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MOUNTAIN NEWS AND OFFERS

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COURSES AND SPECIAL OFFERS:

SUMMER GUIDING IN SCOTLAND: Glen Carron, Applecross, Kintail, Torridon, Skye

Our Scottish instructors and guides are available through much of June, July and August to offer Mountain Walking, Skye Scrambles, Rock Climbing Instruction, Cuillin Traverses - prices from just £75 for half-day Hill-walks or Rock climbing/abseiling instruction; £150 for full day Mountain Walks/TorridonScrambles and £170 for full day Skye Scrambles, multi-pitch Rock Climbs. Contact us with your plans - subject to availability we can take bookings at short notice

ALPINE COURSES 2010 Late Bookings: places still free

July 10-16 Introductory Alpine Climbing 1 place
Intermediate Alpine Climbing 1 place

July 10-23 Mont Blanc Fortnight 1 place

Aug 14-20 Oberland Odyssey 1 place


Aug 21-27 Swiss Trekking Peaks 2 places
Introductory Alpine Climbing 2 places
Intermediate Alpine Climbing 2 places
Eiger-Matterhorn (extra course) 1

Aug 21-Sept 3 Mont Blanc Fortnight 2 places

Aug 28 - Sept 3 Intermediate Alpine Climbing 1 place

Full details of all these courses are available on our web pages.
If you have any questions about a particular course please get in touch by e-mail or phone.
You can book your place using our secure web booking form

HIMALAYAN EXPEDITIONS 2010

SATOPANTH (7075m) 1st - 29th September: one of India's iconic 7000ers in the centre of the majestic Gangotri ranges; for strong climbers experienced at altitude.... PRICE: £4,400 with discounts up to 5% for past clients

SPITI MOUNTAIN VOYAGE 23rd July - 15th August 2010 Following our successful trip in 2009 we are running this exciting trek and mountaineering trip again in 2010. This offers a trans-Himalayan journey with 150km of trekking crossing two high passes, and several days of mountain exploration with trekking peak ascents to over 6000m. A brilliant adventure in the Himalayan wilderness... PRICE £2,850 (incl all flights and ground services plus qualified British leader). One place left See our SPITI 2009 Gallery

Discounts available to past clients Worth up to 7.5%!

himalayan expeditionsHIMACHAL PIONEER 2011: Details of another pioneering trip to unexplored 6000m peaks on the Lahaul-Zanskar divide in May-June will be posted soon.

 

SCOTTISH WINTER AND SPRING COURSES 2011: £70 early bookings discount on 5 day courses booked before Oct 31st

ARCTIC NORWAY: June 4th - 18th 2011: choose from three weeks, or combine two courses to make a full fortnight's holiday - Lyngen Alps, Lofoten and Stetind.

RECENT NEWS REPORTS :

ARCTIC NORWAY 2010: More adventures in LYNGEN and LOFOTEN.... Our group of 9 set up camp at Svensby on Lyngen in glorious sunshine. Sadly, the good weather was due to break in 18 hours, so after 3 hours sleep the teams were up at 2.30am ready to snatch a climb before the fronts arrived...... Enjoy our full report and pictures...

ARCTIC NORWAY 2010 Photo Gallery

SCOTLAND 2010 SPRING COURSES: Cool weather with plenty of showers dampened some of the plans of our Spring courses. However, 6 climbers made a successful traverse of the Cuillin Ridge on May 17th-18th, and some great days Munro-bagging and Scrambling were enjoyed on the Ridge....Read More.

norwegian iceNORWEGIAN ICE 2010: With Norway enjoying its longest and coldest freeze for 20 years, conditions in Aurland were amazing right down to sea level with every major watercourse frozen... Read more

see You Tube footage on the Vettisfossen:

and our NORWAY ICE 2010 picture gallery

ALPINE SUMMER COURSES Our summer course season was blessed by unbroken good weather giving excellent conditions for all the "grandes classiques" like the Dent Blanche, Matterhorn, Eiger and Mont Blanc....COURSE REPORT 2009 .....READ MORE

 

ALPS 2009 PHOTO GALLERY Highlights from our 2009 summer season

HIMACHAL PIONEER: Peak 6184m is finally climbed: On Oct 5th 2009 Jonathan Preston, Robin Thomas, Benji Fry and David Bingham made the fist ascent ascent of this virgin 20,000 footer in Lahaul Himalaya. Full report in preparation but meanwhile enjoy the PICTURE GALLERY from the trip

SPITI MOUNTAIN VOYAGE: Ghunsarang Pass, Parang La and a 6000m peak Our 7 Spiti voyagers enjoyed a memorable journey through the magnificent fossil landscapes of Spiti and Rupshu, climbing two 5000m passes and a possibly virgin 6000er.....Full trip diary in our Reports section. See the best of the trip in our SPITI 2009 Photo selection (all photos (c) Nick Carter)

NANDA DEVI EAST EXPEDITION: VIRGIN PEAK CHANGUCH IS CLIMBED..... Our team has just returned from an epic adventure in the Nanda Devi range. Two peaks were climbed, including the virgin beauty of 6322m Changuch, the famous Longstaff's Col was reached, the impressive Polish route on Nanda Devi East was climbed to 6050m, and a rare crossing made of the historic 5312m Traill's Pass (only the third in a century!).....For detailed report

View 40 of the best pictures of our trip on our NANDA DEVI PHOTO GALLERY

See Rob Jarvis's Video film of the trip on: http://www.vimeo.com/7232746

 

NORTH-WEST HIGHLANDS NEWS REPORT:

SPRING COURSES, GUIDING AND CLIMBS: Cool weather with plenty of showers dampened some of the plans of our Spring courses. However, 6 climbers made a successful traverse of the Cuillin Ridge on May 17th-18th, and some great days Munro-bagging and Scrambling were enjoyed on the Ridge. Our private Cuillin Ridge Traverses fared well with weather at the end of May and in June - congratulations to Ben Rasdall and Rachel Evans, and to Mark Craig and David Hudson on their successes.

Our Adventure Rock Climbers had to cope with fresh snow, tumultuous vegetation and gale force winds in early May but gained a whole gamut of experience - highlights being Routes 1 & 2, Black Streak (E1) on Diabaig, Cioch Nose Superdirect (HVS) and Sword of Gideon (VS) in Applecross, and White Slab Direct (HS) on Skye.

We have also ranged across the Fisherfield Munros - 67 year old Terry Hoy did "the six" with Alex Moran and after completion of the Coire Lagan round on Skye with Martin he has just 11 Munros left to climb. It is very heartening to climb with so many "older" Munro-baggers, who show tremendous enthusiasm and stamina in their late-60's, a feat which would have been regarded as exceptional a generation ago but which is now relatively common. In May we helped 68 year old Jim Henderson towards completion of his second round while 68 year old Arthur Curtis has less than a hundred to go after doing 8 of the Skye Munros with us.

John Lyall guided Rose Mitchell and Ian Carey on our Sea Stacks Tour at the end of May. After successful ascents of The Old Man of Stoer and Am Buachaille they met wet conditions on Hoy. Although they completed the crux second pitch of The Old Man conditions were too slippery on the "easier" pitches above to enable a safe completion. Disappointment at failing to reach the top was mitigated by a magical wildlife encounter when they encountered a stranded Black-throated Diver in the Rackwick car park, which landed abruptly on the wet tarmac, probably thinking it was the surface of a lake. They lifted the bird and took it down to the seashore where it was liberated. Earlier in the week Martin had guided Andy Watt up the Old Man is more clement weather, with Andy making a fine lead of the last pitch.

On the rock I've been collecting information and pictures on climbing in Applecross for a forthcoming Climb magazine feature. The two classics - the Cioch Nose (S) and Sword of Gideon (VS) - are well-known, but there is extensive scope for mid-grade and E-grade climbs all over the Bealach na Ba and Sgurr na Charachain, while many older routes of quality are sorely neglected and are getting overgrown. We have developed a new outcrop at GR: 797403 on the lower tiers of Creag a'Chumhaing, "the Smooth Wall", which is only 30 minutes from the road and now has 3 E3's, 2 E2's, an HVS and a VS, most of real quality especially the wall-crack of Fingerpicker (E3, 6a ***) and the neighbouring groove Line in the Sand (E2, 5c ***). While prospecting the well-used Sword of Gideon wall we did an excellent new pitch up the hanging crack-line at the left end of the wall - Old Wounds (E3 5c **).

Jonathan Preston balances over the crux of Sword of Gideon (VS, 4c), Applecross - June 19th 2010

David King, Keith Haldane and Peter Berwick on the Clach Glas-Blaven Traverse - Cullin Traverse course, 2nd May 2010

Andy Watt grapples with the overhanging crack of the Old Man of Hoy (E1, 5b), 22nd May 2010

Links for further information:-

www.mwis.org.uk : Mountain Weather Forecasts for the Scottish Highlands

www.sais.gov.uk : Scottish Avalanche Information Service (now closed for season)

Go to Martin's Blog Page for earlier reports, diaries and topics

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Don't hesitate to send reports of your own expeditions and climbs in the NW Highlands to me on: martin.moran@btinternet.com

 

ARCTIC NORWAY: May 29th - June 10th 2010

Lyngen Alps May 29th - June 5th: Our group of 9 set up camp at Svensby on Lyngen in glorious sunshine. Sadly, the good weather was due to break in 18 hours, so after 3 hours sleep the teams were up at 2.30am ready to snatch a climb before the fronts arrived. Jonathan Preston took Katherine Henderson, Neil Lindsey and David Sandham to Trollvasstinden (1440m), which they despatched in a 16 hour round trip at PD+ standard. Martin Moran and Robin Thomas took on the impressive peak of Stortinden (1512m) by its NW Ridge with Richard Ausden, Richard Hampshire and Keith Horner. This rock route proved long and engaging with a committing abseil off the forepeak. In thick fog they could find no way to get back up the forepeak on their return save for aid climbing back up abseil line! A bedraggled but triumphant party arrived back 22 and a half hours later.Stortinden is undoubtedly one of the toughest Norwegian peaks (AD+). After 36 hours of rain and snow a window of fine weather emerged on Tuesday evening and the whole group climbed up the beautiful valley of Steindalen in southern Lyngen to explore the range of undocumented peaks around the Steindal Glacier. Robin and Martin's teams ascended a 600m 50deg couloir on the south face of 1595m Nallangaisi (AD) while Jonathan took his charges on a peak-bagging venture that ended on 1511m Steindalstinden. Both groups emerged from their climbs close to midnight in piercing cold and blinding sunlight with hosts of hazy snow-wrapped peaks on all horizons, an unforgettable experience. More bad weather allowed for another respite until Friday when a hopeful forecast sent everyne out towards Istinden (1495m), just north of Lyngseidet village. Another glacier climb led into fog, wind and blowing snow and the final climb up the SE Ridge was a grand winter climb, much in the Scottish mould (PD+ or Scottish grade II). The three ascents took a total of 50 hours, emphasising the adventurous nature of Norwegian mountaineering, all a far cry from the busy Alps. We never saw another soul on the hills all week. Mountain exertions were sustained by a spacious and luxurious cabin accommodation and excellent campsite, replete with sauna, down at Svensby

June 5th - 12th Lofoten Islands: We arrived at Svolvaer in heavy rain showers but the weather promptly dried up and gave us generally fine but cold conditions all week, making campsite evenings rather chill but keeping all insect life at bay. The "Magic Isles" fully lived up to their reputation and we had an exceptional week's climbing. On Sunday we all limbered up with some single pitch rock climbing from 4 to 6- standard on the gorgeous sea-washed granite at Paradiset. Jonathan, Richard H and Neil then took off to Loftoen's second highest peak, Geitgaljern (1085m) (PD+), while Martin, Katherine and Bill Shaw enjoyed 7 magnificent pitches of fissured slab on the classic Bare Blabaer (5) at Djupfjord, one of the best VS routes anywhere. On Tuesday Jonathan's team stuck with a mountaineering theme and climbed the grade IV Pedersen Ridge, while Martin, Katherine and Bill were tempted by the majestic 400m prow of Presten, despite obvious grade 6 difficulties. The famous West Pillar (6, 11 pitches) tested the team's resolve and sense of humour to its absolute limit but they emerged unscathed in mellow sunlight at 11pm after a 12 hour ascent of one of world's great rock climbs. They then declared a rest day and took a boat trip up the Raftsund, viewing Tolkienesque peaks, sea eagles, rainbows and several dozen cruise-ship tourists bedecked with long-lenses. Meanwhile, Jonathan took Neil up the classic Piano Handlers Route (4). On Thursday we all joined forces for an excellent scramble to the top of 943m Vagakallen, the dramatic craggy peak which dominates the climbing area of SW Austvagoya. The final day saw Jonathan, Richard and Neil traverse the grade 4 Short Man's Ridge while Martin, Kath and Bill climbed the beatiful slabs of Solens Sonner (6, 4 pitches). The late evening drive back to Tromso was broken by a stop for massive pizzas and burgers and an encounter with a plain-clothes traffic policeman. Our social pleasures were enhanced by the presence of young guns - Alex Moran and Robin Thomas. Alex removed most of the skin off his ankles leading the 6+ Vaganrisset jam crack while Robin led a spectacular on-sight first ascent up a 4 pitch overhanging crackline near the Migan Pillar at 7+ standard (sustained E5, 6a), the Risset Rider, in their inimitable words, a truly "amazing" climb and a contender for the 51st best route on Lofoten! It was a privilege to hang with these dudes over a beer at the Henningsvaer climbers' bar. They even did something useful, bought a rod and caught some fish for our last dinner. In fact our only cultural disappointments were missing the "Goat Jazz" concert in Lyngen and the Lofoten "Codstock" music festival which sadly had finished the previous week.

9 hours after leaving Gatwick! Stortinden (1512m) from Jaegervatnet, Lyngen; 8pm May 29th 2010

Robin Thomas, Richard Ausden, Keith Horner and Richard Hampshire at the summit of Nallangaisi (1595m), 10.30pm June 1st

Katherine Henderson follows the infamous grade 6 Slanting Corner, pitch 8 on Presten West Pillar, Lofoten; June 8th

Full details of 2011 trips on our Arctic Norway page

ARCTIC NORWAY 2010 Gallery

ARCTIC NORWAY 2009 Photo Gallery (all pictures (c) John Lyall)

ARCTIC NORWAY 2008 GALLERY

Join our 2010 trips to these magical Norwegian mountains

ALPINE COURSES 2009

ALPINE 2009 HIGHLIGHTS Left- Des Winterbone and Roger Owen descending the N Ridge of the Weisshorn 8pm Aug 5th 2009. Right: summit of Mont Blanc 8.45am Aug 24th 2009

BEST OF THE ALPS 2009 PHOTO GALLERY

Our summer course season was blessed by unbroken good weather giving excellent conditions for all the "grandes classiques" like the Dent Blanche, Matterhorn, Eiger and Mont Blanc. 15 out of 16 of our Mont Blanc course clients reached the summit including 9 in a day on Aug 24th. We achieved another season of 100% success on on the Matterhorn for all 10 clients on our one and two week courses. The Dent Blanche received many ascents, and 8 lucky climbers enjoyed the thrilling Mittellegi Ridge on the Eiger.

The Arolla peaks saw plenty of visits with numerous traverses of the Pigne d'Arolla, Mont Blanc de Cheilon, the Dent de Tsalion W Ridge and Aiguille de la Tsa and a couple of ascents of the elusive South Ridge of L'Eveque. Our Oberland Odyssey groups both made ascents of the Finsteraarhorn and one brave team plumbed the depths of the savage Fiescher Glacier

Among the more prized objectives of the season the Weisshorn traverse stands out. Robert Gatt traversed the Schaligrat (D, IV) and E Ridge (AD) in July. Then Roger Owen and evergreen Des Winterbone (just 66 years young!) did the Schaligrat and NNW Ridge (AD+) in a magnificent 19 hour expedition. Stewart Mechie and Bill Shaw braved the sensational exposure of the Diable Ridge of Mont Blanc du Tacul (D+, V) with its 5 granite pinnnacles, all above 4000m in altitude. Bill and Stewart also enjoyed some of the best rock routes in the Alps in the NE Face of the Kingspitze (TD, V+) and the magnificent 15 pitch slab routes of Septumania (E2, 5c) and Motorhead (E2, 5c) on the peerless orange granite of Eldorado at Grimsel.

All our groups were fun to guide and fully entered into the spirit of a mountain holiday. Friday night in Evolene was often party night! Our cook and domestic goddess, Judith, did an amazing job of organising people, chalets and catering. Afternoon teas were sumptuous and the thought of fresh scones, cream cakes and gateaux at the end of the day gave many the crucial incentive to get down the hill. All our guides showed tremendous enthusiasm to give everyone a great time. Thanks to Guides: Anthony Franklin, Graham Frost, Neil Johnson, Owain Jones, Dave Kenyon, John Lyall, Stu MacDonald, Andy Perkins, Walter Phipps, Jonathan Preston and Andy Teasdale, and to Aspirant Guides: Phil Ashby, Tim Blakemore, Hannah Burrows-Smith, Matt Helliker, Pete Rowlands and Paul Warnock.

We are already talking about objectives and challenges for 2010. Hope you can join us then!

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NANDA DEVI EAST EXPEDITION: 14th MAY - 23rd JUNE 2009

Our team of 6 spent a varied and rewarding five weeks in the Nanda Devi range of Kumaon in India with the blessings of good weather and a safe return. A beautiful 5 day trek took us from the roadhead at Munsiari up the Gori Ganga gorge, then up the Lawan valley to a base camp at 4280m under the awesome 3000m SE wall of 7434m Nanda Devi East. Base camp was an extensive flat grazing meadow with fresh running water and a carpets of primulas.

The Heroic Poles: A Polish expedition was already camped nearby, in the final stages of their attempt on NDE to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the historic first ascent in 1939. Jan Lenczowski, grandson of first ascensionist Jakub Bujak, was the leader. The 1939 climb of the SE Ridge was the hardest pre-war route in the Himalaya by a considerable margin, and has only been repeated a handful of times, all with extensive fixed roping apart from an impressive Alpine-style ascent by British Guides Roger Payne and Julie-Ann Clyma in 1994. The subsequent story of the 4 Polish engineers who pulled off the magnificent first ascent in 1939 is harrowing. Two were killed by an avalanche on Tirsuli three weeks after the NDE climb. The other two, Bujak and Klarner, were unable to return to Poland due to the outbreak of war. Bujak went to Britain, worked in the war effort, then disappeared in mysterious and unexplained circumstances in Cornwall in 1945, just after the war's end. He never saw his wife or family again after leaving for Nanda Devi. Klarner wrote a book on the trip, returned to Poland after the war, but then disappeared, presumably into one of Stalin's gulags in 1949. His daughter published the book in 1956.

Nanda Lapak (5782m): The whole team (Jim Finnie, Paul Guest, Rob Jarvis, Martin Moran, John Venier and Leon Winchester plus our LO, Luder Singh from Kulu) warmed up with an ascent of Nanda Lapak, an excellent training peak on the ridge east of Nanda Devi. From a comfortable camp at 5100m an AD standard climb was made to the summit, with a section of 80m of hard brittle glacier ice at 60deg angle forming the crux. The views were exceptional, probably the best of the trip.

Longstaff's Col: Meanwhile the Poles gave up their brave attempt on NDE, having fixed ropes to 6900m. They had been hampered by deep snow and strong winds. It was sobering for us to see these hardened climbers (one had summitted Everest sans-oxygen!) retreat through exhaustion. Nonethless, we made our first foray to Longstaff's Col. At 5910m this col is a historic gateway to the Nanda Devi peaks, first reached by Dr Tom Longstaff in 1905. The problem with the col is that can only by accessed by a 40 to 50 deg snow/ice couloir which is no less than 1000 metres in vertical height! Add a 16kg load plus the essential need to reach the col soon after dawn before the sun loosens the snow and avalanches commence, and you have a challenge. We set out at 1am. In fog and light snowfall we took 8 hours to reach the col. John, who was carrying an enormous sack, dropped out half-way. Longstaff's Col would be fine if a nice cosy snow hollow for a secure campsite could be found; but no, the col is a knife-edge with a 900m plunge into the Sanctuary on the far side. We hacked two tiny tent platforms on the crest and prayed that it wouldn't be windy. This is no place to trip over a tent guyline! The day was probably the most exhausting of the trip, but ended with a majestic sunset over the Sanctuary.

Nanda Devi East Pinnacles: Over the next two days Martin and Rob with Leon and Paul explored the route across the pinnacles towards NDE. The Polish team had done a superb job of fixing 8mm ropes to an assortment of old pegs hammered into rotten rock. The pinnacles were snowed up and very airy. The climb across the three towers was totally exhilarating - akin to the Eiger Mittellegi ridge. Martin and Rob continued up the next buttress, looking for a potential campsite at 6100m. However, the fixed ropes ran out and a long exposed snow ridge continued to the next step with no sign of a campsite. Deterred, they returned to the col, and on the evening of June 1st the 6 climbers descended to base camp for a rest and a rethink.

Changuch: A recce was then taken under the south wall of unclimbed Changuch, a beautful peak of 6322m south of base camp, which had resisted three previous attempts. We spotted a feasible route up couloirs and ramps to gain its NW Ridge. After tactical discussion we decided to forgo a slim chance of getting up NDE for the chance of getting our names on the first ascent list! Meanwhile Jim was suffering from a strained knee and John was struggling with health and fitness. With little chance of climbing Changuch they both decided to leave the trip early and departed for home on June 7th. While Rob, Paul and Leon made an initial foray to Changuch NW Ridge Martin faced the unenviable task of going back up to Longstaff's Col with high-altitude porter Heera Singh to retrieve some 35kg of equipment and tentage. They left Advance camp at 4870m at 7.15pm , reached the col at midnight and got back to camp just as the sun hit the couloir at 6am.

On the night of June 6th/7th Rob, Paul and Leon climbed the couloir and ramps to gain the Changuch NW Ridge at 5800m. After a tough all-night climb hopping in and out of avalanche runnels they established camp with two single-skin tents on an exiguous site at the col, and rested for the next 36 hours. Martin and Luder followed the route the next night joining the col camp at 3am. After a fine hot spell of weather a more unsettled phase took hold with afternoon snowfall blowing in from the south. However, the nights were still fine and after shaking off several centimetres of fresh snow the team emerged at midnight on June 8th/9th. In Rob's tent Luder was sick, vomiting his breakfast back into his mug. But this boy is made of tough stuff - within a few minutes he declared himself ready to start. Martin was suffering paroxysms of finger and toe pain, contracted from spending a cold night bivvying outside. Nonetheless, the teams were ready to move at 12.30am. Martin led the first 130m of mixed ridge, then Rob took over to make a sterling lead of the exposed snow-ice slopes above. We moved together across a 250m 55deg traverse, then Rob led 4 steeper 60m pitches to gain the undulating upper arete. At around 9am he pulled on to the summit crest. The highest point was a crumbling pinnacle 30m across the crest.

We downclimbed the route to regain the col just as the afternoon blizzard began at 1pm. After a cramped and pensive afternoon, the decision was made to bale out as soon as the storm ended. We couldn't afford another 24 hours trapped on the col. At 6.30pm descent was started. The slopes below the col had a thick cover of fresh snow. Once we had satisfied ourselves that they were safe the downclimbing was easier than we might have expected in bare icy conditions. At midnight we emerged into phantasmagorical moonlight on the Lawan Glacier, and wandered back to base camp in an exhausted reverie. Naveen produced tea, soup and dahlbhat at 3am and we turned in to bed at dawn!

Traill's Pass : After three days of complete rest the team were ready to tackle the final phase of the trip - a crossing of Traill's Pass to Pindari. Britain's first commissioner to Kumaon, Mr G.W.Traill, had crossed this 5312m pass in 1832. Due to glacial retreat the crossing became much more difficult in the 20thC and the only recorded crossings were made in 1941 and 1994. Leaving base camp on a glorious morning on June 14th we climbed a glacier and 300m 45deg gully to reach the col and camped on the plateau beyond. That night the weather was warm and misty and we had a tough job trailbreaking over the plateau next morning to reach a rock shoulder at 5425m where a mighty downfall broke away into the Pindar valley. As clouds boiled up and snowfall commenced we tackled a tricky descent of a 55-60deg snwo/ice gully, then dropped off a glacier shelf on foul exposed and vegetated ground. With clear weather we might have safely reached Pindari by early afternoon, but fog and blizzard complicated routefinding. We could not risk a blind descent to the valley with so many cliffs in the vicinity. After many false starts and the best part of 400m reascent we finally bushwhacked a line into the valley and reached the shepherds huts at 6.30pm - all of us totally blown! Luder asked the shepherd, Amar Singh, if he could offer any food and 90 minutes later we were sat cross-legged in his hut enjoying a magnificent if spicy dahlbhat. The next three days were spent wandering down the gorgeous Pindari valley, happily little-changed since my last visit in 1995. We ended with a knee-crushing 1500m descent to the roadhead at Song.

On June 20th we were reunited with our superb base camp team of Naveen, Mangal and Heera at Berinag. A delightful night was enjoyed in the bustling hill resort of Naini Tal before the final weary bus ride back to Delhi and the furnace-like blast of an air temperature of 43degC! Thanks to Guide Rob Jarvis, to Mr Pandey and his dedicated staff at Himalayan Run & Trek, to Mountain Equipment (in particular Duncan Machin) for generous support on purchases of clothing and equipment for the team, and to our peak-bagging LO Luder Singh for helping to make this one of our most memorable trips.

Photo Galleries: Enjoy our NANDA DEVI 2009 , Himachal Pioneer 2007 and Ladakh-Kang Yatze 2006 photo selections and check our web pages for full details of 2010 expeditions; book early for extra discounts:-

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NORWEGIAN ICE 2010

Photo gallery: NORWAY ICE 2010

With Norway enjoying its longest and coldest freeze for 20 years, conditions in Aurland were amazing right down to sea level with every major watercourse frozen. So an excellent ice climbing fortnight was enjoyed by our 10 clients with guides Tim Blakemore, Matt Helliker, Martin Moran and Martin Welch. Weather conditions were excellent throughout with temperatures rising to -2 or -3 degC by day and dropping to -7 to 14degC by night. There was very little snow to hamper the approaches and many routes began at the side of the road.

From Feb 7th-14th Allan Clapperton and Des Hajdu climbed the 120m column of the Boafossen in Laerdal (IV, WI 5/5+). Des did a probable new climb with Martin Welch in Gudvangen - Kjel Corners - a very Scottish line of ice ramps featuring caves and columns (IV, WI5, 250m). Meanwhile Allan and Martin M did the lower icefall of "Into the Wild" (one of the longest ice routes in the world which continues to an altitude of 900m from a sea level start!). The lower section gave 4 pitches of sustained WI5 ice in a narrow canyon and makes an excellent grade IV climb in its own right. The remaining 12 pitches can be conveniently postponed to another day!. Allan also did the Tverrafossen in Aurlandalen (III, WI 5). Allan and Des led through on the Turlifossen (II, WI3) in Aurland and the 180m Avdalfossen (II, WI3+) in Utladalen.

In the week 14th - 21st Feb Nick Owen, Tim Dawes and Tim Blakemore climbed Kjel Corners, Tverrafossen, Turlifossen and the Storefossen (WI5+) in Undredalen. Dee Elnanjjar, Willie Munro, Tamsin Mayberry and Kai Ren Ong explored the unchartered icefalls of Flamdalen and climbed a real beauty - the 300m Tunnhellsfossen (IV, WI5) with the two Martins, which gave three 60m pitches of sustained WI4 then two harder finishing pitches of WI5. It was a lovely day climbing above the forested valley in total silence save for the hourly passage of trains on the famous Flam to Myrdal line.

This 13 hour effort was trumped by David Horwood and 63 year old Ron Crowe who tackled a narrow gully above the Aurland roundabout with Matt Helliker. We had all noticed that this gully was choked with ice. It took the threesome all day and a bit of the night to climb 19 pitches to the top of the gully, with lots of WI4/4+/5 and a crux pillar of 5+ at the top. They started 50m above sea level and finished at an altitude of 625m. The torchlit abseils were noticed by local residents who called the police, who then called the Norwegian Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps. As a result the final abseils were accompanied by green strobe lighting, reminding David of his all-night rave days. The descent was completed close to midnight, and the rescue team disbanded. As a result David has ventured the name "12am Eternal" for the climb, recalling one of the electronic thumpers he must have pogoed to before he became an insurance underwriter!

The rest-day activities of the two Martins on the Double Whammy ice pillars and Vettisfossen are fully reported on Martin's Blog Page and it is worth checking out Martin Welch's rather amusing Vettisfossen YouTube clip

We will offer £80 discounts if you book early with us when we return to Aurland in 2011! And you can participate in the pioneering and development of some of the the world's greatest ice climbing arenas.

Watch out for details of next year's courses and book early for a great week's climbing.

Norwegian Ice courses

Check out our photo gallery for the best of our Norway climbs: Norway Ice 2005

 

Dee Elnajjar and Willie Munro on the WI5 4th pitch of Tunnhellsfossen, Flamdalen; 16th Feb

Martin Welch leading pitch 3 on the Tunnhellsfossen; Technical Ice course day 2!

ALPINE CLUB GUIDEBOOK by MARTIN MORAN

Martin Moran's guidebook to the classic routes on the 4000m peaks of the Alps published by the Alpine Club

Signed copies on Mail Order: £23 (incl post & packing)

240 routes from F to TD- standard described; 80 photos and photo-diagrams; peak lists, historical review, practical advice and information

Use our secure web booking form to order your copy (all major cards accepted)

 

 

 


MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT SPONSORSHIP:

For 2009 we are pleased to team up again with Mountain Equipment - Britain's No.1 manufacturer of gear for the serious mountaineer - in recommending the right kit for your climbs with us. Mountain Equipment supplied the jackets, clothing, rucksacks and sleeping bags used on our successful first ascents of Nilkanth West Ridge and The Godfather (VIII on Beinn Bhan). For full details of their range and a list of stockists go to their web-site: www.mountain-equipment.co.uk