It’s Chamonix’s busiest week this summer. The town is full of runners on the various UTMB races and everywhere you look there are fresh faced runners collecting bib numbers, or hobbling, muddy and completely knackered runners having just completed their particular event.
Luckily the mountains themselves don’t feel as busy. We’ve had a variety of groups out over the past week or so. Everything from rock climbing in the sunshine through to 4000m Swiss peaks.
The mountains however are suffering in the dry summer and there remains some rock fall danger on many routes. The famous and popular Cosmiques arete is suffering badly, with multiple rock falls and shifting of some very large blocks. A route to be avoided completely for a while yet.
Ironically the Aiguille du Midi lift has shut down again due to cable repairs and so unless you’re going to walk across from the Helbronner lift the route is going to remain quiet until the spring now.
We have had a drop in temperature here in the valley, and the odd day with a little fresh snow up high. I even had to wear a warm jacket on top of the Lagginhorn yesterday, the first time in ages it felt cold on the mountain.
Next week is our busiest week of the summer, with teams on the Eiger, Matterhorn, Grand Paradiso and Aiguille du Tour. We’re taking bookings for autumn mountaineering as well, a quiet time of year to be in the mountains so give us a shout if you’re interested in climbing during October.
Amy traversing the Entreves ahead of the afternoon storm.
Sunshine and dry rock in the Aiguille Rouge
The classic Razor pitch of the Chapelle de la Gliere. One of Chamonix’s classic alpine routes in the Aiguille Rouge. Mont Blanc in the background.
The final tower of the Chapelle de la Gliere.
Getting reacquainted with the crampons on some good glacial ice at the Grand Montet.
Climbing the harder variants of the East ridge, Grand Montet
We sneaked in a traverse of the Crouches before the big afternoon storm on Wednesday. Such a good route for moving together and practicing alpine techniques.
The 4000m Lagginhorn above Saas Grand in Switzerland. The normal route is the left hand skyline.
The crux slab on the Lagginhorn. Fun climbing on solid rock.
Descending the Lagginhorn. Superb views of the Swiss 4000m peaks from the Monta Rosa massif to the Nadelhorn and beyond.
