JMCS 2018 Contents Designed by Sarah Wright 2018 Signalkuppe from Margarita Hut Alpine Trip Simon Opit Like a lot of climbers, my summer As soon as the days start getting least) would be distinguished by a trip months inevitably get planned longer and the winter season begins to full of fun and success – not always around either one or two visits to show signs of dripping to a stand still traits traditionally associated with the Western Alps. The annual dose (and the urge for warm, functioning endeavours so dependent on long spells of: soaring snow-covered mountains, fingers becomes a medical necessity), of good weather. alpine meadow naps, glacial puzzle my thoughts become embroiled in the solving, brutal hut walks and ‘tower next ‘how, when and where?’. This And this brings me to the crux of the of babel’ linguistic diversity, becomes year was no exception but as it so matter. No sooner had the winter-long a major focal point of every year. For happens, this year was also my sixtieth angst of weather watching become me, this has been the case for more birthday. I was determined that this redundant, than I begin to scour the than 25 years. auspicious occasion (well, for me at ECMWF long-range charts and other 3 JMCS Newsletter - 2018 Kenny on the Cresta Sella Liskamm esoteric and occult sources, for signs the four-star classic Cioch Nose route of the holy grail; namely, Anticyclonic before traversing back to the car. It nirvana. So while I admit I have a bit was a glorious few days and actually of problem, it hurts no one and the took a little pressure off knowing we torment is largely private! had had some of the best Scotland can offer in summer. However the obsessive Of course, this obsessive behaviour is behaviour continued and finally, the largely irrelevant, not because of the decision made that while the general notorious inaccuracies of long range weather picture across the alps was to computer modelling but because as a be somewhat changeable and far from father of two and a reluctant full time perfect, the Italian Monta Rosa range worker, in reality, all choice is illusory. In seemed to promise the best option addition, my similarly hindered climbing with an apparent pattern of stable partner, Kenny, determined we only had mornings followed by afternoon murk. 10 days to play with, so we bought our We settled on a plan for ticking the so- air tickets to Geneva (which would at called Italian Haute Route with as many least preserve some flexibility) and set 4000ers as we could collect in the days our departure date for July 14th. at our disposal. For preparation, Kenny and I managed At this point I will simply say that time a number of training days out - with passed and before we knew it we one particularly memorable weekend were waking up inside what felt like a coinciding with a glorious spell of concrete cell but was, in fact, a motel summer weather. Such opportunities on the outskirts of Geneva airport. are to be grasped with both hands However, a small, but potentially and that Saturday we drove to Skye significant fly was about to land in and scrambled along the Clach Glas – our alpine ointment. On waking and Blaven ridge followed by a cooling swim packing, I could not find the keys to in a burn before driving to the top of the padlock securing the large North the Bealach na Bà for a wild camp. Next Face duffle bag containing most our day, we dropped down to the bottom most important kit such our tent, stove, of Sgurr a`Chaorachain and climbed ropes and rack etc. Frantic searching 4 JMCS Newsletter - 2018 Castor “As soon as we pitched the tent and a brew was brewed and consumed, I sought out the local forecast and Lo! - the weather Gods had good news.” and re-searching was followed by Bernard and along the Val ‘Aosta we Lo! - the weather Gods had good much self-loathing, followed again headed for the beautiful Gressoney- news. It would seem that, while not by ever more frantic searching but Saint-Jean. On arriving at the campsite wall to wall sunshine, the weather was the inevitable conclusion had to be we mentioned our predicament and very usable and we hatched a plan accepted. It would seem that I had left after we managed to convince them to spend a night in the Quintino Sella the padlock keys in my wife’s car (when that the bag was actually ours, the hut (3585m) and then next morning she dropped as off at the airport) and owner silently slipped away and climb Castor (4223m). It turned out that was that. As is usual, Kenny was returned with a giant pair of bolt to be a straightforward ascent notable the epitome of reason and positive clippers and Hey Presto! we were back for two things; one, the sheer beauty karma (one of the reasons I climb with in business. of the snow arêtes on the way to the him!) and so we set off regardless all summit, and two, the presence of the the while mentally exploring the various As soon as we pitched the tent and entire Italian army (or so it seemed). options that we had. After a wonderful a brew was brewed and consumed, Thankfully, even in our non-acclimatised drive over the Col du Grand-Saint- I sought out the local forecast and state, we were able to out run them 5 JMCS Newsletter - 2018 and get to the summit first where before Wi-Fi?) for us to decide to ‘make we were able to enjoy the very small hay while the sun shone’ and head top in peace and safety. We enjoyed back up high again the next day. And the spectacular descent to the top lift by high, I mean to almost as high as station and eventually returned to the the Western Alps can get. campsite to pitch the tent, go shopping, cook dinner (- a feast of fresh Gnocchi Our plan was to get up early and take in tasty sauce washed down with finest the various lifts from Staffal to the Lis local red wine). That night we went to Glacier and make the long approach sleep feeling great that we managed to the Margherita Hut (4554m). As to tick our first 4000’er only a day after usual the day started eventfully. Our arriving in Gressoney. otherwise very nice and reliable hire car decided at this crucial juncture As is often the case, other more to refuse to start. This immediately mundane things provided satisfaction threw our plan into jeopardy; as we too. Our cooking capacity was needed to catch the early ‘climbers somewhat limited by the fact, that special’ in order to be able to approach just prior to leaving Edinburgh, we the hut while the glacier was still were forced to rationalise our gear frozen. By some miracle (or was it the (for obvious reasons) and the second guardian angel that I was beginning to stove was one of the victims of the suspect had taken us under its wing?), cull. However, as it happens, another Kenny convinced an early-rising - but distinguishing characteristic of Kenny’s, thankfully convivial - Slovenian to is his talent for creative culinary allow us use of his jump-leads to get solutions. So he and the single 1L MSR our car on the road again. We were Windburner stove consistently delivered up and running in a few minutes and and our morale and wallets were managed to catch the lift. Once in the eternally grateful. tele-cabin, all we had to do was relax and take in the stunning scenery that With one nights sleep back down in the the southern aspect of the Monte Rosa valley, it took just a quick peek at the presents. After some strenuous via- local forecast and numerous diverse ferrata type fun, we put our crampons Liskamm summit confirmations (how did we ever manage on and roped up for the glacial slog. At 6 JMCS Newsletter - 2018 Somewhere on the East Ridge during Liskamm descent some point we stopped on the glacier the time passed in waves of panic and to cook a breakfast of Chilli Con Carne episodes of impending doom. and Chocolate pudding, which fuelled us enough to blast up to the hut. Thankfully, the following morning we managed to stuff some food down The Margherita hut is perched on the our mouths (and even more in our summit of the 4th highest mountain pockets) and we gratefully set off down in the Alps (Signalkuppe, 4554m) and the steep slopes under the hut and our arrival signalled our simultaneous traversed across to the first summit of unravelling. I immediately lost my the day – the Zumsteinspitze (4563m). glacier glasses down the vertical face, Once we descended from that top the dropping 1000m into Switzerland, and glacier was immediately enveloped in a our heads would not stop thumping. very familiar Scottish white out! Martin The loss of my glasses immediately Moran’s warning that the “featureless set off alarm bells, as I knew there glacier terrain becomes very confusing was no way we could either climb or in mist” proved to be the case but even descend the next day without we dug deep into our winter toolbox eye protection. However, another and deployed our non-alpine skill set miracle ensued, when the hut guardian (by utilising a map and compass) and managed to find a pair of rather eventually we were heading back up fetching glacier glasses left behind by and along another delightfully narrow a previous occupant.