Category Archives: Icefalls

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Jul 7 2011

2012 Winter Ice Climbing Program now online

Mini Moulin
Mini Moulin – La Grave Ice Climbing Course

Yes, yes I know it’s boiling hot and the middle of summer – but we’re getting next winters program up and running already…

The 2012 Ice Climbing Course dates and prices are now up online – as usual we’re running our range of ice courses and pirivate guiding during Jan and Feb in La Grave, Cogne and Kandersteg – plus Rich’s private guiding adventures on Senja Island in Arctic Norway during March (places are very limited – have a word with Rich for more info).

From late March into April, attention switches to Alpine Couloir Climbing  around Chamonix, for some full on high mountain adventure.

Courses are suitable for complete beginners right through to experts, so if you’re keen for a bit of ice climbing action next winter, just drop us a line and we’ll fill you in on the details.

Mar 16 2011

Senja

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Just back from a brilliant weeks work on Senja Island in northern Norway. Some rain, snow, wind – just like scotland really but thats all part of the charm. The standout feature of this place is the strong Norwegian flavour ie no guidebook, little info - just pick a line..!

Cheers David for a very memorable trip, and many thanks to Bent at Senja Lodge  for the help with everything.

Rich

Mar 16 2011

Ice climbing – Italy and Switzerland

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Some pics from Jan/Feb in Cogne, Val Savarenche and Valpelline. Great couple of weeks – thanks to Ashwin, Ju, Pat and Jim. Great conditions in Italy this year with many of the classics in great shape early in the season.

Rich

Feb 11 2011

La Grave Ski and Climb Week

Just finished a massive week down in here in La Grave skiing and climbing with Pete and Andy – thanks guys!  Martin and Esther have been swinging tools with Jon down here this week too – the ice is holding  up well on the shady side of the valley, with good conditions on the classics up in the Vallon du Diable, Ceillac, Fournel etc. 

 On the snow front, it hasn’t snowed in La Grave for a long time as in much of the Alps - but there’s a lot of nice powder over near the Italian border in the Queyras where we went for an excellent long day tour earlier this week, so it’s looking good over there for next weeks Queyras Ski Tour.

 

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Feb 2 2011

La Grave Ice Climbing

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Just a few shots from this weekends ice climbing in La Grave with Ashwin - most of the readily formed classics are in nick, with plenty to go at.  The avalanche risk is also very low at the moment, so mountain venues like the Vallon du Diable are a good bet.

Feb 11 2010

La Grave Ice Climbing Conditions 11-02-10

Team on the Grand Clot today

Swingin’ tools on a La Grave Ice Climbing Course with Chris and Andy this week – so here’s a quick rundown on current La Grave ice climbing conditions:  The Icefalls formed relatively late this season, but are now in excellent condition with all the big classics still in good nick.  Low temperatures are keeping the ice in good condition and several teams have been in action on Orgasme, Phantasme, Adrenalin Rush, Chacal, Moulin, Caturgeas, Alea Jacta Est, Le Pylone, Croup de Poufias etc – ie conditions are good. 

Yesterday we went over to Ceillac and enjoyed Formes du Chaos, which is well formed this year and today we did Supreme Dimension, with other teams nearby on the Grand Clot and Un Etrange Affair.

Jan 21 2010

Cogne Ice Climbing Conditions

Just a quick work update further to my last post a couple of weeks ago. From 3rd Jan I had a top week around Cogne Ice Climbing with Jim Bird. Over the first few days we climbed Patri, Cascade Lillaz and Tuborg, then on thurday we ramped it up and climbed the valleys mega classic – Repentance. It was in good shape with a featured blobby first pitch with plenty of rests, then a sustained but (reasonably) dry and fat top pitch. We finished the week with Lau Bij which was also in good shape.

Alastair MacColl came out for the weekend of  9-10 Jan in the middle of some pretty severe snowy weather (around 60cm over 1.5 days!). Cogne is a bit of a nightmare during heavy snow, due to the huge catchments above many of the routes, so after a snowy (but safe) Cacade Lillaz we bailed to Lys Balma in Gressoney.  This gave some brilliant steep ice clipping bolts for pro, with bolted lower offs, all with zero avalanche risk and a 2min approach – our kinda climbing! Cheers to Pete Benson for the tipoff – and more info at http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l=2&keyid=37160

Finally Margaret best joined me for a week back in Cogne, which we kicked off with avalanche paranoia and a trip to ‘Castello Incantato’. The Enchanted Castle is a brill spot – a twisting multi-branched cascade tucked away above Verres in the Aosta valley. Its only 15 mins from the car on a densely forested hillside, so quite safe and with a steady stroll off at the top. Great! Things seemed to settle down in Cogne, with several other guided teams out reporting little observed avalanche activity -  in the sustained low temps nothing was moving. Andy Perkins kindly put a track in to Lillaz Gully (cheers Andy) so that was our next objective, followed by Cascade Lillaz and Patri – all in great shape. Finally we finished with a change of scene and headed to Valsavaranche and the brilliant Rovenaud – this was in great condition and has a brilliant ambiance set in a deep gorge. All in all a top 2 weeks climbing, thanks for the great company and great days on the hill guys!

David Horwood  has just today finished 5 days guided by Jonny Baird, also around Cogne. They climbed Lillaz Gully, Candelabro Del Coyote, Patri Right  and Left, Lau Bij and Rovenaud – all still in great condition. The legendary Christophe Profit was at hand to take some photos of David on the top of Patri, so will get those on the blog shortly!

Thanks to Luca on UKC for his useful roundup of Italian ice conditions. Other useful sites for Euro ice conditions include www.gulliver.it, www.camptocamp.org, www.ice-fall.com, www.ohm-chamonix.com, www.cascades-infos.com

Rich

Nov 23 2009

Ice Climbing

The Euro ice season’s just around the corner! This will be our 7th winter running courses in the ice climbing mecca of La Grave - here’s a selection of pics to remind us what it’s all about…

Feb 9 2009

La Grave Ice Climbing – 2009 Roundup

It’s been a fantastic season out in La Grave Ice Climbing this winter – easily the best for a few years, with most of the big classics in great nick, plus a few obscure gems.

Rich has been hard at it through the whole of January, sharing many great days out with some regular faces plus a number of new clients. The first 2 weeks of January passed by in endless sunshine - every morning it was just another day in paradise – dry, fat blue ice, no wind and perfect temps.

By mid Jan some of the routes on the sunny side of the valley were starting to look a bit patchy and hollow, but a massive dump of snow during the third week helped to feed the lines and re-bond the existing ice back into place (plus bring the whole valley to a standstill for a while…)

The 4th week then saw a return to blue skies and a perfect week of climbing with regular ice aficionado Dave Horwood. Highlights of the trip (i.e. routes Rich hadn’t done before!) included Verges du Demon (5+, Vallon du Diable) with Jim Bird; Ectoplasm (5, La Grave) a superb Scottish style gully with Will Kumar; Vermicelle (5+, Ceillac) with Jim Bird; Alea Jacta Est (4+, La Grave) with Alastair MacColl; Cousin Hubert (5+, Fressinieres) with David Horwood and Les Visiteurs (5, Fressinieres) again with David.

Many thanks to everyone else including: Margaret, Paul, Matt, Tim, Glenn, John, Sim, Luke and all the staff at the Hotel Edelweiss for a great month. This was our 6th season in La Grave, and with a lifetimes climbing within an hours drive of the hotel, we don’t think it will be the last….

Matt Evenden on Promenade Matheysin, 3+

Paul Brooke and Will Kumar on Mini Moulin, 4

Paul Brooke on the Goulotte de Muretouse, 3+

Rich on Vermicelle, 5+

Jan 17 2009

Ice Climbing..

We’re having an excellent season down in La Grave Ice Climbing  just now – I’ve just finished an intro ice climbing week with Jon Graham and Rich is mid way through his 28 day marathon with all comers!  It’s a been a good winter with all the main classics formed and seeing plenty of ascents.

Jon Graham on pitch 2 of Caturgeas.

Team climbing the classic grade 6 L’Etoffe.

Jon enjoying Autisme, Vallon du Diable yesterday.

Topping out on Autisme.