Alpine Climbing course 6-11 July

The Chamonix Experience Alpine Climbing course from the 6th to the 11th of July was led by guide Dave Etherington. Our international group consisted of Steffen from Germany, Hanan from Israel and Esten from Norway.

Petit Aiguille Vert Alpine Climbing course on the Petit Aiguille Vert On the Petit Aiguille Vert

One of the days the group climbed the Petite Aiguille Verte on the Grands Montets. This is a great training peak

providing snow, ice, rock and crevasses to be encountered and practise your skills on. Aiguille du Midi lift station Avalanche & serac fall on Mont Blanc du Tacul Steffen on Mont Blanc du Tacul view from Mont Blanc du Tacul Alpine Climbing course on Mont Blanc du Tacul 

For the last two days of the course the group was joined by guide Octavio Defazio and they went up the Aiguille du Midi to climb their first 4000m peak, the Mont Blanc du Tacul, 4248m. As they were on the peak a huge avalanche set off by a serac fall swept the whole face clean below them. Luckily nobody died but three people were injured. 

A rescue from the Cosmique ridge A rescue from the Cosmique ridge Mont Blanc du Tacul seen from the Cosmique ridge

After that, as they were climbing the Cosmiques ridge somebody broke and ankle and had to be lifted off by helicopter not far away from the climbers. All in all, this was a rather action-filled week watching both rescues, serac falls and avalanches. Luckily nobody from the Chamonix Experience group was involved, but the course participants certainly learnt how serious the mountains can be. The Chamonix Experience Alpine Climbing course provides a good base of skills for the beginning of your mountaineering career. We have one more course running the 7th to the 12th of September with spaces available.  

photo-blog Martina Palm 29 Jul 2008