1996 France, Dauphiné

Monday onwards although this did not Alpine Meet deter several parties having excellent Ailefroide, mountaineering and rock climbing days as the reports will reveal. Dauphine Alps We had as guests ofthe Club, brought July / August 1996 by Tim Bateman, Jennie AlIen of the Rugby MC and Pete Hardy of the Hinchley MC. They were assets to Compiled by John Devenport from the party both on the mountain and contributions supplied by members socially back in camp. It is only when and guests recounting their you are sharing a rope with much experiences on the meet. younger people, on what for the writer are serious mountains do you realise that Anno Domini is catching up with The President's Overview you. by Derek Bush As a first visit to an Alps meet I was somewhat apprehensive. Would I The Club last visited Ailefroide in cope in the huts and the early starts? 1991. In John Devenports excellent 3.30 am was never my best time of introduction to that meet report he day, never mind thinking about described in detail the location, the donning plastic boots, gaiters, camp site, the maps and guide books climbing harness, head torches and all required and even the weather! I have the other paraphernalia of the no intention of plagiarising John's 'modem' climber. Did I cope? You report and will merely remind readers had better ask my companions but I that Ailefroide lies at the head of the can only say my holiday would have Gyronde {Vallouise} Valley at a been far more traumatic and therefore height of 1500m. much less enjoyable without the help, For some of us towing caravans, the assistance and cajoling of all my most exciting, perhaps I should say companions young and old alike. terrifying part of the whole holiday I thank them sincerely. was the ascent {and decent} by road from L'Argentiere, This is ignoring the one way tunnel systems which still seem to be operating on the east side Maps and guide books ofthe Lautaret pass! It is hoped that The most useful map was Cartes IGN next years Alps meet is more caravan 3436ET 'Meije and Pelvoux' which friendly. Older members will scoff covered the whole of the Pare and say the Club is becoming too soft. National des Ecrins at a scale of I am sure there is scope for an article, 1:25,000. Walking and ski-touring humorous or otherwise, in a routes, together with the refuges were subsequent bulletin. clearly marked. The only other variation to the 1991 The Alpine Club Guide 'Ecrins Massif account was of course the weather. - Selected Climbs', though not giving 1991 seemed to be better. The first all of the routes, was more than week or our 1996 meet was excellent adequate for the mountaineering needs but mixed weather arrived the second during the meet. The YRC Bulletin 61 Summer 1997 The attendees but Mark and Alister kept a look out for any improvements in the weather. The following members and guests After a slight improvement in sampled the delights ofthis part ofthe conditions we departed from the hut French Alps for all or part ofthe meet: at approximately six 0 clock. Jennie Allen The peak provided a varied route, Dennis Annstrong initially over moraine leading to a Joan Annstrong snowy col. The col enabled me to put TimBateman on my strap-on crampons, for the first DerekBush time, in extremely windy conditions John Devenport it was almost inevitable that they Marcia Godden would come off on descent. The Mike Godden second part ofthe ascent was in cloud, Pete Hardy over a forty five degree snow slope. Katrina Holt This was an excellent experience, MarkPryor although traffic on the slope was bad, Alister Renton from those people who had begun an Q~llton early descent. At the second col we Neil Renton removed our rucksacks for a fifty Arthur Salmon metre rock climb, which Alister Graham Salmon + Sally impressively led. The final part of the David Smith peak was a scramble over rocky Elspeth Smith terrain before a second snow slope Frank Wilkinson leading to the summit cairn. The view from the 3663m peak was poor but the pleasure of reaching the top subdued this disappointment. Montagne des Agneaux The descent was, for me, surprisingly rapid - although the clear in the by Neil Renton weather was untimely - giving a view This mountain was to be the first peak of the exposed abseil. Arrival back at ofthe Alpine Meet and my first major the hut saw better weather and snow peak. The first Sunday of the enabled a dry walk down to the car meet trip saw the departure ofAlister, park - where David and myself saw a Alex and Mark, Jenny, Tim and Pete, marmot which, according to David, and finally David, Derek and myself: had been tamed at the circus! The for the Glacier Blanc hut. The two mountain was a thoroughly enjoyable hour walk to the hut gave us all day out that gave me the desire to fabulous views ofMount. Pelvoux and have a go at the Barre des Ecrins. Ailefroide Upon arrival at the hut we booked in, A bivouac in the Ecrins finding the small self catering room. Dinner lived up to the usual standard by Pete Hardy all appreciating David's culinary It was hard work ascending the expertise. Everybody rose at four to winding path from Pre De Madame find horrendous weather conditions Carle toward the Glacier Blanc. Each the majority headed off back to bed, ofus was hampered by the 401b. pack Tuc YRC Bulletin 62 Summer 1997 we shouldered under the hot afternoon What a lucky stroke! We were clearly sun. Every step an agony, the Refuge not the first to spot the sites potential. Du Glacier Blanc seemed to take an There were already stone shelters eternity to reach. We had travelled this erected for the siting of two bivi bags way before, yet we each still revelled (Alister and I) and there was ample in the fantastic views afforded us; room for Jennie and Tim to erect the Mont Pelvoux its summit partly tent they had carried up between them. obscured by cloud with the Glacier des This was a site made in heaven; flat Violettes draped over its northern (relatively), free of stone fall or flank; L' Ailefroide massif clearly avalanche danger, close to a supply of visible showing its East summit, scene clean snow (for drinks) and even with of our earlier adventures closest to us. a supply ofwood. (There were about a Ifhard labour was the price to pay for dozen small planks of wood scattered all ofthis, then it was surely worth it. over the platform, some partly buried in snow). Quickly realising the We stopped off at the refuge and each potential, and ignoring the rule about of us paid 16 Francs for a can of cold open fires, we built a small fire over pop and we sat in the sun watching which to cook. Choughs gliding in the mountain air for a while. We resumed our journey; The fire was fantastic. We melted the upwards over the moraine heaps above snow I had dug from deep in the snow the refuge at first, and then onto the field and prepared drinks. We cooked glacier itself This late in the season the usual dehydrated meal (rice and there was no problem with deep layers curry or something similar) and used of snow hiding crevasses, and so we rocks warmed by the fireside to fend did not rope up. We travell..cd along off the night chill. We were in great the northern edge of the glacier, spirits, taking photographs aplenty. We avoiding impressively contorted were amazed at 9pm to see two parties crevasses as we did so. It was descending the north face ofthe Barre approaching 7pm by the time we des ECl1nS. The first was quite fast, but reached the point at which Mark, the second was desperately slow. We Derek and Neil would depart for the watched them descend as far as the col Refuge Des Ecrins. By now the des ECl1nS, but failing light caused us Glacier was mostly in shadow as the to lose sight. We could only assume sun dropped low behind the they had bivouacked high on the surrounding peaks. glacier or that they were descending to We carried on along the glacier for a la Berarde (rather them than us!). short distance, and could already see It was close to 10pm by the time we one party bivouacking on the ice turned in; I slept in my thermals, my ahead. Tim suggested we did likewise, fleece, my four season bag and a but I said we might be wiser Goretex bivi bag. The muffled sound investigating the rock spur above us. I of running water kept me awake for a let Tim go ahead of me - his energy while, the I imagination running wild, seemed boundless even now - whilst but after about an hour I managed to Jennie and Alister waited on the ice get to sleep. below. I was almost up with Tim when 3.30 am next morning and I was he shouted his enthusiastic approval to awake to my alarm. I donned my the rest ofus. contact lens, grateful that I did not drop it onto my bivi bag which was The YRC Bulletin 63 Summer 1997 covered in a thick layer of frost. I I slept very well that night after sprang promptly out of 'bed'. The spending a little while looking at the valley below was full of cloud but at stars and spotting the passing 3,300m we were cloud free.

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