Smiler Cuthbertson - Mountain Guide

Gaute arrived from Norway along with September, my final week’s work this season.
The target was Mont Blanc, but the weather wasn’t looking that good. It is always a little unpredictable in September, but there have been many great periods. This was unfortunately not going to be one.
After a good day on the Aiguille Crochures Traverse, we made our way in gloomy weather to the Gouter Hut, ready, if there was a chance, to continue that same day to the summit. It was not to be. Extremely strong winds, gusting to over 60 kilometres per hour, had caused every party that day to return to the hut. The new guardian at the crowded refuge, announced that tomorrow would be just as bad. In hope of a better situation, we did rise at midnight and peek outside. Very poor weather and the trip to the outside toilet was a route in itself.

Gaute persuaded me to stay at the hut for another night, and we might even get a chance later that day. The rescue helicopter had earlier needed to turn back in a pickup mission somewhere on the Dome du Gouter, the rescue being achieved some time later. The improvement in weather did not arrive so I agreed to another night in the refuge.

We now had only one more slot, a midnight start again but our bad luck continued. No visibility above the hut, and in extremely strong winds, we struggled to reach the summit of the Dome du Gouter. We continued on in awful weather towards the col below the Vallot hut, but it was now too serious to continue. If it was like this here, what could we expect on the summit of Mont Blanc? Every other team but one had already turned back. A British Army team of four young and hardened soldiers had actually reached the Vallot hut and even a little higher, but they turned back as well. All teams 0, Mt Blanc 1.
We have already made arrangements for next year for our Mt Blanc ascent, which will be made somewhat earlier in the season.
Gaute left for a wedding in Germany, but managed a trip to Zermatt on the way. I am not sure if he saw the Matterhorn or not? Next year WILL be the year for Gaute.

For me, it spelt the end of my season, a time besotted this year by poor weather. I can only expect better weather next season. There is TOO much to do.

The first of seven free days was spent mostly in my apartment, organising, washing clothes and resting. Later I rock climbed with Henri and his wife, Marie, on Barbarine, near the Swiss border before Martigny. Three hard pitches on Autoroute Blanche were climbed, before Marie’s last winter skiing injury to her leg and foot caused too much pain to continue. We abseiled off and returned to base.
Next morning, Henri picked me up and we drove to over to Switzerland, to a crag called Pissvache above Martigny. There we climbed a six pitch route called Meirville que Dalles, a superb but quite stiff route, with two 6A pitches and the rest 5b and 5c. Great climbing, but tough for the grade I thought?.
I travelled down next morning to Henri’s place in Plateau du Passy and socialised with Marie and him. I stayed overnight as we planned to go climbing together at Annecy the following day.
Unexpected work commitments for Henri meant we couldn’t all travel to Annecy together. With a later rendesvous planned, I drove to Bernard Dumerest’s house in Annecy le Vieux at mid-day. Later on, I climbed with Bernard on Zig-Zag, a pleasant 5-pitch on the cliff overlooking the Annecy lake and reached from the Col du Contrabandiere. That evening, Bernard and I met up with Henri, Marie, Christophe Dumerest, Bernard’s famous son, and Chris’s partner Timour. Bernard’s partner Chantel joined our dinner party later. A superb evening meal was taken at the lovely Cloches restaurant in Annecy le Vieux. Good conversation and socialising, especially with Christophe being there. A very hard and tough climber, he was moving his belongings that night from Grenoble to Villiars, just outside Annecy so the wine didn’t flow too much. I stayed over in Annecy le Vieux for the night.
I drove back in the morning on the normal roads to Argentiere. At one pm I went bouldering for an hour and a half at the Col du Montet with Rob, David and Amanda. We all retired for coffee to the Office when the rain started and then me to my apartment. A wet afternoon with heavy rain materialised. There was a gloomy forecast on the internet as well.