuffat- Terray (Carrington- Rouse) route on Aiguille de Pelerins. As can be predicted, first lifts never go when you need them to, and after waiting at the midi from 8.00 we finally got up to the midi plan at 9.30. Not to be put off we slogged through deep snow for 2 hours to reach the base of the route. We skinned in. Walking would have been impossible. The last 10 m from where we ditched our skis to crossing the shrund took about 20mins wading up 50 degree chest deep shite (also known as powder wooooo pow pow in Descent). However once on route we found the most perfect neve and were able to scuttle upwards out of the way of looming seracs that threaten the start. The route thereafter was great fun, with lovely neve, thin ice, and dry rock. We mostly moved together, clipping all the belays. After a final “techy” 60 m pitch on progressively dryer rock, we thought about rapping off while it was still light. We discussed our options. We were still in the fun phase of this climb. The next pitch looked climbable, but definitely not the easy ice covered slabs described in guidebook. It would be time consuming. There were a few more pitches. We discussed our options. I said I didn’t mind climbing on, but equally Id be just as happy to go down and eat burgers. Rory agreed, and we could hear the burgers calling from the town below. We also both had to be back to collect van keys for work the next day. So down we went, to enjoy a good deep ski out and were back in town in good time without having to get out head torches. It was great to get out and do/mostly do something in the mountains. 
3. Some sketchy extreme skiing.
I enjoy skiing but I don’t think its my raison d’etre. With skiing seeming to be the in thing to be doing (it is winter after all) I have been doing quite a lot of skiing. I’ve had some great runs through the trees “hucking” off various lumps, and some swweet laps down vb, grand envers, helbronner and paddy chev. I’ve also been dabbling with some of the steeper things. I had a rather unfortunate avalanche ride down under the helbronner cables at the start of the season which definitely shook me up a bit, and Ive been a bit tetchy on stuff since. Don’t get in the way of cool dude pro skiers who do half hour laps, and have no regard for anyone who might be underneath them. Actually don’t even bother being there unless you charge half hour laps. dude! But thats a whole other rant…
I’ve done the e.n.s.a. a few times, which is a very beautiful couloir under the Brevent. We also skied the Rectilgne couloir next to the pas de chevre, which was narrow and yuck at the top, then lovely.
The last two days I did some classic ski descents that I’ve wanted to do for a while. The cosmiques couloir and the Glacier Rond. Ginj, Rory and I skied the Cosmiques yesterday. After one abseil at the top you gain a massive 40-50 degree 800m couloir. With good snow it was an incredible descent. Amazing skiing with a serious feel, as a bad fall would probably involve not stopping to the bossons glacier. We traversed out from the bossons onto the paraface? This provided open deep untracked powdery stuff, prompting whoopage! whoooo! We finally got to the mt blanc tunnel entrance after some serious bush whacking. At the tunnel carpark those really freeking awesome pro skiers came down behind us, and basically told us we were shit, because they do half hour laps man. Those guys are so great. We went back up and had a cruise down the Grand Envers. 
Today after a slow start myself and Grahm went up and skied the Glacier Rond. We were going to go for a tour, but seeing the queue for the lift at Flegere we thought we’d just go up and do the rond. It wasn’t as nice a day as yesterday, but we thought the snow would still be OK. It must have been very windy up there last night, for it was a very hard pack glacier rond. The glacier Rond is technically an easier ski than the Cosmiques, but it is a hanging glacier ending in a huge ice cliff. Its a no fall zone, and today a fall would probably have been very bad. We Carefully side slipped/stepped the worst parts with ice axes in. Heading out into the middle we found some softer stuff and managed a few turns. Once on the shoulder where you ski down the gully on the left the snow was much better and it was actually a nice ski. It was definitely type 2 fun. I don’t think I like side slipping steep hard pack above a huge cliff. It felt like quite an adventure.
I’ve now got one more week of full time driving, and then I’m on a casual contract so I have more time to do some more stuff. Hopefully some settled weather is on the way.
johnmccuneclimb 
