Category Archives: Climbing

What to do?

When you look at the weather forecast the day before and it says it is going to be gusting up to 90mph up high and raining hard down low, what the hell do you do for the day.  Scott and I had a great idea, the idea was thought up at abotu 11pm in the pub the day before after quite a few glasses of stupid juice had been emptied.

So we woke up in the morning and packed our bags and set of to the quarry at Cambus O’May to have a  go at aid climbing.  This is where you climb up the wall using the bits of protection you have put in and slowly work your way up.

So take one slightly hung over Mr. Burnett, point him at the rather blank wall except for a flake that went up, a lot of shiny metal things and a rope and you get a slow upward motion.

Scott kind of does this for his job so was well up on it and had no issues.  The Quarry below still had some of the old machinery in it and was quite a pleasant sheltered place to spend a horrible weather day.

Next up was me,  having commited to memory what  Scott did, I set off. soon I had ropes and bits of shiny stuff all over the place and took me quite a concerted effort not to make cats cradle.

After a bit of effort I fianlly made it to the top and really enjoyed it, both of us were pretty soaked through as the wall had a small water fall running down it.  We had to pack up quick and get moving to get warm again.

I really enjoyed it and could see myself doing more of this.

Move up higher.

So having been based in Guillestre it was time to move to La Grave to get a bit of altitude in us In preparation for India.

Whilst in the Alps best way to get up high is to take the lift! So early start to get the first lift, (almost got it , but someone who will remain unnamed forgot there socks and had to run back to the campsite to get them) . Our goal for the day was to be the ‘Pic De la Grave’ DNW_2787
Lara setting off up the glacier. We went as two parties, me and wife roped together, and Scott Emma and Matt roped together. The first part of the walk was fairly flat on the glacier, a certain huffing and puffing coming from behind us as certain people had not been at altitude and poor Matt was a little worn from his run to the campsite (whoops did that slip! 🙂 sorry Matt). IMG_1171

Lara crossing over the bergshrund on the Glacier De La Girose, a definite don’t look down and run moment.DNW_2781
Scott contemplating his turn to cross it as well. didn’t know he could move so fast.DNW_2792
Matt and Emma safely over the big hole and on way up the snow slope. From here it was fairly straight forward for a while
Looking back down to M,E & S on there way up. We had a little bit of difficulty getting up a icy pitch as a french guy on the way down had lost his crampon and was making all sorts of issues and blocking the way, so having to climb around him was “interesting”DSC00638
Once we got to the Col it was just a little rock step to get to the top. Above is Lara moving up to be the hero she is by reaching the top.DSC00640
Lara standing on the Summit of the Pic De La Grave at 3672m high. We were greeted with some incredible views of the Ecrin, over to Italy, Mont Blanc Massive and all of the Vallouise regionDL top pano
The obligatory cheesy photo of us!FULL VIEW
Scott and Lara Walking off from the small rock step from the top.DNW_2843
Matt and Emma did a brilliant job getting up, especially as it was Emma’s first alpine route. She was rightly happy with herself, and soon got over her initial fear and ‘female emotional outlet’ of earlier on.

We decided that the icy pitch at the top was too steep to down climb, so abseiled down it, and then had a walk back downIMG_1201

Then the last difficulty was to just get back over the bergschrund and back onto the glacier DNW_2867
where it was a simple walk back down to the telepherique and back down for a beer.DNW_2864
A great day with the only issues being we all ended up with burnt noses even with lots of factor 30 being applied. I think i might invest in some of the Ozzy cricketers zinc nose paint!

We are now back in Gap to sort some bits and pieces out before we go to India. Only ten days to go now until we are off, getting very excited and worried for my poor bowels!!!!!

Back to Orpierre we went.

Lara woke up this morning and announced “we are going climbing in Orpierre today” (so much for the ‘we make joint desicions like a married couple’ that I stated yesterday). So we bundled into the car and drove the 40 or so minutes there, the weather was looking like it was going to be a great day and it did not dissapoint.IMG_0101

Our aim for to day was the ‘Quatre Heure’ sector which has lots of easy multi pitch slab climbing for us to clock up the miles on. Lara Above at the end of the first pitch on ‘Super Mouton’ a two pitch 5a and 5b.IMG_0099
Another one of the wife at the top of a two pitch route which for the life of me I can not remember and do not have the gudie book to hand. It was a great afternoon, only stopping from climbing to eat the Fucas that we had bougth from the local boulangerie at home for lunch. think we managed to do four 2 pitch routes and 2 single pitch routes. Not bad for the notouriously slow british climbers!IMG_0105
Lara abseilling down off the top pitch of our last climb of the day. Was a great day, saw many lizards and ants the size of hamsters! These ants were quite angry little things that came for you, and when they did, they were great fun to flick off the rock! tee hee hee. I am an animal lover honest.

So got home and I cooked dinner, and have found that both our shoulders are a little bit pinky from the sun. It is probably the first time my back has seen the sun for some time as has Lara’s. Looks like the weather is finally picking up then!

Wonder what I will be told we are doing tomorrow…..

Easy going in Gap

Well Lara still has the remains of a cold, over the last few days she has just pottered around home and I have done pretty much the same with the odd small excursion out on the bike. This morning she got up and felt better so we decided to go climbing. The weather is a little iffy at the moment with the odd rain shower but we thought we would give it a try.

We went over to the ‘Falaise de Gicons’ a large crag near Devoluy. Was a lovely place with not a very long walk in and the weather was kind to us, it only splattered with rain one time and the rest of the time was not to cold with the odd bit of sunshine. Nothing too strenuous as Lara is getting over her cold and I am getting my head back into it, a great day though.
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Above is lara at the of the crag.DNW_1424

Me at the anchor point at the top in one of the sunny spells. The snow is starting to dissapear quickly so we are going to try and grab some more skiing before it is too late over the next few days.