Hacked By #Sys.Fatal - s4t4n1c_S0uls # sys.fatal@gmail.com

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So as Joëlle et Gilles contacted me to do some ascents in order to prepare the serious ascent of the Matterhorn, and that the bad weather had put the latest mountain in very bad conditions (too much snow to climb the Hornli ridge with safe conditions), I suggest them the Monte Viso that they never heard of. The few pictures that I had on a guide book plus the comments that some friend gave me of the area were more than enough to convince them.

We began to use the Giacoletti mountain hut as a base for our first 3 days in order to get some climbing with mountaineering boots (to prepared them for the east ridge ascent of Mt Viso) and also with some rock climbing shoes for pleasure. Each day, we were absolutely alone to take advantage of our privileged position : the whole valley, the whole mountain, face and route were just here for us and nobody else !

Finally, after that serious warm up (routes of 300m, grade 4 to 5+), we headed towards the Viso mountain hut at the foot of our route, just around the glacier lake. The next day, with the light of our headlamp, we begin the climb a bit intimidated by this huge mountain overlooking on us. But the rock is solid, the first rays of the sun caught us already high on the mountain and it is basically nothing else than pleasure. We reached the summit around 10, enjoying the 360° view and realizing that from this geographical point, we can observe the curve of the Alps from the last mountains of the Maritime Alps falling into the Mediterranean to the Austrian mountains to the north east and us being in the middle. Beautiful.

A year later, they thought about Aconcagua, the highest point of both Americas but this is a much harder mountain of almost 7000 meters of altitude and because of high altitude sickness, general exhaustion they had to come back home without the summit in their pocket. But already at that point, they learned how to enjoy the mountains, how to be brave while mountaineering, the overwhelmed emotions when reaching a summit and very logically, they both wanted to experience it all over again…

Therefore, a year later, they asked Adrian, the Argentinean mountain guide they had on the Aconcagua, if by any chance he knew a French guide to take them to the summit of….guess what ?… Mont Blanc of course ! and Adrian is a very good friend of mine with whom I worked and climbed in Argentina. So, last June, the 4 of us were meeting in the center of Chamonix at the beginning of a 6 days Mont-Blanc course. The first mountain we climbed was the Dômes de Miage, a 3 days ascent during which we learn progressively how to use properly the rope, crampons and ice-axe. In the same time, we spend 3 whole days at higher and higher altitudes in order to acclimatize our body to high altitude. The objective of this program is to basically to find ourselves more and more comfortable with the alpinism techniques and with altitude in order to maximize the chance of success for the Mt Blanc ascent…and it works ! if the weather and snow conditions are ok… unfortunately, it snowed quite a lot the day prior to our ascent and I decide to change the objective for a safer mountain : the Gran Paradiso in Italy, 4061m of altitude. We had 2 amazing days with breathtaking views of…Mont-Blanc in the distance overloaded with fresh snow, lots of wind during the ascent made it as a true adventure in the Italian alps…I think Joost and Annieked loved it, loved the whole week : the Dômes de Miage is a fantastic beautiful mountain to begin with, especially the final summit ridge, one of the most aesthetics route  in the Alps. And also, the most important, is that they understood how to enjoy being in the mountains, with or without the summit, with or without the highest summit, and this is the biggest advantage of this course is that in case of bad weather, unsafe conditions, or unfit people, they go back home with a true idea of what is alpinism and mountaineering in the Alps, without again just the magical number of the highest summit.

The rock is excellent, routes are amazing (especially "Michelangelo" - 700m - TD on Punta Stella), Luca, the hut keeper is an amazing cook and the smile and the eyes of Jessica are just a few of the reasons why you should pay a visit to this little piece of paradise !

At least ! Since the last days of April, we are finally enjoying the first stable period of good weather. Summer has not been good : we never experienced more than 2 o 3 days of sun before another front reached the alps with, very regularly some sheer drops of temperature. Therefore mountains always looked like in winter with lots of snow. Quite amazing... Anyway, I went out up there quite often with map and compass, goggle and hood on, that is one of the reason there is not a lot of pictures this year.

But unfortunately, bad weather was part of the program, program that I had to change pretty much everyday considering the latest weather report. The 2 first days were fine and we enjoyed amazing views from both summits of Breithorn and Castor. But after that, the middle of the week was quite disastrous : heavy rain and then snow in down town Zermatt ! The only possibility that I had to entertain the group was this gorge above the village. Thanks to “Tyrolienne” (sliding hang from a pulley on a cable to cross the gorge from one side to the other), abseiling and following cables, we traveled along this canyon above a noisy strong current of the river.

Towards the end of the week and because of the unstable snow conditions, one of the few alternative we had was the south ridge of Wiesmiss on the Saas Grund Valley. Despite of 3 or 4 feet of snow at 3000m of altitude, this route remains safe of objective dangers such as rock fall or avalanche. Even the approach to the hut, the AlmagellerHutte –2980m was quite of a challenge : the path was covered by 2 feet of snow and impossible to follow. We had to cut through our own way through steep grassy slopes and rock fields but we ended at the very comfortable hut after 5 hours of hike, with pouring rain conditions. Such a pleasure ! But this is part of mountaineering sometimes….

The next day, we begin to hike towards the ridge with a fog that you can cut with a knife (French expression… sorry for the approximate translation) but arriving at the pass, we suddenly find ourselves above the clouds with the sunrise on the Italian side of the mountain. Gorgeous, beautiful ! Behind us, many 4000 peaks are getting lighted up with pink and orange colors, mountains covered by a thick white blanket of snow… we all understand at that point how our efforts yesterday were worth it , how mountaineering is always a fragile balance between hard moments and spectacular unique other ones and that you usually cannot have the good ones without enduring some difficult parts of your trip…

Four very good friends of mine were part of this 3 days trip in the mountains. I have been knowing all of them for almost 20 years. What they wanted to know was whether or not my life was a legend or not ! Each time I visit them in Paris I told them about my last adventures and this year, they really wanted to be part of it. The program had to be not too hard but challenging enough to make it worth, and above all, it had to be set in a beautiful remote landscape. I had heard from this valley offering mid-range ski touring routes. Heard also about this hut that people said was just a jewel in the middle of nowhere. That was enough details for me to decide to know more about the Valgrisenche. After 2 hours on a narrow valley, touring up at a slow pace just to save energy for the remaining days, we reach the hut. And it is definitly after 3 days spent up there that we all realized how fantastic was this stay at Bezzi mountain hut. Oh, by the way, and to begin with : we are in Italy, close to the val d'Aosta. Hut keepers : a family with the traditional, smiley and full of energy "Mama" at the top of the team. The food : just unbelievable : 4 courses meal, everything home made (including the bread, freshly toasted for breakfast !!), fresh water crest and cherry tomatoes salad !! and more ! Excellent wine choice, tiramisu, beer on draught, expresso italiano, etc..etc... I could go like this for another few lines of description of Heaven in the italian mountains. Two last details : hot showers (and not just the 3 minutes allowed of hot water but whatever you needed to) and a huge bay window overlooking the glacier in our bedroom of 5 individual 'beds with duvet'. Anyway, next to this the skiing was just business as usual : spring snow, just the 5 of us on the huge glacier... The last day, to reward my courageous friends, we all decided to take a ride with a helicopter : another mile or so of spring perfect snow with the Mont-Blanc in the distance. And you know how we celebrate the end of this trip, very simply by a 24 courses traditional meal at Filippo Restaurant in Entrèves : you have to experience this to believe it !

The group was quite keen to find out about those famous luxurious mountain huts of the Silvretta, and not disappointed. Conditions throughout the week were perfect. Apart from some light snow showers around noon pretty much everyday, we could ski the Silvretta Classics with a perfect visibility and powder snow. Often, I decided to take some “bis” itinerary to escape from the (small) crowd. Therefore, we were alone on each of the ascents, taking advantage of those huge virgin slopes and leaving on them our own tracks. The Silvretta range is definitely a place to go for any kind of ski tourer, enjoying some nice and comfy huts, hot showers, good food and warm welcoming. The advance skier will be pleased with some steeper and longer routes. Possibilities are endless thanks to a very well organized net of mountain huts spread all over the mountains. Therefore, a leader can easily adapt the programme to the level and desire of his partners.

First thing I do leaving the chairlift : I take out map and compass to find out about the right direction to reach the first pass : a thick fog is surrounding us, I open the track on almost 2 feet of fresh powder putting my friends at a reasonable distance from me….just in case…. I don’t like it so much but soon, the slope is getting steeper and safer. On the other side, it’s sunny and clear and beautiful and so remote suddenly. We just left the small ski resort behind us, and we have now the entire area for ourselves. A great frozen lake is surrounded by huge mountains with hanging glaciers. The sun affect their steep walls and small avalanches drop down with a sound amplified by the loneliness of the area. It really reminds me of the south American Andes… though we are so close from the International Capital of Ski and Alpinism !!! The descent is as fantastic. Us alone, trackless powder, our ski tips facing the lake, slaloming between trees. After the 2^nd pass, the fog is back but the powder is as enjoyable. At one point, I see the hut half covered by the snow. And the dream goes on : just the 3 of us in one of those cozy huts equipped with all we need : a wooden stove, some wood of course, endless numbers of blankets and a beautiful view on the mountains around us. Xavier brought a very nice bottle of ‘Bourgogne’, lots of food and together with the fire bringing a nice temperature make us realize we are experiencing some very special moments.

I know that the next day is a long one with a not so easy route to find, even with good weather. We are up early and we begin the ascent of the last pass with the poor light of our headlamps. Between the map details and the features of the terrain, and thanks above all to some precious information I got from a guide friend of mine, I find my way through. The snow is even deeper that side but it looks quite stabilized. Wind is blowing, temperature low, still alone, and I am opening the track and I just love it. I love those winter conditions that make the day a bit more difficult where you have to fight your way through and in the same time, because of one’s experience and strength, you know you do everything’s possible to stay on the safe side, even though the borderline is quite close. This feeling is really fantastic and it is during those moments that you have to give the best of yourself, where the job becomes fascinating ! Approaching the pass, the wind gets stronger and the accumulation of fresh snow becomes preoccupying. I know this big slope –called La Grande Pente on the map !- can be dangerous. I chose my way in order to affect it as less as possible. We keep huge distance between us and I make myself as light as possible. Finally we reach the pass, all happy to be there facing now a well-known terrain : the Mt Blanc range in the distance.

One month later, I was back there for 3 days with Jean and Fabrice that I know very well. They wanted to experience ski touring in the Oberland Swiss Alps but once again, the plan had to be changed as all huts were fully booked for the Easter weekend. So I offer them to visit my favorite spot… No magic numbers in terms of altitude, no famous peaks, no famous names, they looked a bit dubious… But after 3 days, returning to our departure point, 3 days out of the modern world, pretty much all the time appreciating the mountains for ourselves, they were convinced that even without putting a tick in the box at each ascent, being alone in a remote and wild area was one of the main interests of traveling in the mountains.

Off we go on our first day to the Mt Joli, a very beautiful mountain between the Contamines and Megève. No snow falls for the last week. Are we going to find some fresh tracks ?… First, we decide to climb the summit ridge of Mt Joli to admire the view on the Mt Blanc, so close. From there we can plan some future trips like the descent of the glacier d’Armancette from the Dômes de Miage facing us, one of the greatest decent of the area. And what about 'The Big One' then, climbing the Mt Blanc and enjoying the endless descent by skis ?...But for now, lets enjoy the spring “corn” snow of the amazing descent on the Contamines side. On this kind of snow, everyone seems to ski like a world champion and a few minutes later, we can admire the face we just rode from the sunny terrace of a snack bar. But the day is not over yet, nor the good surprise. From the same summit, we now take the north side descending towards the exclusive chic ski resort of Megève. Slopes are steeper, snow deeper and almost no tracks ! Unbelievable after a week of good weather and so close from Chamonix, the free ride capital where every single corner of fresh snow is tracked in the next 2 hours after a snow fall ! Unbelievable but true : screams of joy and excitement of the gang are heard all the way to Megève. A local ski instructor told us later that he never saw so many tracks on this side of the mountain ever. That day, we were 8 of us doing the job !

For the next days, we went to the Val de Rhême in Italy, neighbor of the Gran Paradiso National Park, ski touring from the comfy Benevolo mountain hut. With Neil, always with the objective of the best entertaining program for our Boys, we found a way to turn the day into a bit of an adventure. As the west face of the Grante Parei was not in condition, we headed towards the Becca de la Traversière, on the franco-italian ridge separating us from the Vanoise national park. We tied everyone up to the rope to climb the summit ridge and take the traditional pictures of the days’ heroes surrounding the Christian cross. On the way up, the guides had seen a way to ski a nice steep virgin slope that could be a nice way to end up the day. The only interrogation point was its access. After having a close look over the cornice, we found a spot where just a few rotten rocks were separating us from the nice slope. Here we go ! This will definitely be the entertaining high of the day. Rope out again, abseiling the ‘shity’ rock and steep slope just beneath and go for the free riding turns !

What was the most important for today was not to disappoint Antoine by finding a remote spot where we would have the feeling the be the only ones in the whole area. The Desert de Platé was the right spot : so close from the International Capital for ski, climbing and tourism, the Fiz mountain range offers some nice and easy ski touring routes with an amazing breath-taking view on its big brother, the Mt Blanc range, and more important than anything else : nobody around ! Isn’t that the most luxurious detail ? To have to whole mountain for ourselves ?! I think it is ! Anyway, from the Marteau (Hammer), the chosen summit, the descent offered us a light, deep and trackless powder. What else to ask to share one of those perfect days with a friend ?

The ‘Brèche’ or ‘break’ in English is located on the Périades ridge dividing the glacier des Périades and the glacier du Mont Mallet at the base of the north face of the Grandes Jorasses. Today, I am with Cécile, Janik and Yann, 3 young people from Marnaz, a village down in the valley. As locals, there are quite used to ski touring but it is their first time on high mountains ground and they look impressed this morning at the beginning of the ascent. To reach the Brèche, we have to climb a pretty steep gully with skies on our back pack, small detail which makes the day even more interesting for them. A steep rappel (abseil) is necessary to reach the Mont Mallet glacier. There, the view is just breathtaking on the famous north face. Unfortunately, the snow is not quite the one we were expecting after such an effort, but I guess that’s part of the game.

This itinerary offers one of the most beautiful day out in the Mt Blanc range but requires also a good level of fitness in order to enjoy the descent. A good mix of ski touring, easy climbing and abseiling is something people loves to do in one day, making it a very special day in the mountains !

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And then the rain ! It rained up until the summit of Brévent around 2600m of altitude !! Some of those mornings, Sybil, Marc, Marie and Louis were quite happy to stay in bed with a good book, an opera in the speakers and the heavy comfortable duvet on their belly, watching the rain off the window of the appartment. But then we had some beautiful days where the guide was pretty good too, finding some good snow on sunny slopes. That's gonna be the pictures you're gonna see, not the one with the crusty snow and the rain !!

Eric, Stanislas and Romain are coming for 3 days in Chamonix. The programme is to stay high in altitude and to take advantage of the good snow on the glaciers and...of the light of the moon. From the Requin hut, we begin to hike up towards the Brèche Puiseux. The light of the moon is slowly fathing with the sun rise. The descent : excellent, deep powder and a huge space on the glacier des Périades to draw your own track

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Steve is a strong man, ex footballeur at an international level, he takes advantage of a 3 days week-end to escape briefly from his family duties and come to the Alps for some action ! We could climb 3 classic ice routes in the italian Val Savarenche and val de Cogne. Being in the sun, fighting his way up, Steve gave all  his motivation to enjoy those moments out in the mountain. Well done Steve, and see you again on the ice.

Let’s be honest : 2007 was no exception, though conditions were poor. What I mean is that for a party of 2 or 3 people, it was always possible to do something, skiing or climbing. Of course being a skier and a climber had the serious advantage to multiply your choice of possible “passe-temps” during this odd month of January 2007. I tried my best to take full advantage of being a lucky inhabitant of this valley : I skied, I climbed , I looked at the mountains, I climbed and skied again and again. After almost 8 months of no activity (or so little), being back into the mountains was like to be born again.

Before anything else, Best Wishes for 2007 . Health, Happiness, Success, but above all, and as important as health : lots of intense moments in the mountains. Have a lot of fun, as much as you can ! And to be able to do that for many years, BE SAFE !

At this time of the year, the very famous off-piste route is deserted despite excellent snow conditions and we appreciate to be alone again. At the Aiguilles Marbrées pass, we have to choose the right place to enter the steep Italian slope. The first 60 meters are quite steep (a good 45°) and a “no fall technique” is strongly advised. The snow is hard and compact but with a very good grip. Soon after, we are skiing faster and with wider turns in powder. Throughout the descent, different quality of snow make us adapt our ski techniques. But apart from a short section in the middle of the glacier with crusty snow, we skied powder and spring snow on this huge and steep route. On the lower part, we stopped for the lunch break in the shade of the forest.

Together with Andy, we got back into the altitude world by climbing a small, nice and…pretty dry ice-gully facing the Cosmiques hut. There is not a lot of ice indeed, and I try my best to hook, jam and delicately put my pointy tools into cracks, holes and sometimes ice. Definitely another nice day out !

Anyway, when we reach the pass after a few tens of kick turns, the view is breath-taking : the lake, the profile of the Dents du Midi, the Andean east face of La Tour Sallière and the big deep blue sky. Oh, and another 2 small details : the snow on the north side is fantastic (1 inch of “velvet” snow on a hard layer, just heaven) and we are alone, just us and the mountains.

I am sure Yves and myself were not the only ones rushing out with skies and skins to take advantage of this 1st winter day. But we were alone in the italian val Ferret making nice turns on a 20 to 40 cms of fresh and light powder. You too, have a nice winter beginning and see you soon out there ! Alex

-          Basic Ice Climbing Week-End :  Winter’s cold immobilizes water into a frozen, transient mass. Basic Ice Climbing Week-End is a unique opportunity to learn a fantastic sport in a magical environment. You will develop the skills , knowledge and attitudes required to safely climb waterfall ice. Personalized instruction will help you to develop techniques on short water falls, such as crampon technique, tool swinging and placement, setting up an ice anchor and learning how to get confident on steeper ice. On the 2^nd day, you will already be climbing a 2 or 3 pitches climb in the Chamonix valley ! 

-          The Chamonix Discovery Ski Course : During 5 days, you will ski on the great Classics of off-piste skiing. Each day, your personal mountain guide will take you to a different resort of the Chamonix valley through its best off-piste itineraries. His goals : to find for you the best snow, to help you with your technique with a few tips, to ski with the sun, and of course before any of that : your safety.

A few turns later, just above the moraine where I can see the first rocks emerging in the fog, suddenly there is a ‘hole’ ! In half a second I find myself screaming and holding my right boot between my hands, my right ski stuck deep into the snow which acts like cement. It’s the accident, sharp pain, radio call, evacuation to Sallanches hospital, lots of drugs, an operation…and 3 days later, I am back home with 2 broken bones and 2 crutches, with 3 to 5 months to recover.
 
End of the season...

After an exchange of emails and phone calls with André, we finally meet at the Dahu restaurant in Argentière. I briefly present the program to the audience : a first day touring up to the Conscrits hut, and the second day for the ascent of the Dômes de Miage following by, what is generally accepted, as one of the most beautiful descent of the Mont-Blanc range, the Armancette glacier. I am pretty excited too because I never been up there during the winter. We will meet tomorrow at the beginning of the approach walk.
 

The forecast has been constantly changing over the last few days… This morning, we begin to walk with the skis on our pack as the snow is inexistent at this altitude. A fine drizzle and layers of clouds and fog allow us to walk at a reasonably cool temperature which makes this walk far from being unpleasant. I suddenly notice that I forgot my poles at home, so I replace them by a much more typical “alpenstock” found in the forest on the way to the Tré-la-Tête mountain hut. Two hours after we left the cars, we reach the hut and invade the dining room, all for ourselves for a good lunch break. Marielle, the hut keeper, that I know for many years, lends me a pair of modern “telescopic” poles, and therefore, is saving my reputation ! After having passed the “Mauvais Pas” on foot, we reach the glacier , pretty flat and wide but unfortunately with still no visibility. The last steep slope before the Conscrits hut has very soft snow, some of the crew are getting a bit tired, but overall, they are all very used to ski-touring, all in very good shape, and it is a pleasure for me to be with such clients, easy to be and ski with.

The next day, at 5 in the morning, I get up of bed and, with a smile on my face (which is quite rare at that time) , I realized that in the end, the sky is clear : stars, not a single cloud, and the first lights of  dawn appear in the east. The snow is smooth like a baby’s bottom, but very hard too. For once, I don’t carry the ski crampons for nothing : they are very useful today, especially because  I chose to take the Patogas Route, steeper but shorter variation to reach the Col des Dômes. We are the only ones using it today, away from the “crowd”. Three hours after having left the hut, we arrive at the Col. At this point, we cannot continue by ski, as the ridge to the summit is quite narrow and airy. We attached them on our pack, put our crampons on and replace the poles by an ice-axe. Carefully, we walk on this fine and aesthetic line leading to the highest of the Dômes, at 12.040ft. It is 9.45am. The view on the west face of Mont-Blanc, very close, is breathtaking ; on the other side, the green of the valley accentuates the contrast with the white of the glaciers that surround us…In the distance, we see the Jura and the fog covering the city of Geneva, and just in front of us, the north faces of the Tré-la-Tête amp