Chamonix part II

After one week in Chamonix my partner Peter Ortner and I returned to Tyrol on Monday evening. But as conditions in Chamonix had nearly been perfect, I decided to go back as soon as Tuesday afternoon. Finding a partner turned into a real challenge: Some had to work, others already had other plans – nobody had time! So I started on my own…

On Wednesday I took the first cable car up to the Aig. du Midi and skied to the the start of the Cosmique ridge. I climbed half the distance, placed my skis there and went on. From the top of the ridge I rappeled down to my skis and skied towards the Gros Rognon via a couloir. I trudged up the nothern side and skied down over a steep couloir to the Glacier du Geant and on to Montenvers.
The second day I had planned to climb the Frendo Spur. It was snowing a little bit and the sight wasn’t really good as well, but this wouldn’t bother my climbing. After one hour I reached the start of the route. I trudged to the right over a snow field, then took a ramp to my left and went straight up. After three hours I reached  mid-point. I climbed up until a ramp led me to a big snow field. Because of the knee-deep snow I got on very slowly, but with the last upswing things changed in a sudden. The snow was gone. But climbing still wasn’t a pleasure, because now it became very steep in the sheer ice. I went up to Aig. du Midi and finally back to Chamonix by the cable car.