rElearn

sun on the glacier

Our package included three training days with our guides. Training started on Sunday 17th August. The four of us were joined by six others and this group of ten was assigned two guides. We started from a car park outside of Saint Gervaise and hiked up through some nice forest trail to the Refuge de Tré-la-Tête. Along the way we had “rock school” (which did not involve air guitar solos and hammy lessons in life from Jack Black). We did some basic climbing and absailing on a short rock face, were taught a couple of knots and got used to helmet, harness and carabiner. I really liked the rock climbing. We had a nice leisurely afternoon and stayed in the Tré-la-Tête refuge (1,970 m). Refuges are basically like hostels. They vary greatly. This one was very modern with electrical sockets, hot showers and the like.

Tibetean FLag

The next day we had glacier training so it was on with the crampons (sets of spikes to strap onto your boots for walking in snow and ice) and out with the ice axe. I enjoyed this immensely too. We trekked up over the Bonnassay glacier and then up to the Refuge des Conscrits (2602 m). The path up from the glacier was flanked by gravelly meadows of alpine flowers: daisies, crocuses, dandelions, chives and many others I didn’t know. Refuge des Conscrits is a beautiful modern refuge. As with other huts Free Tibet flags flew conspicuously.

The sun shone and we lounged around on the rocks for the afternoon shooting the breeze and trying to teach each other some scraps of French.

Refuge de Conscrits on a beautiful summer day

Next morning up at 4:00 am. Breakfast then Helmets on. Lights on. Crampons on. Dash for the summit of la Bérangère (3,425 m). This is well above the snow line and was a good dry-run for the summit morning albeit much easier, lower and less scary. Everyone really enjoyed this and spirits were high but there were some mutterings of a test “psychologique” to come later that day. This duly materialised as a 100m climb down a cliff face on a series of ladders. Some of the party did not like this one bit. I was not too bad to start. After all it’s just putting one foot after another down a ladder but as other ascenders started to hold things up with their slow progress and the more I looked down I did start to get scared as we neared the bottom. However I did relish this bit all the same. If you are scared of heights or drops you won’t enjoy this but you will get through it and, in fairness, if you can’t do this maybe you shouldn’t be here. After this it was a long trek back with a stop along the way for lunch.

jacob's ladder (P's photo)

Lunch goes on and on in France, even for mountain guides. There is red wine, starter, main, desert and coffee. The food was absolutely super – although as they say in Irish Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras (hunger is a great sauce). That day we had carbonarra or omelette and the sun was beating down us as we sat out on the terrace of the Tré-la-Tête. One of our guides took his shirt off and proceeded to parade his sinewy body before two nearby women. He later disappeared into the woods with them, allegedly in search of wild mushrooms. Then we had a long, painful walk back to carpark.

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