Part 2- Arrivals
As we began the descent into
We'd both travelled in our boots, we'd figured everything else could be replaced if necessary but breaking in new boots again wasn't realistic. Thankfully albeit after a disconcertingly long wait, our luggage finally clattered down the slipway onto the conveyor.
In the transfer minibus we heard of the previous weeks 'Ascent of Mont Blanc.' Apparently of the eight people booked to climb, only five had arrived as three had been injured during training. Of those remaining, two had decided after the acclimatisation days not to attempt the main summit. The final three had managed to get to the Goutier Hut but the weather was deteriorating rapidly and further snow storms were forecast for the following day, so they decided to head straight through for a summit attempt. Deep snow, driving wind and fatigue took its toll and it was clear that the summit ridge would be too dangerous. Just 400meters from their goal they were forced to turn back, little did we know at that point just how hard that last few hundred meter would be ourselves.
The Chalet McNab
We arrived at the Chalet McNab in Argentiere and met the previous weeks climbers; a more disappointed group of men you have never seen. The weather this week looked more promising and high pressure was settling in but looking up at the summit with its new and pristine snowcap glistening in the morning sun it must have been doubly devastating to know that just 48 hours later their story could have been so different.
The average number of people that manage to summit is about half those that attempt it. Various factors come into play; weather, fitness, weight carried, altitude sickness and of course accidents. Roughly one person per month is killed on the massif although this includes all the mountain sports and there are an awful lot of visitors to the area. Helicopters buzz back and forth from valley to mountains constantly throughout the day, ferrying a range of goods, building materials, food, waste, mountain hut staff and of course carrying out the occasional rescue mission. The standard of flying is somewhat reminiscent of an air display with spectacularly low passes, close to outcrops and sheer cliff walls, skimming the glaciers at less than a hundred feet and tightly twisting down the valleys - the pilots are either mad or amazing depending on your point of view.
The Chalet McNab (1240m) was nicely equipped with a gigantic communal dinner table and numerous bunk-bed filled rooms. Robbie, our UIAGM Guide arrived and gave a short but effective briefing and we all introduced ourselves. The team consisted of: Dan (59) a superbly friendly American who had trekked to base camp Everest and Kilimanjaro; Londoner Steve who was off to Argentina after this trip to climb Aconcagua (6962m) and had just completed a Sahara marathon; Emmanuel, French by birth and now a banker in London who had spent his childhood skiing in the Alps, Matt our Guide Aspirant who would assist Robbie and had climbed in the Arctic circle for Chris Bonnington and had a string of fine Alpine rock routes to his credit, and last but not least Irish Robbie who seemed to have first hand knowledge of just about every mountain range on the planet. A superb dinner was served while Roger slipped off halfway through. It transpired he wasn't feeling too good and I found him calling to God down the big white telephone in the bathroom. He spent all night retching but by morning was feeling better and ate a light breakfast.
8am the following day we gathered for an equipment check, Robbie gave snippets of advice and arranged for a couple of the guys to hire appropriate items. We were off by 10am for our first jouney into the
to be continued...
