My love for the mountains was born in Scotland, but it matured on the snowy slopes far above Chamonix. The Alps are the ultimate draw for mountaineers. They offer sensational vistas and a wide choice of routes for climbers of all levels, but are far more accessible than the likes of the Himalaya or Patagonia. I spent three days in the Mont Blanc Massif as I was introduced to Alpine mountaineering. 

   

What’s the Difference Between Mountaineering and Climbing?

I could write an entire article on this! Mountain-related terminology can be confusing. When people say they are ‘climbing a mountain’ they could mean anything from a gentle hike to the summit, to a multi-day rock/snow/ice climbing expedition. I like to think of mountaineering as the grey area between mountain hiking and rock climbing. Winter mountaineering generally involves travelling on snow or ice, but can also include scrambling or climbing on rock.

When we were planning our first foray into Alpine mountaineering, I was acutely aware of the extra considerations and dangers that the Alps present. Although I have done plenty of mountaineering and winter climbing in the UK, I did not feel comfortable transitioning straight to the Alps unguided. For this reason, we chose to do a 3 day introductory course. We used Vertical Frontiers, a fantastic team of Chamonix Mountain Guides, and had Gavin Pike as our instructor.

   

Dusting off the Ropes

Before our course, Tom and I decided to brush up on our multi-pitch climbing techniques by making use of the crags around Chamonix. These crags are mostly sport climbing crags. Bolts are already drilled into the wall which allow you to clip straight into them as you ascend. This means that you don’t need to worry about placing your own gear to provide protection from falls – all you need is a rope, some quick-draws, a climbing harness and belay device (helmets are also recommended). We went to Les Gaillands, which is just outside the centre of Chamonix.

After leading a few routes each, we felt sufficiently refreshed for our introduction to Alpine mountaineering. We went back to our hotel (a real luxury after spending weeks camping in the roof tent!) and packed our bags.

   

Day 1: Mer de Glace

We took the Montenvers train from central Chamonix and then got the gondola down onto the glacier. I had heard plenty about the famous Mer de Glace, and frankly, I was underwhelmed. Even though we were visiting just before the true mountaineering season (we went in May), there was little snow cover over much of the glacier. Viewed from above, the glacier resembled a giant grey snake slithering between the surrounding mountains. This was quite unlike the snowy field of blue ice that I had expected.

We hiked up along the rocky base of the glacier to reach the snow. Once there, we learnt how to rope up for glacier travel. After getting used to walking together, attached by the rope between our harnesses, we reviewed some general mountaineering skills. At a particularly steep patch of hard ice, we practised our crampon and ice axe technique. I always find it hard to trust my crampons, particularly when descending, on super steep ground. It baffles me that a few spikes of steel are the only thing pinning me to ground and stopping me from slipping down the side of a mountain.

Finally, it was time to learn crevasse rescue. We practised making buried anchors (using our ice axe and our rucksack), placing ice screws and rigging up a system to allow us to haul our ‘victim’ out of ‘the crevasse’. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to throw Tom into a crevasse in order to rescue him… we had to pretend.

Serious Stuff

After all this learning, we realised that the last train back was leaving shortly. We made our way back to the gondola quickly, stepping carefully over the tiny little crevasses that had formed during the hot afternoon. We were too late to get the gondola, so instead had to run up the hundreds of steps to get to the train on time!

As we were ascending, panting and light-headed, I noticed the signs that have been put up along the cliff side. They mark the levels of the glacier throughout the years.

These signs illustrate how quickly the glacier has been receding recently. It is devastating, and a truly striking example of climate change. As I stopped to catch my breath and ponder the signs, the echoing crash of a rockfall permeated the silence. Another dark reminder of the perils of rising global temperatures.

    

Day 2: Crag Climbing at Servoz

We woke up on our second day to a depressing weather forecast. We were supposed to be climbing the Rochefort Arête. The storms and high winds that were battering the mountains meant that the lifts were all shut. This is the downside to coming to the Alps in early spring! Instead of heading into the mountains, Gav decided we should stay in the valley, practice crevasse self-rescue skills and get some rock climbing in!

We went to a roadside sport climbing crag, Servoz. Here, we went over the basics of multi-pitch climbing, learnt how to rig a retrievable abseil and practised crevasse self-rescue with prussik loops. I lead my first mutli-pitch 6a outdoors (which, as someone who was at the time new to both lead climbing and climbing outdoors, I was pretty proud of!).

   

Day 3: Cosmiques Arête

Thankfully, the weather improved for our final day in the Alps. We were about to take on an Alpine classic – the Cosmique’s Arête. This is a popular route due to its easy access, its relatively easy grading and its location. The ridge is situated so that you are constantly bombarded with incredible views. On one side the ridge drops down steeply into Chamonix (2000m below!) and on the other, you look across the glacier towards the Grandes Jorasses, Dent du Giant and Mont Blanc. 

My First Time in the Alps

Five years ago, I went with my family to Chamonix. We took the cable car up to Aiguille du Midi as a special treat (and got it back down to the mid-station, where we walked the rest of the way down). This was a hugely formative experience in my pre-mountain obsessed days! I remember stepping off at the top and seeing the Alpinists donning their crampons and climbing harnesses, checking their axes and heading out down onto the glacier.

We went out onto the viewing platform, and saw some people finishing up on the Cosmiques Arête. I was absolutely amazed, having never seen anything like it. I really had no idea that mountaineering even existed until this point. We watched as the colourful blobs carefully traversed along the snowy ridge and climbed up the vertical pillars of rock. I thought to myself “I want to do this”, but told myself that I never would because I would never be brave enough or good enough.

And yet here I was, donning my harness and crampons ready to embark on the same route! I felt such an intense level of pride. I beat myself!

The Route

We descended onto the Vallée Blanche glacier and crossed it to get to Arête à Laurence. This is an easy section of scrambling/climbing, but with a lot of exposure. After about an hour, we reached the Cosmique’s Refuge (3,613m). We stopped off for a hot chocolate and a quick snack. Once we had warmed up, we donned our boots and crampons and set off again, enjoying our sugar buzz. The Cosmique’s Arête begins mere steps from the door of the hut and is immediately exposed and enjoyable.

The route somehow managed to live up to my (very high!) expectations. The views are outrageously beautiful, the climbing is incredibly fun and somehow we were completely alone! From leaving the glacier to topping out at the station, we didn’t encounter a single other person. We had the entire ridge to ourselves – the upside to coming to the Alps in early spring!

Finally, we finished by climbing (inelegantly!) up the ladder onto the Aiguille du Midi viewing platform. It felt satisfyingly appropriate to finish in the same place that I had stood, five years previously, doubting myself and my abilities.

   

Highlights

The Cosmique’s Refuge was the first real mountain hut I had ever seen. I was expecting a bothy-style shack with some ropey bunk-beds, so was surprised to find that it was more like a nice youth hostel, complete with a bar and all! I noticed a gigantic champagne bottle on the shelf above the bar. Gav told us that someone brought the magnum up Mont Blanc to drink once back in hut in celebration! It definitely trumps my hip-flask-of-whiskey-up-Kilimanjaro stunt. 

There were many interesting sections throughout the route, including a couple of 20m abseils, some exposed traverses and plenty of rocky scrambling. However, my favourite part of the route was the crux pitch. This is a vertical slab of rock that has to be climbed (4c) in crampons. The exposure, combined with the awkwardness of rock climbing in crampons, makes this short section feel particularly thrilling.

   

Hooked!

Our short introduction to Alpine mountaineering was so much fun that we came back to the Alps two months later to do some climbing! For anyone who is considering heading out to the Alps, I have some advice:

• Don’t be afraid to go out-of-season. Although you may need to be more flexible due to the unpredictable spring weather, everything is cheaper and the routes are blissfully quiet. 
  
• Don’t be afraid to get a guide or instructor. If it is your first time in the Alps, having an experienced guide to support and teach you is invaluable.
• Do it! You won’t regret it! The Alps are without doubt one of the most exceptionally beautiful places I have ever been. If you are not a climber or a mountaineer, go hiking! There are amazing sights to be seen on some of the lower level walking trails. If you don’t even like hiking – get one of the lifts up just to experience the mountains.