Monday 19 July 2010

gap triathlon




Killarney mountaineering club staged its second triathlon (or at least its version of one) yesterday. This involves a six kilometer run from Kate Kearney's cottage through the Gap of Dunloe to the head of the gap, then a turn left and climb/run up Purple mountain across to Tomies and down the north spur and back to Kates.This involves about 2500ft of ascent and about eight kilometers in distance on poor paths. Then on the bike for a 55 kilometer cycle through the gap and the Black valley, over Molls Gap, back to Killarney and return to Kates. We had 18 take part. It was won by Tony Holmes in 4hours six minutes. I was quite pleased with my own performance and I finished fifth in 4hours 46 minutes. All in front of me were seasoned hill runners and apparently it was the mountain stage where I lost most time(30plus mins). So I finished first of the normal operators. The weather was poor again this year but it cleared for the later part of the event. I would be hopeful that the event will take off and become an established on the calender in the future.

Sunday 4 July 2010

Chamonix 2010





Cliffs at snout of Argentiere Glacier
Well back again after another trip to Chamonix Mont Blanc. I arrived in Le Buet on the evening of June 17th. I had decided to forgo a trip to the Bernese Oberland with Tim and was camping solo. The forecast for the first few days was iffy. I decided to head up Mont Buet on my first day. This is a big old lump and reaches 3098mtrs so is good to get a bit of altitude straight away. It also involves 1800mtrs of ascent so serves well to get the legs working. The snow was down to2300mtrs but the threatened bad weather never materialised so I enjoyed a good day. When I was finished I headed to the OHM in Chamonix. There I got the contact details of Alistair Gurney. We met and decided to do the Midi Plan traverse the following day.
Argentiere Hut
                                                                                            Saturday the 19th dawned wet and miserable so we postponed our plans and agreed to talk later. I instead went for a walk up to Barrage de Emmisson. This was a pleasant enough outing and passed the morning. I spoke with Alistair that evening and we decided to head up on Sunday to the Argentier hut for a few nights with the ultimate aim of the Couturier Couloir on the Verte. As the lift wasn't operating and the hut was unmanned we had to walk up and take food for three days. This was a bit of a chore that was enlivened by taking a direct line through the main difficulties of the glacier. We had the hut to ourselves for a few hours and were later joined by two Spanish guys and a Venezuelan girl whom Alistair had met in town. A very nice evening ensued. It's nice to have the huts to ourselves and sleep comes easily when less crowded.

Aig Tour


View down


Grand Combin and Valaie Alps
                                                 We decided to climb the Aig Argentier via the Miglieu route. Again interest was almost immediate as we decided to tackle the steep left bank of the glacier head on. 60degree ice with one axe ensured concentration. The fun was soon over and a slog up the glacier through deep fresh snow was at times exhausting. When we crossed the berschund the slope steepened to about 40 degrees. This seemed to go on forever but eventually the summit was reached and all the effort was rewarded by a stunning panorama of the finest alpine scenery. The low layer of cloud in the valleys was broken in all directions and peaks from the Bernese Oberland to Italy to Mont Blanc and beyond were a joy to behold. We lingered for perhaps 40mins and basked in the sunshine. We started down the same route and when we came to the first steepening my first few steps started a slide of powder about four feet wide. This gathered more as it went and continued steadily out of sight. This was a worrying development. We decided to head straight down where the slide had occurred. This worked well and we made rapid progress. As we got near the berschund there was much evidence of mini avalanches and indeed a small one reached us but did no damage. Down we went into the now more extensive cloud. We were back in the hut in the early afternoon, a little tired but satisfied at having got good altitude(3902) and a good workout.
Le Tout Noir


Aig Plan



Aig de Midi

                                                            The following morning we were out at 4am and heading for the Tour Noir. The plan was to climb the west couloir. The snow conditions were much better and rapid progress was made up the glacier to the base of the climb. The route entered an initial gully which we left on the right side up a rock spur to a ramp, then a delicate traverse under rocks and into another gully. here we came to a short wall of vertical ice. Alistair led over what transpired was rotten ice and we continued up the steep snow to the ridge. A short climb to the right and we were soon on the summit. This is a fine airy crest and the views are as you would expect wonderful. The view across to Mont dolent is inspiring. That is a project for another day. We back climbed the ridge for a while but soft snow on rock necessitated a series of abseils back to the coll. Fatigue was now a problem with me but progress was rapid on still good snow back to the hut. Looking across at the Verte I knew that I didn't have the strength for a summit attempt the following day so we decided to go to the valley for a rest day.



After a relaxing day we decided to do the Midi Plan traverse on Thursday. The plan was to get the first lift and proceed from there but due to carelessness I missed the train but my honest face and pleading looks ensured that I got a drive and we managed to catch the second lift. The day was stunning and we emerged to brilliant sunshine from the station at 8am. There were several parties in front of us and guides and their nervous charges heading for the valley Blanche. We went rapidly along the arret and soon reached the first of the difficulties. This was a rising traverse on the chamonix side of a "gendarme". Good exposure ensured maximum concentration and after a series of delicate traverses and a couple of abseils we reached the final snow slopes under aig plan. After this an entertaining rock scramble brought us to the airy summit. We returned the same route to the abseil area which was a stern test but the fixed rope ensured we made good progress. We were back in the station 6 hours after we left and well happy after a great experience. We descended to the valley and after a couple of beers I said farewell to Alistair who need to rest before competing in the Mont blanc marathon on Sunday. (he finished in 5 hours and was fiftieth, a fantastic effort).

Le Haute Cime


                                                              As I now had four days left to fill on my own I decided that the Haut Cime on the Dent du Midi would be a fitting next target. On Friday morn I set off for Champery on the Swiss side of the massif. This involved (thanks to a train strike) hitching a ride to Mothey and catching a tram to the village. I was in the village be 10.45am. You have to love the Swiss, I needed a map of the Dents so I went in to the tourist office. I had to pay 29francs for it as nowhere else sold them. Value not something the Swiss give willingly. Anyway I headed off to the Susanfe hut at 11am. This proved a very pleasant walk up through gorges and meadows with waterfalls and interest in abundance. I was at the hut in the early afternoon and passed away a long evening with a book. The hut is beautifully situated under Mont Ruan. The warden was somewhat surprised when I asked for breakfast at 4.30 the following morning. So up I got and feasted on my couple of slices of bread and coffee( a snip at 9euro, those funny Swiss) and set off in the predawn for Col Salenfe and thence up the Haut Cime. I was on top at 7.30am and lingered and enjoyed the expansive (some say the finest in the alps) views in windless pleasant sunshine. A long decent to Lac Salenfe followed by a 500 meter climb over a col and then down, down to Les Marrecotte for the train back to Le Buet. So ended a good day which involved 1700mtrs of ascent and 2500mtrs of decent over twenty kilometers.


Gouter sunset


Mont Blanc summit


Perfect dawn on descent

                                           And so to Sunday morning. The train to Les Houches and the lift to Bellevue followed by the train to Nid Aigle at 2300mtrs saw me start for the Gouter hut at 12noon. A fairly light bag and by now good fitness saw me arrive at the hut by three twenty. The Gouter hut is what it is so I settled down for a long evening. A pleasant surprise was meeting a group of guys from Galway who had topped out that day. Pleasant conversation followed which shortened the day considerably. After dinner and some lounging about the inevitable trip to the dorm had to be endured. Needless to say five shitty hours followed and I got up at 1.30 and waited for breakfast which was at 2am. I forced myself to consume everything on the tray (jam, cheese, nutella, bread a crepe and a big bowl of hot chocolate) and exited the hut by 2.30am. A steady but consistent pace on perfect snow saw me arrive first at the summit at 5.20, just in time to enjoy a most wonderful dawn. After some photos I descended easily to the hut. Glissading a considerable part of the Dome de Gouter was great fun. I met again the Galway boys who were very impressed by my rapid progress. An uneventful decent to the train followed and a well deserved pint in Les Houches went down a treat. All in all a most satisfactory and successful trip. I'm looking forward to the next one already.

Monday 17 May 2010

Wales April 2010



Saturday April 24th;


Crib Goch towards Snowdon





Y Cribben

Glorious scenery

Idwall Slabs
Well after a good winter and a good Scottish trip under my belt, last week saw me get itchy feet and book a late ferry from Dublin to Holyhead and a train to Betws y Coed in Snowdonia. Leaving Dublin at 9.16 we docked in Holyhead at 00.30 on Saturday morning April 24th. A tiring four hour wait before I got on the train ensued but the journey to Betws y Coed was painless. I alighted in the little town just after 6 am and a one kilometer walk followed to my campsite where I quickly pitched my tent and crashed for a couple of hours much needed kip. The weather was set fair and after breakfast I headed to the nearest bus stop and caught the aptly named Sherpa bus to the Pen y Pass. This is the starting point for the Snowdon Horseshoe which was my objective for the day. A fine weekend day and Snowdon equals crowds, but I was still surprised by the sheer volume of people on the mountain. The miners and Pyg tracks were a constant stream of humanity. Throngs, like lines of ants were visible on the summit ridge. Still the numbers on Crib Goch were manageable and by sticking to the more interesting left side I was able to bypass most. The scrambling ,(while never difficult) was always entertaining and was over all too soon.
 The narrow arrete was thronged but again I was able to pass, mostly on the left, but occasionally by sticking to the more difficult pinnacles therefore avoiding the easier paths. I enjoyed a relatively quiet lunch about one kilometer before the summit. As it was quite warm I finished my water at lunch and reasoned that I would buy some at the summit cafe. Off I set at a brisk pace. Passing the unbelievable crowds on the summit ridge and quickly reached the top. The cafe was closed so I had no water for the rest of the walk. I decided to forgo the pleasure of queuing for the summit trig point and made a swift exit to the relative quiet of Y  Cribben. The remainder of the walk was delightful and the rock face of Y Cribben was a tantalising glory that I promised myself for another day.I found myself back at the pass at three fifteen pm. Four and a half hours was no bad effort. Unfortunately there wasn't a bus for another hour and a half so I set off in the Capel Curig direction and stuck out my thumb. Much to my delight I quickly got a drive and was back at the campsite by four pm.
 Sunday April 25th;
That night I was awoken by boisterous noise at half ten. Four young men, obviously high on something, kept the whole site awake until four in the morning. fighting, brawling, roaring, shouting, breaking tables and lighting fires (scary) were the pass times of choice. Little or no sleep ensued yet strangely I was in good form setting off on my travels at nine thirty that morning. I walked to the bus stop and while I was there decided to try hitching again. Almost immediately a guy who worked in Plas y Brenin gave me a lift to Capel Curig. He suggested walking along the ridge from behind the village to the Glydderi. As the morning wasn't shaping up to be great I took this option. A thoroughly wet day followed. The broad ridge was boggy and exposed to the elements and the map and compass had to be used to good effect. Still I really enjoyed the experience and the top of the Glydderi is an almost surreal place in dense mist. I made one navigational error by following a cairn trail from the second summit. I discovered that this was heading down to Llanberris when I took my bearings withthe GPS. A little bit of climbing and contouring saw me on the correct track in short order. 
I continued on past the Devils Kitchen on to Y Garn. The rain had by now subsided and I enjoyed a pleasant lunch at the summit. Still nothing resembling a view to be had so I quickly retraced my steps to the Kitchen and a rapid decent ensued into Cwm Idwal. This is massive and the cliffs and ridges that rise from it are very impressive. By now the day had improved considerably and I enjoyed a very pleasant walk past Llyn Idwal to the Idwal cottages at the end of the Ogwen valley. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to wait too long for a bus and was dismayed to find that the last one for the day was gone a half an hour before. It was only three thirty and I was wet through so I had no option but to stick out my thumb again. Lo and behold I had a lift after only two minutes and was back and changed in the campsite by four pm. The evening in the valley was very pleasant and I was even able to get most of my clothes nearly dry. A leisurely evening was followed by a blissfully quiet night and I awoke the following morning refreashed after a good nights sleep.

Monday April 26th;
The plan for today was to take the bus to the Lyn Ogwen cottages and make a traverse of the Carnedds. The weather was much more promising. A thin layer of cloud clung to the tops which were above 900meters. I hopped off the bus and started up the steep path towards Carnedd Dafydd. Height is gained quickly and further up there is nice scrambling to be had. I hadn't gone far when I was stopped in my tracks by the scream of a pair of air force jets buzzing within 500mtrs of me. I found myself cheering like a kid and grinning from ear to ear, awesome. When my heart stopped pounding I continued upwards. I traversed left higher up and made my way to the broad top via a series of very enjoyable rocky ribs. The view across the valley towards Tryfan and the Glyderri was wonderful. The walk past Cwm Lloer to the summit was gentle and inspiring. Passing a couple of impressive iron age cairns on the way I soon reached the top. Turning east I followed easy ground for two kilometers above the impressive cliffs of Ysgolilon Duon. 
Looking down Amphitheatre Buttress
These north facing cliffs and gullies reaching up to an elevation of 1000mtrs must have provided great winter sport in the previous months. There was still plenty snow in evidence in the dark recesses. The cloud had by now lifted and the views were expansive in all directions. Ones eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the beautiful rocky fin that was Tryfan. On past Bwlch Cryfyw Drum and I was soon pulling up to the second highest mountain in Wales Carnedd Llewelyn. at 1064mtrs with broad spurs reaching out in all directions this is an impressive massif.

There were still snowfields reaching down 200mtrs from its northeast face. A gentle 300mtr descent past the top of the atmospheric cliffs of Amphitheatre Buttress saw the ridge narrow and a sharp pull soon saw me up to Pyn Tr Hegli Du. This little top was a good spot for lunch and provided great views into Cwm Eigiau with its mining ruins and scars. A gambol eastwards over springy ground and I soon reached the final top of the day Pen Llithrig Y Wrach. The descent from this south towards Capel Curig afforded lovely views over the Llyn Cowlyd reservoir. Five kilometers of easy ground saw me back in Capel Curig. The thumb worked its magic yet again and I was quickly back in Betws y Coed. 
Tryfan east face

Tuesday April 27th;


On day four the weather once again was very promising. Yet again the bus saw me start again from Llyn Ogwen. This time the plan was to scramble up the gully to the left[east] of the Idwal Slabs and up the seniors ridge to the summit of Glyder Fawr. This was a lovely easy outing with just enough to keep one interested but never difficult. Upon reaching the top an initially steep descent down the eastern ridge of the Nameless Cwm soon saw me at Llyn Bochlwyd and looking at the southwest face of Tryfan. I headed for some slabby looking rock which started at around 750mtrs. this line provided some fabulous scrambling which continued nearly all the way to the summit. A quick bite to eat and I made my way across to Bristly Ridge. This gave lovely scrambling all the way to the summit of Glyder Fach.I then reversed the ridge of Sundays walk, this time in glorious sunshine to reach yet again Capel Curig. A bus back to the campsite and a very leisurely packing and I made my way to the train station. The journey home though long way uneventful. All in all a most satisfactory climbing packed four days. I will be back.