climbing – Page 10 – Ross Hewitt Guiding

Chere Couloir – North Face of Aiguille du Midi

8th Dec 2014by rosshewittguidingLeave a comment

While I was whiling away the time this autumn from the discomfort of long hours behind a desk, something amazing was happening out there in the real world. Social media alerted me to incredible mixed climbing conditions the Alps as icy tentacles started to drooling down the faces providing relatively easy passage for all the mixed masters. Fomo was kicking in pretty badly and I managed to engineer my way out of work for a week in September and another in October. Success on the Michto-Polish route on the Jorasses in September brought confidence in off the couch fitness and ability to use a pair of tools after a year or two off. It allowed the mind to explode with all the possibilities and adventures out there given the right partner, enough time and the weather. I eagerly looked forward to the October holiday knowing one big route would calm the mind from the boredom of work during the run into the ski season. Conditions just seemed to get better and the weather was looking great. The week before heading out there was a minor blip with some days off training due to a cold. Arriving in Chamonix I took advantage of the Brevent being open to get some lift assisted mountain biking i.e. downhill. But then I started to feel tired, like wtf, am I imagining this? I thought it was probably psychosomatic but not completely willing to try my theory out on a big face, we decided to go for a quick hit on Chere Couloir. A friend had recently solo’d it and reckoned the serac was not threatening. And so Sandy and myself started romping up the neve plastered line and I was feeling ok, not great but ok. Then boom, out of nowhere my body went cold and into shutdown mode like I had flu. I put on ever stitch of clothing from my bag and continued to climb in it all the way to the top. Just as well we weren’t on the Grand Pillier D’Angle! I Guess it pays to listen to your body no matter how much you want to do something. 6 weeks later and I think I have finally got rid of what was bugging me, just in time for the snow to arrive. And the serac is mildly threatening, enough to make us feel relieved once we had past it!

Baffin Island Film Teaser

7th Oct 2014by rosshewittguidingLeave a comment

In April 2014, Marcus Waring, Michelle Blaydon, Tom Grant and myself travelled to the North East Fiords of Baffin Island which are situated between mainland Canada and Greenland. There we spent 30 days unsupported in the fiords, travelling 240 km using kites and skins and skiing 26 couloirs along the way. Many of the lines were first know descents.

Here is a teaser for our forthcoming film:

Grandes Jorasses North Face – Polish Michto Variation

5th Oct 2014by rosshewittguidingLeave a comment

Last weekend I got a chance to go back to the Jorasses for the first time in 7 years. I teamed up with Ben Tibbetts and we were joined by Misha Gopaul and Jeff Banks for a social day out. I had managed a day acclimatising up the Midi skiing earlier in the week so it wasn’t a straight from the office hit which Andy Houseman and myself had done the last time on Colton Macintyre. After the warmest bivi ever in the mountains at montenevers, we walked in during the early hours, therefore avoiding a bun fight at the overcrowded Leschaux hut. It was a beautiful starry night and Ben caught a fantastic shot of the face under the stars with several teams well established on the Colton Macintyre, Croz and Polish routes. As we arrived for first light the face was relatively quiet and we quickly got to work climbing neve for several hundred metres. A few goulottes of ice and neve followed with fun climbing that was never hard up to the summit ridge where we were treated with gorgeous autumnal milky light over the Peuterey Ridge and the Aosta Valley.

Big thanks to Ben (Misha and Jeff) for a memorable day and the photos!

The Polish Michto Variation on Grandes Jorasses North Face (2011 photo Ben Tibbetts)

Our comfy bivi at Montevers
Climbers on the Desmaison, Colton Macintyre and Croz/Polish Routes Gearing up to go Steep Sugar Through the BergshrundA Happy Team

The First Goulotte Section

Ben TibbettsBen Climbing a Thinner Seam as We Catch a Spanish Team

Me Pulling Through a Steep Section

Typical North Face Icy Mixed Terrain

Ben Pulling Through onto the Summit Snowfields

Gorgeous Warm Day

Climbing into the Sun on the Summit Ridge Snowfields

Ben Savouring the Summit Ridge Views

Pointe Marguerite – Named After the Queen of Savoie

Mont Blanc and the Peuterey Ridge

Martin Elias descending after an ascent of Directe de l’Amite with Korra PesceBen Approaching the Reposoir at Sundown

Grands Perron – Ballade des Gens Heureux or Shiny Happy People

19th Sep 2014by rosshewittguidingLeave a comment

Our last trip out was to the Grand Perron and the classic Shiny Happy People. Its a great time of year to head up there picking myrtille berries along the way and admiring the views of the Chardonnet and La Verte. The 7 pitch route is bolted throughout (spaced on easy ground) and generally slabby on sound rock and little vegetation. The exception is the 6a+ 4th pitch which goes diagonally through some steeper ground so be prepared to start pulling! The summit holds a commanding position to hang out over the dam and its turquoise waters.

Grepon – Le Soleil Rendez-vous Avec La Lune

24th Aug 2014by rosshewittguiding1 Comment

I am currently doing a block of work in the UK and it gives me little time to get out in the mountains so I’m playing the weekend warrior game. I was really motivated to have a proper adventure and craved the solitude of the big mountains so Philippe Gatta and myself made plans to climb Banana Republic on the Aiguille de La Republic or “Soleil” on the Grepon.

After walking into the Envers hut we sat on the terrace discussing plans in a remarkably chilly autumnal wind. In the end we decided to go for Soleil as we would be able to move faster in the cold and stay warm. The only thing was Philippe was mad for the traverse of the Grepon so we would carry crampons, axe and big boots up 25 pitches in order to descend the Nantillions Glacier.

After a noisy nearly sleepless night at the refuge we got up at 430 and started climbing at 6 though the second 6a+ slab pitch had us waiting for a little more light to see the crystals in the rock. The morning dawned with low cloud that had locked in some warmth and we moved quickly despatching 5 pitches in a hour. Then we climbed into the mist and tricky route finding slowed us. As we climbed higher I put on my light down jacket then my heavier one as the temperatures steadily dropped. After pitch ten I got my first dose of screaming barfies as the touch of cold and sometime wet rock made itself felt. We still hoped the weather would break but it seemed to be getting darker and on pitch 18 we started to find ice in the cracks. Then on pitch 19 lots of snow barred the way with only 6 pitches to go. Frustratingly it was time to bail and leave the summit of Grepon for a glorious sunny day. We didn’t make the summit but we climbed some fantastic pitches and I got the adventure and solitude I was looking for in the austere surroundings created by the poor weather.

On the walk down to Chamonix we passed the Montenvers Hotel and stopped by for some food. If you havent been in there I highly recommend it with its beautiful panelled wood interior and similar prices to the refuges.