Mhhh Gusto...

Chamonix 09:
Hm, where to start... maybe at the end. Oh yeah, it was a massive party! We celebrated the whole Mountain Academy adventure at the most awesome bar in Chamonix with a delicious buffet and booze; lots of booze. Everyone danced till the break of dawn and we watched Bertrand’s movies and David’s pictures from the academy on a big screen…
All great memories when you see this overwhelming stuff!
From sport climbing in Austria to ice climbing in la Argentiere; from ski mountaineering on the Mount Blanc Massive to trad climbing in Morocco…
Yes, we did a lot, we learned a lot and we collected unique experiences.
As well in this last stage at Chamonix:
One day, better to say one early morning, Jerome and I took the first cable car to reach Aiguilles du Midi. Our mission that day: an about 200m long icey gully which ends on the half way of the Cosmique ridge.
And the best was that you don’t have any meter of approach, because exactly when you exit the Midi station you start abseiling down to reach the starting point of the climb. Which is funny, because two third of all people who arrive with the cable car are Japanese. Japanese who have never been in the mountains before and who are dressed up like being on the beach, with sandals and short tops. And we, well, we were equipped for any kind of weather change and to climb in ice… Big boots, gore-tex wear, even a down jacket, a helmet and goggles. That was a funny picture…
However, we started to rappel and just after the first one you really feel like being in high mountains, in a wild terrain: Once in a wile rock and snowfall or a cold wind breeze.
Nice, I like ;-) . And then the climb…Ahh it was simply great and in perfect ice conditions. A narrow, quite steep line, very various to protect; once we set ice screws, once a nut or a friend. That’s what it makes so interesting for me. Every part was different to climb and to protect .
Pitch after pitch led us towards the sunny Cosmique ridge, which then led us back to our starting point, the Aiguilles du Midi station.
That’s fast food climbing, which suited perfectly this day, because Jerome and I had to leave for one day the academy, Jerome to be at a meeting and I, to write my final exam at school.
And so the story ends…for this time, but we meet and climb again! That is for sure!!!!
Cheers…

The last one, the best one

How can I writhe in a few words all our feeling?

After a long wait in the airport finally it seems somebody is still alive. In fact I started to speak about the taxi bus who drives from Geneva to Chamonix because nobody is here, nobody is in the phone… and maybe my friends forget I’m here!

TMA again but this is the last one, what a pitty! Fred thinks I’m kidding when I suggest him if its possible to continue. Well, anyway we have to give the others the opportunity to live in The Mountain Academy.

When we arrive to the camping there is most of the team. It’s good to meet all the people again, and also to meet new ones, Fred from Chamonix and Simon from Zermatt. But the best is to be here, in “the Meca” of alpinism. Chamonix, yeah!

We start with the Hyper classic “Frison Roche”. My references about this route came from my girlfriend who climbed it some years ago. It’s a wonderful route who climbs the 200 meteres wall of “le Brevent”, a great line opened not many years ago. The ambience is superb, we are involved with the fog and it seems Patagonia.

We have a very good description here.




The next step goes to discover the old ice in a very deep unknow glacier, I can’t say more things, we have to keep a little bit safe the secrets of The Mountain Academy…



We continue with the “Triangle du Tacul” climbing one beautiful thin white line on the left of “Goulotte cheré” to finish, the day after, by the “Cosmiques” arête. I have been here before 7 times but after this moment I have never climbed the “Cosmiques” before. So for me it’s incredible to find artificial holes for crampons made by… who knows? Anyway, we discover why is one of the most famous ridges in the Alps. Simply magnificent.





Good info here.

One more step goes to the “Albert Premier” hut and the Forbes ridge, a beautiful way to reach the top of the Chardonnet. It’s a special ascent, more special if you think you are following the Rebuffat’s selection and if you can join with some of your friends in the summit. In the descend some stupid “games” in the crevasses but finally we arrive safe.







Aiguille du Midi, definitely is our second home. We go up again but this time to climb the “Pointe Lachenal”. I really love crack climbing and this route is an incredible pure crack granit climbing opened by the Vogler’s brothers, called “L’orée du bois” with the supercatalonian variaton ;-)
The storm is really near to catch us but we escape at the right moment.



One day more and we come back again to the “Cosmiques” arête but this time (for me) will be the rest day but for my partner will be the “Digital Crack”’s day. What I have a problem because somebody has stolen my shoelaces!
We have to wait to buy them in the shop and then fast and light up to the Aiguille du Midi. Tim, my crazy british friend tries three times the “Digital crack” but is too hard for his fingers and finish the journey asking himself “Where’s the crack?”.







We move to the Torino hut and the last day we climb up to the Capucin, the most beautiful summit I have ever done here, in Chamonix by the “Voyage selon Gulliver”. We loose the cable car and we have to spend one more night in the hut of Torino. I don’t understant why some people describes it like a prison. In my eyes it’s really confortable, more than bivouacs!, perfect to rest and prepare for the last hard day, the party day!

#6 - Chamonix

Another time, I came home heart fulfill. But now, it was the last stage of TMA, and I think that still, my mind is not realizing that… We spent 10 days in Chamonix, magic place with magnificent mountain surroundings. As we arrived, we set up our base camp and according the weather forecast, we planned to stay in camp, for a very long time ;)…

First few days, we used for climbing in easy access area, and also, thanks to Office de Haute Montagne, to learn more about tricky weather in Mont Blanc massif. We also discussed about route conditions and our abilities, with experience guides, who have been working with us since beginning of TMA…

Unfortunately, one more member was missing, and, no one didn’t have any news about Corne. Also, our main team managers were absinth for lot of days, and they were missing a lot :(… In coming days, weather was improving, and we were spending plenty of days high in the mountain!

With great guides and athletes, some of candidate’s climbing dreams became reality…

We climbed gullies, but also spurs, and shinny rock faces (some traverses, too :).

Sun on Cosmique Ridge…

Facing a glacier in a mid-day...

Night walks over de Tour Glacier & Valle Blanche…

So beautiful sunrises over Valle Blanche…

Yellow granite & exhausting needles on Diablo Ridge…

Little bit of bouldering...

Last night big party…

(Still no photos from this night... soon ;)

Satisfaction present on faces of candidates, guides and team management, is a nicest way to end up one chapter, and maybe, begin next one :).

Thanx all!