Back to the Peace of the Maurienne

Above Saas Fee - 11,000+ feet

 A few days in France then a week in Switzerland gave a bit of time for the crowds to head for home and everywhere to start to quieten down. The time in Saas-Grund was great, it isn't the best climbing destination - but a small 'tourist tax' allows free access to the cable-cars, so we spent quite a bit of time high up, hiking the various high level trails.

Climbing in the Maurienne

The plan had been to head to Ponte Brolla and the Italian Lakes for some climbing, but the forecast was hot (28C) and prices seemed very expensive - still high season down there. After a bit of thought we decided to head back to the Maurienne, the deep valley running up to the Italian border north west of Turin.
We were here last year and were impressed with the peace, quiet and variety of climbing available. The face that we managed to get a six bed ski chalet for £18 a night was a major bonus - the beauty of being here out of season.

Col de Mont Cenis at the French/Italian border

A week into September and I have already done 36 routes - compared to 20 for the whole of July in the UK. For many years now I have found it much more motivating to explore new crags and poke around areas I don't know very well - I guess this a not very subtle way of hiding the 'decline into decrepitude'.

The Summer Without End Just Ended

Zuri - Catzilla, and regular morning visitor

Nine weeks in the UK passed as all things do - we enjoyed the time visiting our respective mums, climbing in the Peak with friends old and new, as well as getting some good walks in. The weather was pretty amazing - unrelentingly hot for almost the whole period we were home - for the climbing we had to seek out shade almost every day.

Colin Hughes - Zapple HVS 5b

Several local cats called in everyday - which is always a treat for us. We hoped that their owners didn't worry too much because they were 'off their food' when they returned home - oops.
When you are only home for two months out of twelve there are the inevitable visits to doctors, dentists and garages etc. - to get checked, tested, mended and patched with the aim of getting back on the road.

Les Chasseron: 5171'

Sherri's knee has been bothering her for about 10 months - amazingly she managed to see a doctor, get x-rays, see a surgeon, get a MRI scan, see the surgeon again, see a physio and start exercises all in the space of three weeks - so far the Cortisone and exercise appear to be working - fingers crossed.

I also managed to buy a new car and new camera - also inevitable some cynics would say - then it was off again. We sailed Hull to Zeebrugge, spent a day in central France then a few days in Pontarlier - 18 routes and an excellent ridge-walk so far. Tomorrow we head for Switzerland and Saas Grund - snow is forecast - well it is August!!!!

Mountain Weather!

In contrast to the never-ending days of sunshine at St Rafael (that's what it felt like anyway) the mountains have been throwing a bit of a mixed bag at us! Mind you it has been no worse than changeable and we have still been able to explore the area, get some good cragging done and do some decent walks too. 

Last night we had a wet snowfall so I figured there might be a good covering higher up. We drove up into one of the side valleys, parked well above the snow-line (four wheel drive!) then plodded up in to the blinding whiteness. The views were spectacular and we both got a bit singed by the bright sunshine. There were a few birds of prey quartering the sky and tell-tale tracks in the snow of their intended prey. At

 just over five and half thousand feet we found a south-facing bench, swept the snow off it and enjoyed our butties. The return journey was much easier!

Full Circle

My first Blog entry was a Burbage Round, that I did last November with Dave Gregory and 11 months on we were there again, (he was fresh from a month in California) another damp autumnal weekend, out for a bit of exercise instead of sitting in font of the computer. It was foggy and damp but pleasant enough for all that, and I mulled over what we had done in the intervening year; a long weekend in Ariege, 14 weeks in Spain, back to Ariege on the way home again for a couple of weeks, six weeks in Arctic Norway and half a dozen trips to Northumberland/Yorkshire Grit - not a bad tally!

As to the future, a trip to Gran Canaria is planned and hopefully an extended trip to the Cote s’Azure, maybe one or both of them might generate a guide. Then there is the Northern England guide on the horizon, and Lofoten Rock no too far behind

Fabulous Fjordland

Isn't it strange how you forget? After several superb summers in Lofoten we decided to break the journey south with a couple of days in Aurland, in the heart of the fjords. We had forgotten what a majestic part of the World this is, the aquamarine fjords pinned between high tops already sprinkled with the first snow of the season.
The area was still quite busy compared to the north, especially considering September is just around the corner, but the steady steam of coaches, camper-wagons and cruise-ships make you realise that we are back in the heart of Tourist Territory!
Highlights were an amazing glass-fronted viewpoint (above) and a short walk to a modest summit (4670') overlooking the old mountain road, the car thermometer read a steady zero degrees!

I must go down to the sea ...... again

Ever since Alan and Mick arrived (the UKC cabal) the weather had been cool, cloudy and showery - typical! We decided to make the most of the day (rain forecast for later which caught the team two pitches from the top of Diedro UBSA on the Penon, though no worries - a leader did emerge!) and headed for the coastal path at Les Rotes. Thirty minutes along the coast is the Cova Tallada (the chipped cave). A scrambley descent leads to a rock bay near sea level, unimpressive at first site though a short traverse and cave entrance leads to the quarry proper.
An amazing place of great antiquity, with the whole headland is riddled with carved out recesses, my guess is that the gritty rocky was quarried for millstones, a couple of remnants lying in a the pools being part of my evidence. It might make a good bouldering spot!

Montgoneering

With our house caught by the evening shadow of the Montgo (2444') it is hard to ignore it, the big lumpy hill that is visible out towards the sea as you travel between Calpe and Gandia. We had been for a peek at the start of the track at the weekend and then it was heaving - today we had it to ourselves.
A good gravel 'road' heads towards the mountain, where despite appearances a reasonable path zigzagged up the face before heading out right to outflank the band of cliffs. Back left to the narrow ridge where the views opened out to the south and onto the top, where a biting north west wind greeted us. When we had been on Segaria four days ago it had been 25 degrees, today was 12! The views included Ibiza 80 miles to the east and a looong way up the coast northwards.


A small walled shelter gave us enough relief from the wind to enjoy out butties and take in the panorama - superb.

Then is was back out of the wind and a steady descent, our pad was visible far below, still catching the afternoon sun.