Singular Alpinism

29/09/2022

It’s been 3 years since Peter was lost. A lot has happened since then. The world has gone through a global pandemic, millions of lives lost and thrown into disarray. Tragedy, both public and personal. Yet even that cataclysm seems to be slowly fading, if not into memory at least out of the immediate spotlight, as the virus apparently wanes and other existential concerns arise to replace it. Amidst everything that’s been happening, memories of Trishul seem a distant lifetime ago…

But the memories do linger. We remember the time spent together, weeks of shared camaraderie. Of both exhausting effort and peaceful silence. We remember. We always will.

"There have been joys too great to be described in words, and there have been griefs upon which I have not dared to dwell; and with these in mind I say: Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end."
― Edward Whymper

13/07/2022

Post-Papillons arete, took some time off from the high mountains for some chill rock climbing over on the Brevent. 3 days romping about the rocks with the sunny weather. Mic et Maousse, Label Virginie on the Clocher de Planpraz and the uber classic Frisson-Roche on the east face under the station (that final pitch might be the best 5c I’ve ever climbed, just super enjoyable).

Nice having easy rock options with the crappy alpine conditions this year. Also looks like the good weather will hold out till week after, so this is all nice prep and warmup for bigger stuff next week.

Also, these short day climbs are a great excuse to be in town over the weekend for the IFSC World Lead Climbing championships. Got to see Janja and Adam in action live!

09/07/2022

After the weather imposed rest day on Monday, good weather returned on Tuesday and so we attempted the classic Arete des Papillons. Unfortunately we weren’t the only ones… Couple of delays on the approach meant we were stuck behind a slow pair and another team that didn’t want to overtake them, with at least 3 other teams behind us. Was slow going… Still, nice route; a good route to practice the kind of route-finding and climbing tactics decision-making needed for bigger routes. To pitch it out or simul, full anchor or quick body belay, etc.

We passed the slow team eventually, but by that point it was getting late. Made a tactical error by deciding to bail from the route early via the neighboring Les Lepidoptères route (apt, bailing from the Butterfly Ridge via route named after taxonomic unit butterflies belong to). The descent was pretty challenging, and subsequently realised it likely would have been faster finishing Arete des Papillons and descending that way…

Missed the last cablecar down from Plan de l’Aiguille. XH and Jason opted to walk down the trail to town. Samie and Nick spent the night at the Refuge du Plan de l’Aiguille.

06/07/2022

Previous climbs with Kumaran was meant to be a quick buildup for something pretty big before he left. Specifically, the Frendo Spur. Having climbed it back in 2018, it seemed like a something viable. Unfortunately, conditions this year are really pretty bad on the North face of the Aig du Midi.

Made the attempt anyway, but learnt quite quickly reports of poor conditions on the lower sections are very accurate. Lots of rockfall and loose rocks, changes to the sections from previously remembered and the bigger team all made for much slower climbing. Got up to the snow gully below the col, and found the gully devoid of snow… climbed a crack on the right of the gully, but it was too difficult for everyone to follow, especially with heavy packs with bivy gear. That, plus all the previous difficulties, and potential further difficulties higher up, led to us deciding to call it quits and bail from the route.

Lesson learnt, conditions really vary between years and even weeks; have to pay attention and pick routes wisely.

Got back to Airbnb to relax and recover, during which Nick was out with a mild flu. Just nice, with bad weather coming in, a couple of days to rest and enjoy life in the valley.

06/07/2022

Been awhile since last updates on the trip. So after the Cosmique Arete climb, we decided to have a go at the classic, year-round ice climb of the Chéré Couloir on the Tacul. Longer approach at altitude, all the better to acclimatize, and provide some ice climbing re-familiarisation.

Got the earliest cablecar we could, but still found ourselves behind 2 teams on the route. One particularly inept party of 3 above us really slowed us down getting past the 2nd pitch, managed to drop 2 ice screws, a cam and an entire freaking ice tool (party at the base dove to the sides getting out of the way), and got tangled up with us when they rappelled down… it’s really crowded here.

Anyway, managed to finish off the route, followed by a mad rush back to the midi station ahead of the incoming storm. Managed to catch the last cablecar down as the storm arrived.

05/01/2021

Climbing upwards is important, but being able to climb down is even more so. Here we share some thoughts about the lost art of Downclimbing

"Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory." – Ed Viesturs We're constantly reminded of the need to be safe on the mountains but this often conflicts with our aspirations to summit a certain peak or complete an alpine goal in the face of treacherous terrain and/or conditions. The t...

28/09/2020

It has been 1 year since our friend and teammate Peter went missing on Mt Trishul in an avalanche. This is a personal recollection of 5 key events which occurred during the expedition.

A personal recollection of 5 key events during the 2019 Mt Trishul expedition We have been miserably wandering around for the last half hour on the West Face of Trishul in a snowstorm trying to find the fixed lines leading up to Camp 3. It is the proverbial needle in a haystack, only the haystack is...

08/08/2020

Don't give up on that future epic travel adventure! Here are some ideas on how to keep your body in good shape during Covid-19 times

Well, let’s face it. Who in the world would have expected this pandemic to happen? It was supposed to be the year for big trips, epic adventures, and life chan