Up & down

Back from the Mont Blanc massif, climbing with Euan, and then spending time with my friend Peter McCarey and his family in Chambesy, just outside Geneva. Did the trois monts route from Refuge du Cosmique (Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit, then MB itself). We started out at 0130, but given the narrow weather window shd probably have set out around 2300. Made good time across the glacier, in eerily warm (the fohne) and clear conditions, with the Milky Way bright above us, and the headlamps of parties above & below us, marking altitudes & gradients. Up Tacul, around the seracs, towering above us, ghostly white in moonlight and headlamp-beam; then down into the col du Maudit, up, much steeper, onto Maudit, up through the ice gully to the ridge, and then in sight of MB itself. Sunrise over the Alps was just amazing. At the col de la Brenva the weather changed -- blasting north wind, what looked like bad weather on MB itself. We got as far as the summit slopes, then the weather descended and we retreated, though Euan cd have gone on – so difficult. The weather followed us down Maudit & Tacul to the glacier. After nearly 12 hours climbing we just dropped into our bunks in the Refuge.

So unfinished business, but incredibly beautiful glaciers, seracs, snowscapes, and weather so changeable (except for the first day, which was stunningly clear, but I was still acclimatizing that day so my main aim was not throwing up…).