This was a marvellous adventure we did earlier this summer in search of all forms of terrain from splitter cracks, jenga stacks to north face snow and ice as we prepared for our guides test. Akin to the traverse of the Aiguilles, it avoided the dangers of a dry Nantillions Glacier and a descent that would take its toll on our legs invoking a rest day. My partners in crime were fellow aspirant James Clapham and Chamonix regular Andrew Wexler who was over from Canada to work the summer season.
It rained through the night so we elected to take an early bin to give the Carmichael cracks time to dry, leaving Plan de l’Aiguille at 0720 and arrived at the Aiguille du Plan at 2000 hrs after doing the route in guide mode with short roping etc and carrying bivi kit.
The route highlighted above.
Carmichael Route on the Pelerins
Wexler on the Carmichael
Myself and James at the junction with the Gruter Ridge on the Pelerins
James on the penultimate pitch of the Gruter Ridge
Myself and James on the summit of the Pelerins
Traversing to Col des Pelerins
Looking back to the Pelerins
Me climbing up good rock after Col des Pelerins
Unstable choss in the amphitheatre
Wexler
Lush granite on the Deux Angles
Wex on the 5C pitches up the Deux Angle SW Spur
James and myself seconding on one rope
Happy days, on the North Face of the Plan
Wex and James on the North Face with the Deux Angle behind
8 pm, time to bivi to avoid the puddles on Midi Plan
Time to get up and sort our shit on in the morning
Enjoying the sunrise
Midi-Plan, Mont Blanc and its outliers
Mini pano of Dent de Geant to Cham Valley
Absorbing some warmth from the sun
Another pano with Grand Jo
James climbing up the rognan
A pano but Wex move so ended up with a tiny body
Whats left of Grand Envers top pitch
Ross Hewitt Guiding 