Travel, Switzerland

The next day the clouds were still covering the valley. and with a forecast for this to continue for the next few days, we decided that we would travel to Grindlewald and see if we could go high next week.

We travelled over the col de Forclaz, and then up the Rhone valley from Martigny. We had planned to use the rail tunnel from Brig to Kandersteg. Neither of us had ever used this, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was very easy, frequent and not too expensive.

Coming out the other side at Kandersteg, we had a quick look around at the places we had been more than 10 years before. Not a lot had changed, but before long we moved on up the valley to Interlaken and then back down to Grindlewald.

Bryon had done some research on places to stay and had found a place called the "mountain hostel". We checked in and got a room on our own, an a place to leave the van (saves on the parking fees over the coming days.)

Rain Day, France

Wet weather cooking

The rain started over night, and in the morning, the cloud was low in the valley.

Campsite facilities

We spent the day mooching around Chamonix, doing a little shopping and also finding out about the weather forecast for the next few days.

We spent the rest of the time in the "common" room, where there was electricity and light, as well as computing.

Argentiere hut, France

The forecast for today was mixed ... it would start off sunny and then the clouds would come in during the afternoon, followed by rain/ snow.

Looking for a half day route we chose to skin to the Argentiere hut from the Grands Montets mid station at Lognan.

The initial part of the route followed the pistes coming around from the Argentiere glacier.

As we met the glacier, the route continued on the glacier. We could have followed the glacier off piste route up the right hand side, but we chose to cut over to the left hand side early, before the serac zone.

We passed under the route to the col de passon.

As we approached the bottom of the col de Chardonnet, there were a number of seracs we had to work our way through.


We basically hunted out a route through them, and then picked up the route from the bottom of the col de Chardonnet up to the hut.

It was further than I remembered, and as we approached the hut, the cloud was starting to descend.

We cut up to the hut, and paused for a bite to eat and watch the local wildlife.

As we had been sitting there the clouds had got thicker, and when we left it was positively blind. I could see only a few meters in front of me.

We headed over the glacier, following the main line of tracks. At one of the moraine lines the main track veered right (back to the col de Chardonnet), and a minor one went on straight to the (we hoped to meet the glacier off-piste route and so return to the mid-station at Lognan). After a heated discussion, where I wanted to follow our ascent route, Bryon persuaded me to go straight on. This was very weird, skiing in a white out, trying to maintain a walking pace, and control the skis in flat light. There was a constant danger of crevasses.

We had luck on our side, and soon hit the well followed route, and knew we were safe.

Back on the pistes we had a smooth run back to the mid station and down to the bottom.

We had made a good day out of the possibility and also we had gained some really valuable experience of navigating in white out conditions on dangerous territory.

mont Charamillion, France

second morning of our trip and we decided to return to Le Tour and skin up to the mid station then head off to the right and see where we got to.

We left the car in the car park and headed up the valley run.

Once we reached the mid station, we cut right above it and headed into up tot he ridge line. In all the visits to this area I have never been over this far, so it was all new.

We soon arrived at the ridge line
 and followed this around to the right.

As the edge curves around we then headed off straight up to the grassy top that was our target.

Cutting straight over following the tracks of the people who had been there before us.

The slope got steeper and ended up at some steep grassy slopes, where we abandoned our skis and carried on, on foot, up the slope which was very similar to one we had climbed in a Welsh summer.

At the top we sat and enjoyed the view, to the swiss barrage and hydro electric scheme to the east and the Dru and Verte to the west.

From the top we looked back down onto the valley, through the mid station.

Back on the skis, we had to get the feel of the soft snow, before charging off down the way we had come

Yesterdays practice all comes back to us, quickly.

We charged back down the piste once we reached it and were soon resting at the car.

Then back to the campsite and dinner.

Le tour, France

Day 1 ... the first real shake down ... we had arrived during the night and had to nip into Chamonix for a Carte Neige and breakfast, before heading for the slopes.

First stop Grand Montets ... the car park was over flowing and it wasn't yet 10 am !! ...

plan b

Back to the van and head up the valley - Le Tour was still running and should give some exercise.

Much less crowded, in-fact almost leisurely.

I think I made 5 meters on the first run before the call of the wild gripped and so began a great day in the sun shine.

Dropping down on the Vallorcine side in the powder, to the new chairlift

So from here we had a quick break for lunch, while we planned our next runs.

Another Run?

We finished a great warm up day, and returned to the campsite


One of the things I was experimenting with on this day was a small video cam. Well I had a couple but more about the other one another day. this one shot 640*480 video in a single unit I had tied to my head.

a sample of the results is here ...
however it did suffer from being a trifle heavy and bounced a lot on the strap, making the footage rather blury in places.

Mont Charmarillion and Grands Montets

2008 Spring Ski Tour, France

Bryon and I had been planning another Alpine ski touring trip - we wanted to go and see the Bernese alps up close, and had reconnoitred the long descent to Fafleralp last year, so we built this years trip around this, with some warm up days in Chamonix first.

We would use the Caravelle, but rely on camping initially and then find a gite in Switzerland, when we travelled.

Another long overnight drive would deliver us to Chamonix and the Mer de glace campsite. Where we put up the tents and things before heading out for the day.

The snow level was quite high, and we realised that we would have to take the lift system to get anywhere.

Trip Time Line

	|
	|	Arrive Chamonix
Le Tour	|
	|	Mont Charamillion
Argentiere Hut	|
	|	Rain Day
Travel to Grindlewald	|
	|	Kleiner Scheidegg
Monchjoch	|
	|	Grunhornglucke
Holandia Hut	|
	|	Faffleralp
Travel to Chamonix and Home	|