ice climbing – Ross Hewitt Guiding

Beyond Good and Evil

17th Jan 202017th Jan 2020 by rosshewittguiding Leave a comment

The legendary Andy Parkin- Mark Twight route from the early 90s that took them multiple attempts to finish off. With a route with such high reputation for quality, it didn’t take much to get me fired up and psyched for it, and arguably its been a 20 year wait for the stars to align for me to get the opportunity to go. A quick ask round the trusted partners and Guy Steven instantly signed up. The crux would be to kit him out as he had flown out from Scotland for the week.

Many Alpine mixed routes fall short of the mark for me due to monotony of moves but each pitch of Beyond was so varied and unique providing continuous interest in stunning surroundings, mostly delicate and enticing rather than burley and intimidating. A bit like Labrynth Direct on the Dubh Loch albeit much longer.

We headed out from the small winter room at the Plan Refuge into a still mild night illuminated by the full moon. For the first 45 mins there was no need for a head torch as we took in the fantastic ambience under the Chamonix Aiguilles, friendly rather than foreboding. I kicked off and Guy and I alternated on the sharp end for 11 pitches to the junction with Thierry Rebuffat (known as Carrington Rouse in winter). With the upper pitches blasted dry by the wind we rapped arriving back at the skis at 130 pm and took the cable car to Big Mountain bar for some quality IPA to quench the thirst. All very civilized. Thanks @guystevenguide for a very memorable day.

25th Nov 201925th Nov 2019 by rosshewittguiding Leave a comment

As the year draws to a close I can’t help but reflect on what a vintage year it has been – if I was lucky enough to be your guide then thank you for making it utterly brilliant for me – check out the photos below and revive some of those incredible memories. With the shortening of the days I’m sure you feel the craving to get out in the mountains just like me. It’s time to start dreaming and planning your next adventure whether it’s some specific life goal or simply getting a boost catching some winter sun in the Alps. For winter 19/20 I will be guiding out of Chamonix from November to May and I still have some gaps in my calendar so if you having been dreaming of that place where the magic happens then don’t delay, get in touch before its too late. It will be a pleasure to spend time in the mountains with you again or get to know you if its your first time. rosshewittguiding@yahoo.com

December 1st winter kicks off on skiing the Toula Glacier with the opening of Skyway (Helbronner) on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. The Aosta valley has ALOT of snow right now with its huge option of early season touring and sidecountry. Mid-December I’m holding a 3 day avalanche awareness course for the new employees at Bluebird Cafe and Solocal who are Chamonix newbees. Aiguille du Midi opens on December 13th and Grand Montets is already open at the weekends.

January and February will be deep endless powder days based in Chamonix and Skyway including some Valley Blanche action. I am also guiding in the secret stash spot of Sainte-Foy for the second year running and can’t wait to get back for its legendary trees and easy access backcountry.

March and April I already have 2 steep camps with clients who are looking to access the steep and deep in the big mountains. Snow cover will be at its best and the longer days open up the classic ski touring possibilities. The mind boggles at the endless possibilities.

May sees the return of 2 clients hunting specific big lines in Chamonix which is always a great time of year for the high mountain.

Early December days at Skyway are some of my favourite

Avalanche awareness and terrain management course on Brevent

Deep endless powder days, Plan de l’Aiguille

Ice climbing in December and January

Teaching snow anchors & fundamental skills for crevasse rescue

Teaching how to build an ice screw anchor and equalise it

La Sentinelle ski touring meet was in Chamonix this year and Monte Viso in 2020

Good cop, bad cop at La Sentinelle

Traditional mountain food at La Sentinelle

Snow Sports of Great Britain ski test at Pila, Italy

Thats a 70k camera! Working as a guide and stunt skier for a UK film

Ski touring in the Vanoise national park

Bespoke ski guiding for Andrew

No rush for the powder in the Tarentaise, enjoying a backcountry picnic

Steep camp heading to ski Aiguille du Plan South Face

Returning for Aiguille d’Argentiere

Deep day on Mont Blanc early May

Riding giants, those dream lines forming the North Wall of the Argentiere glacier

Classic alpinism on the Midi Plan traverse

Dawn at the Vallot shelter on the way to Mont Blanc

Sunrise on Mont Blanc as we summit

Scrambling with stunning views

Classic Swiss ridges, this one done in a day hit from Chamonix

Sunset on the Matterhorn

Summiting the Matterhorn under 4 hours

The Matterhorn at sunset

Classic Italian Ridges easily accessible from Chamonix

Christmas as Skyway

Opening the Entreves Spur, Skyway, Chamonix

Snow Sport of Great Britain ski test at Pila Italy

traditional dining, La Sentinelle ski meet Chamonix

safety and skier for a British independent fictional film

bespoke ski guiding for an Australian based client

steep camp for 2 British clients looking for the magic

touring under the Giant Argentiere basin north wall

col des cristaux, the classic big steep line in the Argentiere basin

Passing the Vallot shelter en route to Mont Blanc

glorious sunrise near summit of Mont Blanc

summit of the Matterhorn under 4 hours, winner!

Classic Italian ridges in a day hit from Chamonix

Ross Hewitt enjoying deep january powder days

Fil a Plomb

31st Jan 2016 by rosshewittguiding Leave a comment

While we anxiously waited for snow to arrive I took the opportunity to snatch a day alpine climbing with my good friend Andy Houseman. Its great to cross train to avoid imbalances and injury and besides I still love Alpine climbing despite not having too much time away from skiing to do it. My friend Nico Magnin had been to Fil a Plomb so we took advantage of his trail breaking to have a fun day climbing this Chamonix classic. I was also testing those Lenz heat socks in my lighter Scarpa Phantom boots. Usually I suffer from really cold feet but the socks worked brilliantly and enabled me to leave my heavier Scarpa 6000s at home. Check them out at https://www.lenzproducts.com/. I chose the 1800 rcb battery for long days alpine climbing.

Grandes Jorasses North Face – Polish Michto Variation

5th Oct 2014 by rosshewittguiding Leave 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

Mixed Climbing – Rebuffat Terray V5 550 m Col des Pelerins

4th Dec 2013 by rosshewittguiding 1 Comment

The Rebuffat Thierry route was first climbed in winter by Rab Carrington and Alan Rouse who followed a series of ice runnels that drooled down from the Col des Pelerins. Fpr some reason or another I had never got onto this route. A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of spending a day climbing at Gogarth with living legend Rab Carrington and knew I had to amend this obvious omission to my Chamonix winter climbing resume. Aged 60 odd Rab is inspiring to watch on the rock, still climbing big E5s and 8a with impressive flexibility, a testimony to the benefits of a stretching regime. After a year off climbing myself with being busy skiing, this was going to be a challenge to my residual climbing fitness and break me back into shape. I headed up with Sandy Simpson who was keen for a mid length day route and is fit from time well spent dry tooling at the Zoo.

The route itself was in good to lean conditions with a couple of breaks in the ice at the steeper cruxy locations due to traffic. It was great fun being back Alpine climbing and moving quickly in the mountains and not spending much time searching for protection (unlike Scotalnd) – even if slowed slightly in freeride touring boots!

On the way down we descended Pre de Rocher which contained a mixture of awful crust, disgusting wind buff and treacherous frost coated boulder fields. Hopping from sugar coated boulder to boulder was the order of the day (or night by now) and after 600 m I gave in on the skiing and decided to walk.

Tag: ice climbing

Beyond Good and Evil

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Fil a Plomb

Grandes Jorasses North Face – Polish Michto Variation

Mixed Climbing – Rebuffat Terray V5 550 m Col des Pelerins