Alpine Summer Courses 2010
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Friday the 13th Zermatt Style !13:16 GMT, 16/Aug/10
The Zermatt 4000?s team last week reached the summit of the Alphubel despite the inauspicious day and rather difficult weather! The course was directed by Dave (A story for every situation) Cummings and the participants were Sophie, Ben and Graham. Caroline Ogden joined the team for the last few days. The first 3 days were spent climbing the Breithorn, Castor and Pollux in superb weather. Then with a deteriorating forecast we decided some rock climbing on the Rifflehorn was in order. Serious coffee consumption was needed the next morning before we decided that the Alphubel provided the most realistic chance of a 4th 4000er (not that anyone was counting!)with the rather grim weather forecast. So at 4am in the morning we breakfasted at the Tasch hut and set off at such a time that despite the forecast and it being Friday the 13th the clouds broke just as we reached the Alphubeljoch.
�The other teams had turned around just before so we ended up making a trail in new snow to the summit!
Gran Paradiso Summits15:31 GMT, 04/Aug/10
The mad Chamonix weather continues this week! This time around the temperatures have finally dropped, to the relief of all of us out here in the Alps. Which means that the couloirs are starting to stabilize, snow is starting to stick once again, and the rock fall isn't in such constant motion!
On the other hand, it was a thundery, wet system that's brought in the cold and as a result our Mont Blanc climbers this week headed instead for stable and non-electric conditions over in Italy instead! So it was to the Gran Paradiso for our Introductory Mont Blanc team: Nick, Becky, Matt, Sam and Stephen.
After a foggy week in Switzerland with Andy Owen the previous seven days, the team was hungry for some summit views! Nick provided the steady balance and ambition for the group -- reading up on the illustrious history of our Mont Collon base in Arolla on our drive across. Turns out it was Mallory's first Alpine launching point as well!
Stephen, Sam and Matt had all been briefed on the famed speed of our legendary guide Jo and were variously plotting and planning their attack methods to challenge the swift Swiss guide. Stephen's running prowess proved most impressive on day one keeping a lock on Jo's shoulder all the way up the tamarack forest trails to the Chabod hut (a mere 900 meter ascent!).
From there it was a clever match against the weather gods striking a decent weather window before the rains and snow tore through. Tomaz had the team up for a leisurely 4.30 breakfast only to return for a short siesta while another system of rain blew through. By 5.30 the team was back out the door and topping out in good fashion three hours later. Fast times team!
Becky kept it all eventful with a few "side tours" en route and Matt and Sam �continued to make it all look easy breezing into dinner checking out forecasts for some sunny rock the rest of this week.
Congrats guys on 100% success! Soon as they decide to come back in from the crag, we'll add some photos!
Oberland Traverse with Alun Richardson06:58 GMT, 02/Aug/10
This summer we've scouted a new trek in the deep in the heartland of the Swiss Bernese Oberland. Resident world-explorer Alun led our first exploration deep into this remote valley. No leisure stroll here but the effort was rewarded with silent mountain views of the towering Monch and the Jungfrau and some serious climbs high into the glaciated peaks.
Alun, Adrian, Andrew and Dom headed out for a seven-day hut-to-hut climb which proved to be both a scenic tour of the Oberland wilds and a demanding trek of hills, grassy trails, glacial traverses and some epic 1000m + ascents. Meeting up at the dam on the final day out on Saturday had a bit of a survivalist aura about it.
Welcome back to civilization guys! And thanks to Alun for some stunning shots.
Climbing the Ebnifluh.
Trail above Lauterbrennan.
Sunset view from Mutthorn Hut.
Last days' descent back down to Grimpsel Pass.
Alpine Introduction photos15:42 GMT, 28/Jul/10
Here are some pics taken by Chris Jones from last week's Alpine Introduction:
You can see the rest of Chris's photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/beingchrisjones/sets/72157624592904548
New report - Zermatt 4,000ers and Mont Blanc13:34 GMT, 23/Jul/10
Rachel Hilton has just returned from a successful week and a half, where she and her team climbed Monta Rosa and Mont Blanc:
The group comprised 4 Londoners (John, Mark, Rachel and Terry) and 1 Aussie (Morgan, a military Catholic Priest engaged in the task of climbing the highest summit in every country).
We met our guides Greg and Russell in the Gornergrat Hotel in Zermatt and then we were straight off to climb the Breithorn (4,164m) - the easiest 4,000m peak in the Alps. We ascended by the normal route, the SSW Flank, an easy climb on 35 degree snow. The peak is easily reached from the Klein Matterhorn cable car, and is an enjoyable training and acclimatization day. It also gives incredible views from the narrow summit snow ridge. We descended to the lovely Val d'Ayas Hut hut on the Italian side, pausing only to rescue Morgan who had dropped down a crevasse ("deep enough to hold the Eiffel Tower upside down") just above the hut.
The following day we set out at 6:30 to plod up Castor (4,228m) via the WNW Flank - a long, snowy slope to the (crowded) summit ridge, which gave splendid views of Monte Rosa. After descending via the same route, one team (Russell, John, Rachel and Terry) proceeded to climb the lower but more demanding Pollux (4,092m) ascending via the scarily steep WNW Flank and scrambling down the rocky SW Ridge using fixed ropes. The long snow plod back to the Klein Matterhorn station was an epic struggle, but there was a welcome drink in the cafe before descending to Zermatt.
The next day we had a welcome lie-in before taking the train to the Riffelhorn high above the Gorner Glacier, where we traversed round to the Thermometer couloir on the South face then undertook a multi-pitch climb up a series of narrow cracks and steep chimneys, finishing with easier scrambling up the East Ridge.
Then it was the final challenge - Dufourspitze (4,634m) - the highest peak in Switzerland and the pinnacle of the Monte Rosa group. We had been joined by another guide, Joe, so that we could climb in three rope-teams. We started from the ultra-cool (though rather smelly) Monte Rosa Hut at 2:30. The route follows a long glacier and snow slopes to the foot of the W ridge, and to reach the summit requires 1km of very breezy and exposed scrambling along the ridge. There are wonderful views from here to the Margherita hut and into Italy. The descent down an steep ice gully again required fixed ropes then a very long plod back down the glacier with amazing views of the Matterhorn, the OberGabelhorn and the Rothorn along the way.
The final day we descended again to Zermatt for a slap-up pizza lunch (we have still no idea who paid) and to prepare ourselves for Mont Blanc! Many thanks to John, Mark, Terry, Morgan, Greg, Russell and Joe for a terrific week!
� Previous report | Next report �
Sun, sun and more sun!08:29 GMT, 19/Jul/10
It's the start of the 5th week of Jagged Globe courses in the Alps and other than a few exciting thunderstorms the gorgeous weather continues. Here are some pictures of the Cramponing & Ice day in Arolla
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Thunderstorms and hot, hot skies11:10 GMT, 13/Jul/10
It?s been a tropical week out here in the Alps. Our Mont Blanc climbers arrived into town Saturday afternoon greeted by World Cup hysteria, Tour de France buzz from down valley, and the excitement of thunder erupting across the Mont Blanc massif. Stacking up to be some exciting days up high!
So riding on the energy of a successful climbing week in Arolla the previous seven days the team took the climb by storm. An early 1 am breakfast Monday morning saw the crew up to the summit in brisk but clear conditions before the town had even woken up - or the heat set in!
Seven a.m. the first wave made the top and not long after called in to report a 100% success for all nine climbers! Surprisingly, given the height of the summer season, it was even a relatively empty mountain (most of the planet having slept in after Sunday night?s last round of vuvuzela?s and octopus predictions). -10 on the summit sounded pretty good to those of us wilting down here in the Chamonix center where its +35!
The two Nicks, the two Stewarts, Andy, Nick and Josie now enjoying some well-deserved pints in the Chaumiere garden this afternoon. A steady breeze nicely rounds off their trip. Some pictures soon to follow!
-Mara from the Jagged Globe Alps
Success on Monta Rosa10:01 GMT, 05/Jul/10
Guide, Tomaz Jakofcic reports from a successful Zermatt 4,000ers course last week:
"Since this kind of news is welcome, I have to tell you that we (Pachel, Billy and myself) succesfully climbed the Dufourspitze on Thursday after we had acclimatised on the Breithorn's two summits and Castor.� Conditions were good despite loads of snow and high temperatures - everyone is very happy.� Rachel is now rather well aclimatised before her next adventure on Zermat and Chamonix Climber."
Electric end to Second week in Arolla!16:01 GMT, 03/Jul/10
After a few (and in some cases more than a few!) celebratory beers in a cafe in arolla the Team only just made it to the hotel when the thunderstorm that had been threatening all week hit. Andy Owen was forced to cower under his boulder and then make run for it under his bouldering mat!
We had a rich and varied group of clients this week, apart from the fact that they were all men! Mark Walker(Aspirant Guide) was heard to suggest that a bit of cross dressing was required. No one obliged though Andy Owen (Guide) did demonstrate some alpine skipping techniques.
Slightly more seriously we had another great week in Arolla with good weather, crap snow conditions, and a very entertaining and suprisingly capable team! �Here is a picture of Richard, Paul and Scott demonstrating excellent alpine ridge travel ropework.
Here we all are on the summit of the Pigne de Arolla at about 9:30am Friday morning.
Best Wishes on Mt Blanc to Richard, Paul and Stijn!� A pleasure to meet and be entertained by everyone else. I get the impression that I need to�forget�all of my�jokes!
Caroline Ogden, Course Director
Feedback (and photo) from the first Intro week09:03 GMT, 01/Jul/10
100% on our first Mont Blanc Extension15:16 GMT, 30/Jun/10
Andy Owen has just returned with Aspirant Guide, James Thacker and three members of our first Alpine Introduction Mont Blanc. The team had great weather and all managed to summit Western Europe's highest mountain from the Tete Rousse Hut - a phenomenal effort. Well done Robert, Bob and Simon. Here's a pic from an early season Mont Blanc ascent in 2009:
Stunning 1st Alpine Introduction Course of 2010 Season.12:58 GMT, 26/Jun/10
We had such unusually warm conditions on the Summit that we spent more than 30 mins on the summit, lounging around, taking photos and doing handstands !
Andy left for Chamonix today with Bob, Rob and Simon. Let's hope for good conditions and success on Mt Blanc ! The excellent weather is forecast to cotinue!
Great start to the season09:55 GMT, 23/Jun/10
It's the first week of our Summer Alpine Course season, and the weather in Arolla is fabulous. Here are some photos, taken by Guide, Caroline Ogden:
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