With Ellie in Chamonix

Ellie arrived for a short session of mountaineering, she heading for Nepal later that autumn. Ellie and I caught an early bus to Flegere, but we unluckily had a failed attempt on the Aiguille Crochures traverse. Ellie had had little previous snowcraft climbing and didn’t have too much co-ordination in her big plastic boots, on either snow or the steep scree, so we abandoned our attempt before Col Floria. We were a little slow and the snow was in a poor condition on our return. To be safer, even on this easy ground, I top-roped Ellie back down the couloir and we took the track back to a free top cable car ride, thanks, Stephan. It was still three o’clock before we were back in Argentiere.
Next day, Ellie and I walked up to the Albert Premier Hut and we went down onto the glacier for some ice, crampon and crevasse rescue training. Returning to the hut we chatted with other guides and clients and waited for the evening meal.
The Tete Blanche was our target. Topping out in just under four hours was fun, but the snow became hot and soft on the way back to the hut.
Ellie was off home next day and I said farewell to her at midday and spent the rest of the day on admin, including a costing for Pete and me, for a possible Ama Dablam trip next autumn.
With no work for a day or two, I relaxed and messed around in my apartment. Also, doing some walking on my own, I did the Les Peclerey circuit again, a good and tough hike above Argentiere.