It's been a long time coming but maybe, just maybe, summer is here...
I had a wonderful couple of days last weekend in Annecy, doing some jumping in the lake, cragging and via ferrata and then headed back to Cham and snuck in a quick hit of mixed climbing on the Triangle du Tacul - not a bad few days all told!
Conditions on the Triangle are superb right now and the Chere couloir looks as fat as I've ever seen it. The Contamine-Mazeud and Contaminte-Grisolle were both tracked and looked good and the German gully looks pretty much formed. Elsewhere, the rock routes on the Midi south face and Eperon des Cosmiques are bone dry and, unusually, had nobody on them.
Our route (the Perroux gully, right next to the Chere couloir) was fantastic and we did 3 contrasting and really enjoyable pitches. The final bit just before you traverse into the Chere was formed but only just and with neither of us having climbed much recently we didn't really fancy a thin and probably quite scary lead so we abbed down and hoofed back to the Midi. Conditions should only improve so I think Tom and I will be back to the Triangle soon to finish off the Perroux when it fattens up and also to have a look at the German gully.
Here are a few shots from the last few days -
Sharon on the Col de la Colombiere via ferrata.
Tom Moores showing off at Lake Annecy, with me and Sophie looking on (in awe?). He landed it by the way.
Tom, 24 hours later on some high quality mixed ground. You've got to love Chamonix life.