Chamonix late June or mid July

[mjack]

I am going to be in Chamonix this summer and will be looking for alpine climbing partners. I will be looking for people who want to climb easy alpine routes, up to grade AD depending on conditions.

I am a cautious climber and I have taken glacier rescue classes and practice it every year. I like to do routes that are on snow and ice more than on rock, and am not interested in doing pure rock routes. I'll go cragging at le Gaillands or Vallorcine on iffy weather days, but I'm not looking to do big rock routes up high.

I am 45 and have climbed rock and ice for the last 25 years, mostly in US and Canada, doing a lot of cragging on ice and rock when I was younger and moving into the alpine in the last decade. I have done a fair amount of easy alpine climbing, with a goal of improving my skills along the way. Here is a quick rundown of the last few seasons:

 

Grand Teton (Owen-Spaulding)

Mount Rainier (Eammons Glacier)

Mount Assiniboine (NE Ridge)

Mount Athabasca (N Face)

Dreamweaver, Mt Meeker

Black Ice Couloir, Grand Teton

Chere Couloir, Mont Blanc du Tacul

Contamine-Grissole, Tacul

Table Couloir, Augille du Tour

Gouter Route, Mont Blanc

Cosmique Arrete, Auguille du Midi

Point Lachanal Traverse

North Face, Augille du Thoule

Gooseneck Couloir, Gannet Peak, Wyoming

Mount Whitney, CA

Could Peak, Wyoming

 

None of these climbs were with guides, instead I have climbed with friends and mentors, most of whom were better than me and have helped me get stronger and more experienced in the mountains. I have a partner who I will be climbing with from 1 July to the July 14th, but I would like to do more climbing and some acclimatizing before he arrives.

 

In the mountains, I am comfortable leading US grade 2-3 ice, and up to about 5.5-5.6 on rock, although I can follow much harder. I climb harder than this, but in the mountains, with a pack, I take it down several notches.I prefer long easy routes to short hard ones. I want to make sure I am not overestimating or exaggerating my abilities to potential partners.

 

I will not have a car during my trip, and will be based in Cham, probably at the Vagabond although I would be willing to go to other places as well. I figure that we would have to do some kind of getting –to -know each other, see-how-fit/ experienced, warm-up route together to start with, I like to know the people I am climbing with fairly well before heading up on something bigger. I would be willing to repeat most of the Chamonix routes listed above, and have ideas for others as well.

 

Please send me a PM if you would be interested in joining me for some climbing.

[mjack]

Bump!

[Alan Trick]

Hey, I'm planning to be in Europe for the first half of July. I haven't made any solid plans yet, but I would love to do some climbing in Chamonix if I can get it to work.

 

My climbing experience is not as widespread as yours, mostly climbing in Squamish and the BC coast with two trips to the Rockies. I can comfortably lead 5.9 (trad) & WI 3, I have lead harder. My mixed experience is minimal though.

 

Edit: rock leading ability would go down a few notches with mountaineering boots instead of rock shoes.

Edited May 27, 2013 by Alan Trick