Blog
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
New Ernest mag is out!
The new issue of Chamonix based Ernest Magazine is out, to check it out – Click here!
Monday, February 14th, 2011
No money, no girl, no job…
My friend Tracy Lenard is living in Japan and sent me this photo… I let it speak for many of us…
Monday, February 14th, 2011
More Médonnet
Bjarne Sahlén
Carl Granlund
Michelle and Heather takes a beer break
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Les Marécottes – Wonderful spring skiing in one of Switzerland’s hidden gems
Between Chamonix and Martigny you will find a small picturesque village called Les Marecottes with its own little ski resort. Its an awesome place to go on powder days and with most of the skiing facing the sun its serves up with great spring skiing on warm days.
Yesterday was a warm (for being winter) beautiful day and I went to this favourite with a few friends from home that where here for the weekend. We had a great day skiing perfect corn and exploring the nice short couloirs of the area!
Thanks Björn, Karl, Pelle och Micke!
To know more about this really good but small ski area – check www.marecottes.ch
Micke, Björta, Pelle och Karl in one of the couloirs
Carl skiing
Björn
Carl again
Hiking
Pelle dropping in
Micke couloir skiing
Friday, February 11th, 2011
Les Droites – Ginat – Motorway up one of Chamonix’s classic north faces
Yesterday I did the Ginat on Les Droites with good friend and mountain guide Jimmy Halvardsson. It was a great day out on this 1200 m big ice and rock face. Over a month of good and stable weather has turned the route in to a must do at the moment with super great conditions making the route relatively easy.
The north face of Les Droites
We came up with the first bin in the morning, had a great climb, topped out in late afternoon, had a walk back to town and ended up at Chambre 9 for a couple jugs of water, and then I continued over, still in climbing clothes to Lapin Aigle for wine with friends from home.
Another great day in the mountains – thanks Jimmy!
If you want to hire a mountain guide, or just want to check out this awesome guy and great climber – visit Jimmy’s website at www.ascentdescent.com.
On the route we met friend and climber Korra Pesce who was out on just another adventure soloing the Jackson and then from the top down climbed (solo again of course) the Ginat. An impressive feat! To see an edit by Seb Montaz with this climber in action; click here.
Jimmy loves candy, yes he does!
Jimmy climbing
Me enjoying (Photo: Jimmy Halvardsson)
Jimmy on the lead
At the top
The descent
Rappin
Walking down
Valle blanche by night
Montenvers
Friday, February 11th, 2011
Brèche Est du Domino – Petit Viking – A beautiful ascent of the “impossible” climb
This Wednesday I went up climbing a beautiful goulotte called Petite Viking with my friend Maxime Turgeon. We wanted to do a climb that’s fast and convenient that doesn’t attract too much people.
In the end we chose to go up the Argentière basin to do this classic ice and mixed climb on Brèche Est du Domino. On the way up we got to know that the bergschrund had collapsed making the access of the route impossible (according to the rumor and French climbing forums).
We thought this was good news hopefully keeping the otherwise frequently climbed route just to ourselves.
Arriving at the route we found ourselves alone with a giant bergschrund between the actual climb and us. We saw an easy crossing further to the left, but that would have led to lots of traversing to get back on route, and it doesn’t seem to be Max’s style to walk around stuff – so of we went straight over the serac.
Steep mixed unprotected ground led us trough a hole in the snowy overhang giving us by far the hardest pitch for the day. But with Max on the lead it never take to much time and we where soon back on easy terrain. Three very long pitches (running belays) led us the 500 m to the brèche with the last mixed ground as a highlight.
We rapped of the same way and where down in town in good time for me to start planning the next days adventure…
Thanks Max for a good day out!
The approach, Pointe du Domino on the left
Max attacking the bergschrund
Max coming up trough the hole
Max running up the mountian
The mixed ground in the end
At the top
View from the top
Rapping down
Friday, February 11th, 2011
Super Balmette
Sunny warm weather and high pressure usually means great climbing down the valley. This Tuesday we enjoyed some fun climbing in shorts and t-shirt with a view over Valle d’Arve…
