Smiler Cuthbertson – Mountain Guide

7th – 10th July 2010

The Hohlaubgrat (Allalinhorn – 2027 metres) then Mont Blanc (4810 metres) (Traverse)

I woke early on the 7th. I had more than one hundred miles to drive, over to Sass Grund and The Schonblick Hotel where I would meet Lance and Mark. The task – to get this father and son team up the Allalinhorn by a route that would be new to me, the Hohlaubgrat, a splendid prospect. I had chosen to save some cash and not go over the night before, but I had failed to get a Swiss Vignette for the motorway travel. I took a chance assuming that at that time in the morning, the way would be clear. I got lucky, and arrived on time in Sass Grund.
Mark and Lance both looked fit. They had obviously trained for their forthcoming Mont Blanc traverse with me, after this warm-up in Sass Grund/Sass Fee. With Kevin they had already climbed the Weissmeiss (4107 metres) and a Via Ferrata on the Jagerhorn.
We had plenty of time and i packed the lads into my car and drove around to Sass Fee and the metropolis that acts as a superb resort, summer and winter. Parking the car, we loaded up the rucksacks and walked through town and down to the Metro Allain lift station. It had been a while my last use of this lift system but was amazed at the advantage one gets, when going to the Brittania Hut for some longer climbs, or the Alalinhorn by the superb but short west-northwest Ridge. The classic Hohlaubgrat (east-northeast) Ridge was our target and started from the Brittania hut at (3030 metres).
It was good to see the elderly guardian, Terasa, again after so long. We recognised each other quickly and soon I had all details of rooms, breakfast times (4am) and boots were drying in the strong afternoon sun on the verander.
Around 3.30pm, Mark and I agreed a snack would be nice, so we ordered a rosti each. Quite a mistake when I saw how large a ‘snack’ it would be. I managed it, but we both felt we were in for trouble at 6.30pm and the evening meal? I slipped away for a rest on my bunk, but half an hour later, i needed to shirk off that rosti. Donning the hut’s plastic shoes, I mademy way with a camera to the top of the nearby Kliene Allalinhorn, a superb,striking little hill overlooking the hut. I’d seen it and climbed it many times before, and today was as good. I also got a good view and some good pictures of tomorrow’s climb. The exercise had worked and the evening meal was despatched with ease.
4am and we were up and eating breakfast. There were a couple more teams also bound for the same route, and I wanted if possible to be the lead team on reaching the rocky step near the summit. I’d heard tales of rockfall, of chaos with people not being able to climb these rocks? I was interested in their stature but mostly concerned about stonefall.
So we made it to the front going down to the glacier. Soon, headlights were unnecessary and I made a curving line keeping to the cliffs on our right. It was simple trekking in crampons and as we curved higher, the line was clear for our access to the ridge itself. Dodging the one or two innocuous creavsses, we pulled away from the other teams and in a couple of hours we were on the steeper ridge.
The superb track made it all so delightful and as we zig-zagged ever higher toards the final rock step, I wondered why on earth I’d never done this route before? I guess because most times had called for the Strahlhorn (4190 metres) ascent from the hut.
We were soon at the base of this 50 metre band of rock, often steep, always loose, but adorned in bolts and fixed ropes. Even without the aid it was great climbing in crampons, something fairly new to the lads. I gave them their first instruction on climbing rock with crampons, and they thouroughly enjoyed the brief time there.
A few metres higher and a wonderful summit ridge appeared. We were well ahead of other teams now so could relax on the summit cross for a time, before reversing the flat ridge to the top of the W.N.W. Ridge, our straightforward descent to the Metro Allain.
I hadn’t enjoyed such a climb for years, and I’ll be back!
We soon were off the mountain and back at the car park. I drove the lads back to their hotel and excused myself, making my way down town to the Zubbruggen gite, a place I’ve used a few times before. Included in the gite cost is a super breakfast across the road at the hotel. Booking in, I was amazed to find no-one else was staying? Oh well…!
Joining Lance, Mark, Kevin and his other clients, Mike and Sarah at the hotel that night, we were stunned to see the quality and quantity of the meals we ordered. I stepped across the road and up to the gite, where I was soon fast asleep.
Next morning, after an expexted superb breakfast, I bought a Vignette from the post office and picked up the lads driving over to Argentiere for Mont Blanc. Taking advantage of being back in my own place, I parked the lads at the ‘Office’ and took a shower, changed clothes, and rested until it was time to catch the Midi cable car for the Cosmiques Hut.
By now, I had no worrries on the lad’s capabilities, but was stil concerned slightly about the stamina required to traverse the Mont Blanc. I need not have worried. Apart from one bottleneck situation on the Maudit slab (where I broke with convention and overtook everyone i could, on the fixed rope leading to the shoulder). It was do that or freeze to death with inactivity. The lads had no option but to follow me and I hear tell they were impresseed with the action. The result? We were on our own, and the joy of moving steadily up the final 1000 metres to the summiut was untold. I’d never felt so fit and strong on this tough section before.
The summit was fairly quiet, and we made the most of photos, rest and food/drink, before deciding to go down the Gouter route rather than the up and down (and finally up) of reversing our ascent route. I also knew from laurence in the Cosmiques Hut, that a storm was forecast for sometime that day. To be caught out in the open on the way back to the Cosmiques hut is something I’d done before – no more! At least there are three huts, a train and a cable car to shelter in on this descent.
Still tiring, the descent was complkteted to the Nid d’Aigle before the clouds rolled in. We We were on the train at 3pm, moments before the heavens opened. Lightning, thunder and torrential rain all at once and it continued to when we had to exit the train. Mark took one look at me and we both hurled ourselves out of the inadequte shelter of the train station, and ran like fury up the short hill to the cable car station and into the cafe. We were already like drowned rats and Lance, appearing a few minutes later, was no different. In fact, everyone was the same! I’d not seen as bad a storm as this one for a long time.
Of course the cable car wasn’t running. Along with many other climbers and walkers, we had tto wait until the storm had passed. It did eventually and we made Les Houches and Winky’s car without further ado, although the odd clap of thunder had kept us wondering if the cable car would ever run again that night?
Winky is Kevin’s wife, and had been waiting at the Les Houches terminus for us and soon we were off to my car at the Midi station and then in convoy up to Argentiere, where the volvo sped off back to Sass Grund, and me to my shower and dry clothing.
What a great trip!

July 4th, 5th & 6th

Mont Blanc from the Tete Rouse Hut – Jagged Globe

I met up with the team at 9am on the 4th as planned. Hannah been to the Arolla area with the team of four, but due to an unfortunate injury, one of the team had to drop out.
I was recruited to be the guide for Stan, a Belgium living in London, and a tall and large well built man who was an important figure in the hotel business.
We got on very well immediately. Hannah had the two other lads and we were to travel only to the Tete Rouse Hut today. Firstly checking equipment and day food/water supplies, we then took our cars and cares to Les Houches for the midday lift to Bellevue. Soon we were walking through the snow to the ridge. The weather was very fine, so there were high hopes of success on the Blanc.
At the Hut, several other British guides were also going the same route – 2am start to the Gouter and after a short rest, to the summit. We would descend all the way to the Tete Rouse again that afternoon. We relaxed with the clients and after the evening meal, advised everyone to an early bed, ready for the morrow.

The muscles need tweaking early in the morning, but soon we were clad in crampons and fleeces and on the approach to the Grande Couloir. It was a fine night, cold and clear and with the snow lying in the couloir, very little danger of stonefall that morning. We were all soon across, jostling for positions on the ridge up to the Gouter Hut, with the many other climbers, mostly from Spain and the eastern countries. It was still very dark when we got to the hut but we sorted the teams out for food and drinks and rested for a short time.
The summit push was on.
Very much a similar pattern emerged as with all my ascents from the Gouter, I created a steady trek at a comfortable speed (for me as well as the others) and we emerged at the Vallot in good time. From this point the trek becomes more arduous and the pace slowed. I was quite a way ahead of Hannah and the two lads, but Stan was going well. Nevertheless, the top 300 metres is always tough. We pushed slowly on and with delight, curved over the final slopes to the summit. Jon and his team were right behind me and a friendly banter with all around ensued. Photos taken, flags unfurled and after drinks and chocolate, we turned for home. Hannah was just a few minutes behind and we congratulated everyone for the success. Then it was off down the Bosses Ridge and a rest at the Vallot Hut. The morning had dawned before the summit and in increasingly warmer conditions, we made our way down to the col and over the Dome du Gouter. Together with several other parties, we took the tedious descent back to tha Gouter Hut.
Stan and I had some food and drink in the Hut, Olivier, his wife and their team of caretakers at the refuge making us very welcome. Olivier mentioned the workmen had actually started that day on the construction of the new Refuge du Gouter, planned for opening around 2020. I can hardly wait.
An hour down the ridge is usual and the wire beckoned for its use with some stonefall occurring as we climbed easily down to the traverse. Linking us with a 10 metre lead, we quickly crosssed and were pleased to have no stonefall at all.
Soon we were relaxing in the refuge again, and after a good night’s sleep, we took a 7am breakfast and were off, down to the Nid d’Aigle and the train. The cable car was on time and we were soon in our own cars, heading for the hotel in Chamonix Sud.
I parted company with a great team in the early afternoon, and sped off to Argentiere, chores to be done, clothes washed and more rest.
A superb outing.