Reconnaissance, Switzerland

Both Bryon and I had wanted to go back to the Bernese alps at some time. The books talk about a great descent down the Loeschental valley.

As the day was very cloudy and the forecast was poor we set off for the valley to have a look around.

We drove up to Blatten and then on to Fafleralp - the road was open, which it would not be any other time we would visit in the future.

From here we took a little walk up the bottom to see how far we could get .. there was little snow, but the ground was very wet.

After making our way up the bottom bit we got to the pastures above (very flat areas where on our descents would involve a lot of poling.

From here it was time to retreat back to Blatten, to find somewhere to stay. We wanted to see what was available if we needed a place to stay after descending the valley. In the end we would never use it, but we did find a small pension near the beginning of the village. They looked after us well .

The next day the weather was still poor and the forecast worse, so we took the option to head for the channel and home.

col de l'Eveque, Switzerland

The morning was clear, and very cold. The parties on the Haute route we all running around getting ready to set off.

We let the pathfinders get away and then set off. The first bit out of the hut across the col is always a "wake up call", this gets the heart pounding as you do not want to mess up in front of everyone.

Once across you get amazing views of the hut .. the classic shot, and after this we slowed dropped down to the first drop to the glacier.

The powder slowed things up, but once the slope steepened up things went a bit easier and we had a great descent in the fresh powder.

Now we had everything working again, it was time for the skins to go on and set off for the col, following the pathfinder tracks.

The col is just over Bryon's, shoulder, but this is just a false summit (one of many).

We plodded on in the tracks heading up to the col.



We were grateful for the trail blazing of the earlier party, the powder was several inches deep

Approaching the col... unfortunately it has a very rounded top so you never seem to get any nearer.

looking over the other side ...... I said the top was flatish. Last year we never saw an of this as it was all covered in cloud.

The powder on the other side was fantastic, and we had some really great.

Then even more ...

So much big smiles.


After the great descent of tow fantastic bowls we dropped to the glacier and moved of the tracks of the pathfinders. Moving carefully across the new snow on the glacier. Almost walking pace as it is quite flat.

Now we were on our own, and heading down the glacier.

As we came to the end of the upper glacier the slope vanished altogether . walking was called for again

I was not kidding! - we are aiming for the col to the left - follow the stream







OK ... so the route finding over the end was a bit wayward .... we found the summer path, but this was not exactly smooth skiing

On the glacier at last .. shooting around through the avalanche debris as quick as possible

The powder is getting a little heavier now, but still great fun

stay left and follow to the glacier snout!the end of the route is where the thin ribbon comes in from the left to meet the river! so a bit of a walk out

The walking begins ... and so down to the van ... then back to the hotel Aiguille de la Tza for food and shelter ...  A great day out and we were in the right place at the right time.

Vignettes hut, Switzerland

Last year we had done the route over the Peigne d'Arolla, and then on to Zermatt. We had looked at the descent back to Arolla around the back of L'Eveque. SO being back in Arolla gave us an opportunity to do it.

We parked the car inthe large car park just off the bend below the Arolla drag lift.and packed all the stuff for a couple of days in the hills.

We needed to go across to the drag lift and then work our way up the piste and then across onto the end of the glacier.

Last year when we were here, the drag lift was working, and the pistes had snow on them. Now we have to walk up them with the skis on our backs, this year it is all bare and grassy.

After a 100m height gain we then moved to the other side of the stream and worked our way up the moraine on a path that wound its way through the odd trees.

As we got higher there was more show, but still patchy and it was not until the morine steepened and started to turn to the bottom of the glacier under the North face of the Peign.

As we turned the corner, and prepared to put the skis on, it suddenly dawned on us that the cloud had descended.

We still could not see the hut, which was just as well as it was still a fair way off.

Climbing up the glacier we continued to curve around to the right. Looking back we could see all the way back down to the valley.

Around the corner of the glacier, we could suddenly see the hut up on the skyline, in the clouds.

As we got higher the snow started falling in earnest, and it did not seem as if we were getting any closer to the hut.

The clouds got thicker and it did not help us as we struggled up, by now I was feeling the effort and was getting very tired.

All of a sudden we were approaching the haven of the hut, although all we could see was the helicopter pad hanging above us.

The way the hut is organised means you approach along a covered walkway, which is under the day room, what was hard to see until you remember is that this is always very slippery and iced up.

We soon struggled around to the front door and checked in, before collapsing in the common room...  totally knackered ... 1100m in a day, and half of it carrying all the gear.

We were not very hopeful for tomorrow, with all the snow falling, but in the event of bad weather we were confident that we could reverse what we had just done.

The last time  I had done this route .. in summer 199x I vowed not to repeat it ...  I could now relate to why I had said that all those years ago!

Travel day, Switzerland

Getting up at a sensible time as the sun made it down to the valley floor, we packed up and headed off to Arolla in Switzerland...

We had settled on going back to the Vignettes hut and doing the tour of L'Eveque.

We headed for the same place we had stayed in the previous year when we did the Pigne D'Arolla - the hotel aiguille de la Tsa we even had a similar room to the previous time, up in the gods.

Not sure they remembered us, but it was certainly quiet.

Rest Day, France

After the exertions of the last couple of days we needed to have a days rest. A trip to the flesh pots of Chamonix on the train, and a tour of the gear shops took care of most of the day.

We also had all our gear to dry off and put away for the next trip.

checking on the weather showed is it would be fine for several more days.. so we spent the evening researching routes for the next few days.

Champex. Switzerland

The next day we all got up early ... those continuing onwards to Mont Fort needed to get across the valley and we would see if we cold catch a bus and train back to Chamonix.

All we would do to day would be drop down the Trient glacier, cross over to the Arpetta valley and down to Champex ... supposedly down hill all the way.

Straight out of the hut we put on the skis and gently dropped down onto the Trient glacier to the right.

It is 7 am and the glacier is icy and rutted, the second day in a row we had to go through the boneshaker.

The glacier started off gently, but got steeper as it went over the edge and dropped down. The crevasses appeared and we had to ski carefully between them.

Eventually we could ski around a corner to get to the start of the route up to the col.

The route was not what I expected, and was actually, very lose scree and boulders, without any snow in sight. Time to put the skis on the pack and find a way upwards .. two steps up and one back.

It was with great relief that we got to the col, however this was tainted by the fact this was in the clouds and we could not see much at all. We had a few moments to recover and see if we could work out where we should go.

Luckily plenty of people had been over here and we could use the tracks to head in the right general direction.

I was glad as we dropped out of the clouds and could see where we were going again. Here we started to cross a lot of avalanche debris trails and now understood the early start.


The snow was now getting easier to ski as it softened as the day wore on.

Then we started to see the end of the snow, and concentrated on trying to pick out a route that would get us down without taking the skis off.

Eventually we reached the end of the trail, and our packs got much heavier, and we set off on Shank's pony.

We reached the meadow by the Arpetta hut ... more like a mountain hotel, and very much catering to the summer traffic on the tour de Mont Blanc. From here the whole descent was in focus behind us.

Now the bit we had not thought about .. the descent from here to Champex, and we followed the track in the general direction and came into the town along the water way, in hind sight we should have walked down the road. Many years later we would come here for the skiing and realise where we had gone wrong.

Arriving into the town of Champex, there was no signposts and we generally followed our instincts - luckily we turned the correct way on the road. As we came down into the town we met the first of the shops, and dived in for some liquid and a couple of rolls for lunch ...  just getting there before the lunchtime closure.

We then strolled down the road past the lake looking for the bus stop - the guide suggested we took the bus down to Orsieres, where we could catch the train. Others would catch a bus to Bourg St. Pierre, or the train to Verbier, to continue the Haute route.

We found the bus stop outside the post office, and checking the times we had around an hour before the next bus. As the hour passed and no bus...  I also realised that the bis would have to come up past us and it had not done so ... at this we started to think .. it was may day...  a public holiday, and the bus were not running. We called a taxi, which came up from Orciere and got us. As we were getting into the taxi another group came along for the bus and we offered them to come with us ...  sharing the cost.

The taxi dropped us all at the train station, and we bought a ticket back to Argentiere and the van, via Martigny.

Finally getting on the train we could relax as we knew we would get back today.

Not sure the skis should be there, but they would not fit in the corridor.

Arriving at Argentere we had to walk down to the ski station car park and pick up the van. Then back to the Mer de Glace camp site for a another night or so.