Smiler Cuthbertson – Mountain Guide

July 5^th to 10^th -  Henri Bouilett

When a friend and good climber dies, there is grief and always serious questions. Why was I not with him, to help? Could I have saved him? What went wrong?

Before my alpine programme had been filled, another guiding company had asked me to run a two-client course in Zermatt, over the splendid traverse over the Breithorn, Castor, Liskamm, and on to Monte Rosa’s high point, the Dufourspitz. However, at a late stage, a third client had booked.

A busy day on the Breithorn

The three clients were keen but not really experienced alpinists. In fact, one was on his first visit. Because of the guiding legalities, I had to have another guide for the new client, and Henri was keen. We’ve worked together for several years, ace French guide and an aging Brit. It always worked so well.

The traverse over the Breithorn is very straightforward, one of the easiest routes on any of the 4000metre peaks. However, the descent from the col was through deep and soft snow which was arguably strenuous to descend. Sean found it very hard going and soon showed signs of not being fit enough for the extended tour we were now embarking on. By the time we reached the Ayas d’Guides’

Liam and Gary on Pollux

develop for a while. We re-ascended to the Zwillingsjoch col

Pollux-summit ridge

and by that time I knew we weren’t going over Castor and on. I discussed the situation with Henri and the three clients, saying it was a wiser move to climb Pollux today, return to Zermatt, get a good rest and good food, and attack Monte Rosa by the far easier normal route from the Monte Rosa Hut in two days time.

The Dufourspitz - Monte Rosa

The trek from the Gornergrat railway was simple enough and soon we were all ensconced in the hut. Next morning at 3am, we set off for the summit. Four hours later, we had barely reached 3600metres and I was concerned.  I had roped everyone up as a group of five for safety reasons with the complexed crevasses existing this season and it would keep us all in one group, with Sean not going as well as

The Dufourspitz summit

 the other clients? Henri was happily leading the team from the front but I stopped the group at around 7am and suggested Sean and I should go back to the hut.

 Next thing I knew I had received a devastating phone call at the Monte Rosa Hut. Henri had fallen and been killed.

Henri had successfully taken both clients to the summit at 11.30 but one client had a problem on the descent. He apparently had suffered badly from the altitude and found himself unable to move off an exposed and large block a little way down from the summit. Henri eventually called for a helicopter rescue.

Disaster struck during the helicopter lift and Henri had fallen to his death. The exact sequence of events is still unclear and Henri’s partner is not only left with a devastating loss but also a pursuit to find the facts of this accident or helicopter

Henri Bouillet (1958-2009)

mismanagement.

I was in the Monte Rosa Hut with Sean when I received the 3pm phone call , with the devastating news.  Thanks to Jim, a friend and British colleague who had recently arrived at the hut, a lift for myself and Sean and I was secured in a helicopter which was working on the new Monte Rosa hut in the area. We were in the police station, back in Zermatt within the hour.

A devastating period. I will miss Henri so much. I need to get back to Chamonix as soon as I can.

Smiler

Alps 2009

For my alpine courses this season, I wanted to do several different, newer routes this year, for myself as well as for the clients, so I expected quite a lot this year but did not expect such a horrific start.

On only my second outing, a mysterious accident on the Via Normal on Monte Rosa left me bewildered, heart- broken and unwilling to put fingers to keyboard with a Blog.

Until now that is, now I am at home in familiar surroundings. You may have wondered where my Blogs had gone to, now you’ll find out. Unfortunately, I have a large number of stories to tell, and pictures to show, so I’ll be splitting them up so they’re more readable.

June 24^th/25th

The lengthy journey from Amsterdam to Chamonix was as usual quite tedious but ‘Doris’, my new Sat Nav, kept me company. Arriving at 10.30pm, I parked the car outside the Rusticana apartment and made my first error. Leaving the car door unlocked, I proceeded to unload all my season’s equipment into the hallway, having wedged the restaurant door open. It must have been in one quick moment when I was inside the building that someone took my Sat Nav from the car, complete with my passport, which unfortunately, I’d put together in the Sat Nav holder on the passenger seat. Tired from the driving, bed called and I was only to discover the loss a couple of days later when going to use the unit.

June 25^th & 26^th My first official guiding role was a traverse of the Mont Blanc from the Cosmiques Hut working for another guiding company. I hadn’t expected this work because I already had booked the same traverse for my supposedly first work, on July 1^st to 3^rd. My wife and booking clerk had other ideas and an e-mail was waiting for me when I arrived in Argentiere. So I got going as soon as I had unpacked did a bit of acclimatising with my good friend and fellow guide, Henri Bouillet from Passey, with whom I have worked for several years now.

We went high on our first of two days together, racing up the Cosmiques Arête in about an hour, and the following day, Henri (in rock shoes) and me, in Scarp Freneys, did a pretty good time on the Chappelle de le Gliere, 3 hours cable car to cable car. I thought, ‘that’s me acclimatised’?

June 29^th/30^th

Surprisingly for me, the effects of altitude without full acclimatisation weren’t too bad and the ascent went well. A good night in the Cosmiques Hut and next day, over the top and down to the Gouter Hut. Because it was now after midday, I decided against going on down the ridge and crossing the Grand Couloir with its possible stonefall danger at that hour. So we stayed in the hut and went down early next morning, with no danger, cold and clear.

No rest for the wicked, they say….

July 1^st to 3^rd – Again, the Mont Blanc traverse from the Cosmiques Hut proved a steady climb, although again  I was as fit my two clients, but this time we would anyway only be going as fast as Dave and his pair, they leading the way. The route was again in pretty good condition; no apparent dangers on the Mont Blanc du Tacul slopes, a nice fixed rope up to the col on the Mont Maudit shoulder, and then the usual tedious slog up the endless zig-zag track to a summit, never seemingly getting closer. We’ve all been there (and I don’t mean the summit)!

The time was once again getting on for mid-day, so on reaching the hut we again decide to opt for the  better, safer plan to stay at the Gouter Hut with the dangers of stonefall, when crossing the couloir at a late hour. We stayed the night but were pleased to get going again at 7am, down the ridge and across a (now) very quiet danger zone!  Excellent!

Soon we were back down, waiting for the train at the Nid d’Aigle and then on down to Les Houches where a bus took us back to the car at the Midi cable car station.

Two great courses for me and better still for the clients.

I’m off to Zermatt for a week. Tell you more later.

Smiler