get your game face on for the Aiguille du Midi arete
the Cherie Couloir on the triangle du tacul... beside the trois mont route on mont blanc
the crux pitch ~ WI 3-4
Joanna cranking out the crux
Tom is happy not to be under Joanna or any other parties for that matter : )
the last pitch of perfect ice and stone
an impressive glacier and valley far below
riding the Helbronner to the Torino hut, a mountain guide's dream of transportation
Bonjourno Dent du Geante and Torino rifugio
"getting dressed" in the morning
Aiguille de Entrevs ridge traverse from right to left
So many great ridge photos!
Joanna coming to grips with her fear of exposed places! WOW! impressive...
great views from the Helbronner
OUT OF THE MONT BLANC MASSIF AND ONTO THE AIGUILLE ROUGE SIDE OF THE VALLEY TO APPRECIATE WHERE WE HAVE BEEN….
its all about the vistas
Traverse of the Crochues follows the ridge from left to right starting at the 'V' notch
a superb ridge traverse
Next stop... Lac Blanc
the popular Lac Blanc, well worth the hike
sit down, relax, eat and drink: croute, omlette, tart, beer, wine and rose!
a tipsy bumble back to the top of the Index lift
a sweet ride down before the evening storm
August 27, 2011 | Categories: Alpine Climbing , International | Tags: aiguille de entreves , aiguille du midi , Alpine Climbing , canadians , chamonix , Cherie couloir , climbing , Crochues , glaciers , guiding , helbronner , jen olson , Lac Blanc , mountains , traverse | Leave a comment
A photo story of climbing this prolific mountain from the Cosmiques Hut on the traverse of the three summits.
Mont Blanc from Lac des Cheserys
Early Morning Light on the Tacul du Mont Blanc
Weaving through the seracs on the Tacul du Mont Blanc
Perfect conditions despite the storm
the traverse from the tacul to the maudit
the technical cruxes of the route lie on the Mont Maudit
Pitched climbing on the Maudit
Amazing views of the Aiguille du Midi rising above the clouds
Castles in the Sky
SUMMIT! despite challenging winds, late start and adverse conditions ; )
descending the Gouter ridge
On the way down from the Tete Rousse hut in the morning
Walking the tracks when the train is under repair
On a recent trip, we summitted the Tacul du Mont Blanc under adverse conditions:
Walking out of the Aiguille du Midi requires full concentration
winds on the summit ridge
turn the volume down ; )
VIDEO
climbing to the summit of the tacul
a grateful summit without wind
rush hour on the aiguille du midi
July 9, 2011 | Categories: Alpine Climbing , International | Tags: aiguille du midi , Alpine Climbing , glaciers , gouter ridge , guiding , jen olson , lac des cheserys , mont blanc , mont blanc du tacul , mont maudit , mountains , on top mountaineering , ridges , ross berg , seracs , traverse , wind | Leave a comment
the mission
Michael and Jen
Barry Blanchard
Kai Larson
from the hind hut
perfect cramponing for the first third : )
Wakey Wakey, the sun is up and its a glorious day
takin a coffee break ; )
where the difficulties begin : )
Kai gettin busy
such a hard life, this mountain godding : )
Nearing the summit ridge
VIDEO
Yea! We made it... half way ; )
the spectacular east face beckons
you're faking it well, Michael ; )
A photo essay of an amazing trip to Mt. Assiniboine September 29, 2010. Unexpected good conditions and travel partners made this ascent serendipitous…..
A big thanks to Michael Penny who brought us up here, and my fellow mountain guide Barry and partner, Kai for blazing the path whilst entertaining us.
A big kudos to Sepp Renner and the lodge staff for all the support, including heli’s!
October 7, 2010 | Categories: Alpine Climbing | Tags: amazing , assiniboine , barry blanchard , canadian rockies , climbing , fun , guiding , jen olson , mountains , spectacular | Leave a comment
Cecile and Corina learning the ropes
By breaking up some classic crack climbs into shorter pitches, we can learn a ton, in a very short time, about transitions on multi-pitch climbs. We had great weather and a super fun time learning these skills late in the summer in Squamish.
September 30, 2009 | Categories: Rock Climbing | Tags: guiding , instruction , jen olson , mulit-pitch climbing , Rock Climbing , skills , squamish | Leave a comment