Grand Flambeau Sexocet - Monia Mena

  Thanks to Ezio Marlier, an Italian mountain guide from Courmayeur, there is a couple of good easy accessed mixed routes at the Grand Flambeau. Easily reached from the Helbronner telepherique.
It´s east face is definitely only a winter face, since it´s, in quite small words, a bit loose :-)

First pitch of Monia Mena

But, when stabilized with cold weather and refrozen snow, it´s no to bad. And in the combo with it´ s 10min access its a great choice for an introduction of the use of ice axes in the high mountains or when the weather is a bit on the bad side.

Still, at this time of year when the fist lift is at 08:30 and last descent is at 15:30, you have to keep the rope moving at all time to be sure to join the last bin back down. At least if the ambition is to top out!

Two nice but a little easier ones are Sexocet (M6) and Monia Mena (M7+)

Sexocet has a short crux section at the start which ones overrun its more M5/M4 climbing. This one aslo as a fun second pitch, steaming up a chimney formation passing under a jamed bloc.

Initiary Sexocet

P1: 25m M6  Climb along ice crusts and crack / physical blade, passage to the right in the gully / chimney stop on the left

L2: 20m M5. Immediately a narrow and deep gully, uncomfortable but well protected, coming out of a characteristic hole .... the one on the left is better, stop at the base of the exit corner

L3: 40m M4. Superb exit on the left and non-trivial channel, stop at a bolted belay. 

L4: 40 m Go up to the left until you reach the snow couloir and join Monia Mena. On the way there is a large boulder with a bolt, this bloc is totally loose, if its still there!

Continue for another 2 pitches on snow with some short classic difficulties up to the cable car platform, voilá!

DESCENT

Abseil down the route from S3 or from Monia mena if you don´t go to the top. 

From the top, go around the iron fence, follow the fixed cord direct out right, and then down the arete aiming for the snow arete below. Scramble down to an other section of jamed wires and some static rope to make rappel off from. 

Monia Mena (M7+)

This route has characteristic first pitch with some good climbing which keep one busy over 25m.

Second pitch is much easier and after that your up in the same couloir as Sexocet. But the first pitch definitely makes it worth climbing.

Good protected with own pro and 5 spits

Initiary 

P1: 25 m M7 + long ice crust and final physical overhang, 6 bolts along pitch 3 on the right in the hard pass and one at the exit in the center of the gully, belay on bolts on the right

L2: 40 m M5 immediately a narrow and deep gully and exit to keep ears straight, easy channel (50 degrees) and belay on bolts and cord on the slab on the right

L3: 45 m classic difficulty 50 degrees towards Evidente on the left and then on the right side of the canal stop on the right on bolts and cord

L4: 45 m slightly to the right and go around the rock, returning to the left and stop in the center of the channel towards under the clearly visible steel balustrades

P5: 25m still classic difficulties up to the cable car platform

DESCENT

Abseil down the route. Or same as the descent as Sexocet

An other nice route on this face, a bit more to the far right side is Cuori di ghiaccio

Initiary 

P1: 25m nice pitch with sections of M5, bolt belay with sling on ledge in the middle of the gully

P2: 30m M7 start up overhang, fairly difficult to get established above this (bolt on the left above the overhang), then gully and not easy exit, bolt at exit and bolted belay with sling

P3: 45m classic winter difficulties, 50° leftwards to the base of the gully, bolt belay with sling on the right

P4: 45m follow the gully and then continue up wide open slopes

P5: 45m classic winter difficulties up to an obvious triangle where the line joins the last belay of Koala pirla

DESCENT

Abseil down the route. Or same as the descent as Sexocet

Returning to ponta Helbronner

Equipment

Cams Green alien to #3 Black diamond

1 small set of wires

5-7 QD´s

50m rope (x2 if rappelling)

Yellow line is Monia Mena / Orange Sexocet

Utsiktslöshet är inget faktum - utan en sinnesstämning att övervinna...

Sommaren 2020 kommer nior att gå till historien som en av mänsklighetens mera påtagliga sådana, mycket och manga har kommit på kant och kast under denna Covidment period. Som ännu i skrivandets stund har långt från att summaras nått sin vägs ände.
Men, sommaren i denna delen av världen har nog nått sin, som det i siktet ut genom fönstret ser ut i vart fall. Speciellt i kombinationen av att kolla in kommande långtidsprognos.
Le météo är minst sagt övertygande i sitt uttryck vad gäller kommande veckors nederbörd och temperaturer. 

  Förra höst samt vinter hade meteoblue.com en rätt intressant och sedermera träffande bild av sin promoria. Årets hörs upplaga visar en kall period nu i september/oktober för att sedan gå mot varmare än normalt igen fram mot december. Dock mycket nederbörd för januari och fram mot mars...

Att Convid haft en allt genom positiv inverkan på klimatet är uppenbart. Och kanske är det sådan dramatiska effekter som är det enda slutliga för moder Jord att ta till för att hålla dess mest krävande innevånare, Sapiens, i schack!?

Med en allt kallare och vitare omgivning så har det dragit ihop sig till att summera ännu en intensiv och på sina sätt, dramatisk sommar men ett flertal milstolpar och fantastiska upplevelser.

Att själva inledningen av sommarmånaderna skulle kännetecknas av att stå med högerfoten i en gipslåda, det var väl långt från och knappast den inledning som stor att önska.

Jag drar mig till minnes blickarna jag skickade på alla dess som lättsamt joggade förbi i värmen, utan att, som jag tolkade det i vart fall, själva fatta hur lyckliga dom kunde hålla sig att kunna utföra en sådan minst sagt enkel handling.

Dessutom minns jag väl känslan av skam och idioti att under en sådan period av epidemi sitta i en väntsal på ett sjukhus! Att komma och draga på en sån stupiditet som en bruten fot som utspelats under ett än större tillfälle av opraktisk dumhet, att falla rätt i backen från 2:a klippet. Lyckligtvis en klockren landning, men allt och ändå, efter en kämpande cykling hem till boet och en natt som passerade mestadels sömnlöst för att sedan inse att bara ta sig till morgon toaletten var närmast uteslutet...kort sagt, det skulle krävas ett ingrepp.

Sagt och gjort och snart stod jag där med gips och kryckor och med en prognos om 5 veckors bok och vila. Sen rehabilitering och så där fram emot september, lite längre promenader!

Lyckligtvis så synkade nog varken kropp, hjärna eller emotionen något av denna information, så när första återbesöket kom att genomföras 11 dagar senare fick gipset raskt åka av, med motivet att det inte går att flyga med gipsad kroppsdel. Och sen avhandlades rehaben av i än raskare takt, i aktiv bergsmiljö.

Och så kom sommaren -20 att bli en bra klättersommar allt till trots.

Inte minst p g a mitt senaste inspirationsköp, stavas PROBLEM SOLVER, väger dryga 400gr och finns med överallt!

Det andra som nämnda epidemi bidragit som positivt med är våra upptäckter av alla dessa fantastiska små klätterklippor i Östergötland. Tack vara min goda vän och ägare av Altitude Access så resulterade inte bara nedstängningen av det mesta av mina guide jobb till ett ytterst intressant utbud av Rope Access jobb, dessutom av Olofs generösa utlånande av bil vilket resulterade till att vi, jag och Anna Backlund, kom att kunna utforska en stor del av kända och mindre sådana klippor runt om i en del av Sverige som jag aldrig kommit att traversera tidigare.

Klippor som Söderö med sina 20-25meter av rena spricklinjer är av hög kvalité, dessutom fick jag möjligheten att sätta en 1:a bestigning. "Réves de Verdon" 7a+

Men givetvis, så har klättringen runt Chamonix, nu som alltid satt störst avtryck.

L´Eveque, Aiguille du Moin, voie Rebuffat på aig. Midi, le Grand Capucin, Adolphe rey, Aiguille du Peigne, de Pèlerins....le Brevent inte minst!

Samt all sportklättring nere i Vallee l´Arve. Liksom le Parèt ovanför vårt nya hem i Servoz...

Sen ett par större Alpina turer där kanske Paralpinism a la Dome de Miage slog högst!

Antagligen så hade det pressats in ett par berg och turer till, men då de Tre T;na tar sitt 

Ting -Tar-Tid, så har det gått en och annan timma till alla anmarscher och packningar inför de BASE dagar som passerat.Och fler det bliva skall, om hälsan och hoppet fortsätter sätta in!

-----------------------------

Väck på l’Eveque

Möjligtvis med ett visst inslag av överoptimism men klättringen rullar på och jag tycker oss göra ett bra tempo och enligt det utritade topon så har vi snabbt avancerat med ett stort antal replängder bakom oss. Att Mont Nonne, som har ungefär samma höjd som själva toppen av l’Eveque, 3469m, fortfarande ståtar en så där 200-300m ovanför oss förmår jag enkelt att ignorera. Istället intalar jag mig liksom Anna att 

-jodå, ett par replängder till, säker bara nästa gendarm, så är vi uppe! Men oj så fel det kan vara!

Descent från Couvercle

Med ett osedvanligt stabilt framför oss så har vi placerat in att försöka avverka ett av våra förutspående projekt i Massif du Mont Blanc, Mont l`Evueque via Arete Contamine, via Ref Charpoua, samt Östväggen på Aig. du Moine, via ref. du Couvercle. Också via Contamine, voie Contamine/Labrunie

Två fina och långa klassiska klätterturer på mont blanc´s massivets briljanta granit.

Som alltid så är det en upplevelse att bara komma upp till Refuge Charpoua, en av områdets äldsta refuger som insuper  en historisk känsla som inte minst infinner sig när man sätter sig till bords för att intaga den av gardienen, Sarah Cartier, tillagade middagen. Här runt bordet har dom alla suttit; Rebuffat, Bonatti, Cassin, Stäck....och inte minst André Contamine själv.

Anna, någonstans på l´Evueque

En lång resa uppför och över ett oräkneligt antal gendarmer och toppar har bara börjat! Lite som väck på l’Eveque. Men hela tiden på fast och fin klippa i en omgivning som gör allt för att uppmuntra stämningen. Och med molnbankar som konstant lyfter och täcker in oss i ett behagligt lugn och sinnesfrid. Och i sinom tid borde vi nog komma oss upp, i André ’s fotspår

För att citera en annan känd André, vår Svenska luftballong farare;

Vår position är ej synnerligen god!

Så illa kan det nog aldrig beskrivas men det flesta skulle nog idag anse att le traversé av l’Eveque är att betrakta som en smärre expedition. Med anmarch, klättring och nedstigning. 

Vi var dessutom ute i Contamine tema så även Östväggen på Aiguille Moine lades till i upplägget, via voie Contamine/Labrunie, om totalt 3169 höjdmeter. 

För att sen, från toppen av aig du Moine, promenera tillbaka ner till Chamonix, en sådär 2992m höjdmeter. 

Hamnar ni här, då är ni definitivt fel!! Men det var en x-tra bonus med en fin spricka

Anna på en av alla Gendermer...

Innan hon ger sig på att klättra upp på nästa...

Sent på kvällen, efter 10timmars klättring är vi nere vid bivack hyttan vid Couvercle, nöjda och glada intar vi en storartad middag i gott sällskap och med en bra portion kaffe.

Slänger omkull oss i bädden och intar 4h timmars sömn innan vi åter startat espresso bryggaren för att knata upp till Aiguille du Moine´s östvägg och ger på så nästa Contamine tur, i spåret av le professur de 

l´Ensa, Ecole National Ski et Alpinism, som hade en sådan förmåga att leta upp fina klätterturer, och att klättra dom snabbt. Och vi hänger på bäst vi kan...

Som vid sin bestigning av Dru, 700 höjdmeter, 7 pitonger och 7 timmar!

Klart å betalt!!

Toppen av Moine

Afterclimb på l´Hôtel Montanvers

Utrustning

l´Evêque, 1x50m rep, 1 litet set kilar, Grön-Röd Ailien, #0,75-#3 Camalot, #4 Kong Gypsy

Isyxa, stegjärn

Anmarsch från Ref Charpoua ca 40min

700m klättring i tidvis svårorienterade terräng, undvik att klättra upp på gendarmerna för en kortare dag, klättra upp på dem för att få den finaste klättringen.

Tid mellan 10-12h

Firning från toppen med 25m firningar, 7-8st

Nedstigning till Glaciär du Talèfre på högersidan av passet, på klippan.

Utrustning Aiguille du Moine Voie Contamine

1x50m rep, 1 litet set kilar, Grön-Röd Ailien, #0,75-#3 Camalot, 8QD´s

Nedstigning via normal leden på Moine, scrambling och ett antal 25m firningar.

Mera info

https://www.camptocamp.org/routes/55198/fr/aiguille-du-moine-voie-contamine-labrunie-face-e-

//www.alpinemadness.se

Le Bastillion - Aiguille du Midi Face Sud

 Thunderstorm syndrome

All good for a great day of climbing on altitude on the aiguilles of Chamonix. 

To make it an easy day, first days on attitude for some 3 months, the south face of Midi would do as the perfect choice. Easy access, stunning climbing, belle vue...on y va.

With a low slight risk of a overcast with a little chance of precipitation it should go fine with a 1/2 model of alpine start, going up with the telepherique at 09:00, and the route!? A mixture of lines trying to link all the big corner and cracks together to get a high level of climbing and a uniform level of climbing.

As always, just the drive up the valley over viewing the surrounding mountains is surly breathtaking, each and every time. And with the knowledge that in some 15minuts your gona be stepping out of a telepherique at 3800mts, with out more effort than buying a ticket...on y va!

Again as always, a few meeting with a few friends at the top. Happy faces with a great day a head coming up. Finally, after a couple of months covidement, who can complain? If you wanna sing there is always a song, on y va!!

As always, the 15 min approach is as beautiful as ever, this year even better than in many years. With all the late cold weather and snow the arete du Midi is an easy one with most of the cracks well filled in.

Even the rimeye to get to the wall is still, at the end of june, in a very easy mode.

As always, even though I have been at the poutre for more time than ever before (a broken foot syndrome), still the odd granit feeling is a strange one and the comfort zone is not yet back there.

But, a few meters climbing adds a few millimeters of confidens...so keep adding meters will help!?

As always, the great feeling and friction of the mont blanc massif granit, its cracks and formations, is harder than remembered. But, fighting, cussin and growling, always pays back and a few pitches brings back the good feeling memories, happy crawling fingers!

One of many great pitches of the M-B variation

As always, my wife has come up with a great plan of ideas, and each and every pitch is better than the previous, linking the south face as the Bastillion of the sharp guillotine.

Something that really shows its reality when the recently named person, my wife, arrives at the upper belays on the 10th pitch

-Oh, is it snowing?

-Well yes, its been snowing for some 10 minutes alright. But as long as its only snowing it won´t be to slippery...

Still good weather going on...

As always, it started to RAIN...*

Premier, I climbed the next pitch in a bit of heavy snow, then belaying Anna up in blue sky....before the big bang and the thunder road moved in full on!

Now it turned from odd pleasure to really bad, hail; OK, snow; OK, rain; O...K, thunder; not OK!

Belaying Anna up the second last pitch things are fast moving into really bad, I can only watch as the normally good friction of rock goes into covered and plastered ice and snow.

And, at this pint there is only one way to go, that is up! 

An other team of two has taken the road down on the final east wall of Midi, which would for the moment send them to a safer spot. but only into to nowhere to go, surrounded of loose rocks and no escape.

For me, there is only one goal at this point, bring the ice axes out and climb and dry-tool the uppest part to the top of Midi, find the anchors and make a s fast as possible traverse and rappel down AS POSSIBLE! 

Then, with a safe rope over the aiguille, bringing Anna over when it has calmed down with lightning.

Now its survival mode sort of....

As always, my confidence grows with the task and mission. 

-Whats the likeliness of being hit by a lightning, really!?

Well ok, at this point, being on the highest place in the area surrounded by metal installations, equipped with metal, crampons, ice axe, carabiners, wet ropes... oh la la, well its a small chance.

While hearing the sound and growling moving up, the bad feeling of being at the wrong place at the, ok, wrong time, I try to make distans to most of the iron stuff around when there is suddenly a;

BANG!!!

Ahh, someone is hammering my head hard and down; pushing, hammering, beating, everything at the same time. Thunderstruck, but luckily still there. Probably saved because I moved away from my hardware and was still on dry shoes with a good rubber sole.  But a small dizzy feeling.

On the exposed Midi summit

Back in safety

-shit, I´ve been hit by lightning... I wonder if there will be one more? Is that really possible?? Two times at the same day???

Pricing my foresight, I still have our rappel rope out and not in the bag, so I can quickly organize that one for the rappel still being on the lead rope to bring Anna over when all is ready.

Which in a long minute brings me down to the safety of the both of us, securing and untying from the ropes, cache all the metal stuff and just waiting out the last thundering and happily cheering as it moves away. Quickly belaying Anna up and over the needle and down again to safer safety.

Then, watching the other team stranded in nowhere as the lightning is picking up again.

-we need to get them a rope!

One team of 2 lost in nowhere...but we could manage to get them a safe rope

1hour later and we are all, stranded climbers as well, are safe down with a, as always, nice cup of "noisette" @Café vertical in moder home Chamonix!

Aiguille du Midi Face Sud

Equipment

50m rope

2-3 of blue to red Alien

2 0.75-2 Camalot

1 small set of nuts

8-10 QD´s

Crampons, ice-axe, ice-screw 

(Kong Omni bag, Haul bag, optimal)

                                                   *well, OK, i exaggerated a bit here.

Keb Lines 2020

 The winter of 2020 is going to be remembered as a much different winter in many ways.
The winter of 2020 also delivered a lot of snow in the north of Scandinavia. Around Riksgränsen we could see bigger amounts of snow than ever in modern times. Not those huge amounts around Kebnekasie, but still more than usually. Almost like in the "old days"

This area isn't very crowded to start with, and 2020 with the world wide virus going on, hitting each and every little ski resort. So of course this remote place got the share of it as well. Suddenly CONVID-19 was on each and everybody lips, the oddest thing with the staff and local tourists did have much effect of it, almost not even understanding what was going on really. And then that suddenly everyone started to cancel their visits, well as with a lot of other really surrealistic things, it just didn't feel for real.

We arrived in Nikkaloukta and headed up to Kebnekasie STF station with a weather forecast that could mean anything and everything. But, at least the snowpack felt stable, with cold weather predicted.

Cascade du Quarantaine 

Since I was a bit in to ice-mode we first headed for an ice-fall a bit lower down towards Nikkaloukta, some 10km more to the east.
A route that I scanned on the way up the week before, that looked like a nice un-climbed project, possible 2 pitches.

Anna on the first pitch of Cascade du Quarantine, WI5+

Arriving at the base it looked even steeper than on distans, with an interesting roof to pass some 10-15m up and then straight up for a vertical section that turned out to be good solid climbing as well.
Finally we even got a third pitch of 45m up some shorter sections of 90° ice. In total 3 pitches of up to WI5+ on great stalactites and solid ice moments
Cascade du Quarantine 
3 pitches
WI5+
Location; Between the great ice line "Coeur du Giant" and "Couloir du Elan"
Descent, same line on abalakovs

Cascade du Quarantine

After two days of stormy weather it finally cleared up and we could head out for our planned tour over to the area of Nallo and Vistas.
This area is more to the north of Kebnekaise and even more remote, like really remote. The access on skis normally takes two days or one big day. Depending on the size of your back pack.
But the effort is worth all the sweat! This area has a huge numbers of great lines, un-skied lines!!

The great view overlooking Toulpagorni / Kebnekaise

The obligatoire Reindeer stop in Nikkaloukta

Our warm up tour to Tjäkktjatjåkka is quickly turned into a little more and bigger tour to the neighbor of Tjäkktjabakte and its spectacular looking east face.
A quick detour to pick up some more alpine stuff like crampons, ice-axes, harnesses and a short rappel rope and with the great blue skies we was on our first, and very much improvised mission!
Our 3hour schedule to the summit turned out to be very correct and at 15:30 I hiked the last bit towards the summit corniche. which I respectfully stayed away from as much as I could, just taking a short shortcut towards what looked like a safe place to get an idea of the ridge going down to the run.
Suddenly I see a crack line that is detaching the corniche and at the same moment as a jump left the whole thing just disappears down the face, still with me happily on the just departed top, #&%?!, sigh....

With an other of these cat lives just disappearing we at least had gotten a good test of the snowslopes below us, everything that stil is on place should be more than solid to ski, sort of!
After a short debriefing I start down the first section of mid-steep terrain where Anna joins me before a short exposed traverse to the next section of a steeper couloir. And then into a bigger area of more open and less exposed skiing down to the valley, a good descent of almost 750 vertical meters.
Don't fall!!

Tjäkktjabakti östvägg

Steep on Tjäkktja Bakti

Some great turns finishing on Tjäkktja Bakti Östvägg

Tjäkktjabakti Östvägg
5:1/S5/E:3/ 54° - 750m
Crampons, Iceaxe, sometimes maybe a short rope to make some 10-15m rappel is necessary

The local `Fjällväder´ in Kebnekaise

Sielmma Batni Couloir

This as a couloir that I have been looking on for quite a few years, just a brilliant line which is cut deep in the mountain dividing the small looking tooth from "Flint nålarna"

the LINE!

Easy to access via the route towards Sielmma tjåkka, but then heading up towards the corniche of Flintnålarna. A bit of tricky skiing down to the saddle and then...just a beautiful line with not even a death potential!

Overlooking the couloir

Sielmma Batni couloir
5:3/S7/E:2/ 63° - 400m
Crampons, Iceaxe, harness, 40m rope

Great times on Sielmma Batni couloir

Classic jump and turn!

Evening planing

Couloir du Silence - summit 1762 (or 1750 on old maps)

This is an other obvious line from an unnamed mountain above to the north of the Nallo hut.
It holds a couple of lines down its south looking face.

Anna, finally, on the summit ridge of "1762"

the access is best made over the small lake below 1880 and then up the north face. We put on our crampons quite low and booted up, the last bit was a fight with the suger snow covering the rocks, but after a couple of tries we finally made it. Must more difficult than it looks!
Once on the ridge its a safe last approach and then a cool line which never goes steeper than 45°

Couloir du Silence

Couloir du Silence
PD 4:1/S4/E1 45° - 800m
Crampons, iceaxe

Couloir skiing!

Keb Lines 2020

Couloir HanZo

Unfortunately everything has an end, so as this one. After some great remote days we needed to head back towards Tarfala and Kebnekaise again, cause of the food issue...!
On the way we picked a route that would give us a few longer and slightly steeper descents, before ending up in the valley of Tarfala. Since the weather had been more than perfect the last days we expected and got a hard northern wind with really cold air. But, luckily mostly in our backs.
Once back in the Tarfala terrain we scanned an other line to bring with us. This time from the east side of Norra Klippberget, just above the Tarfala refuge.

HanZo Couloir

A short skinning up Isfallsglaciären and then a section on crampons and some easy, very easy, scrambling ups to the east summit and the ridge of the peak. Payback, a beautiful couloir down the north looking face to the 1150m lake. No obstacles, just pure semi-steep skiing. A line to finish the Keb Line season with!!

HanZo Couloir
F 4:1/S4/E1 45° - 500m
Crampons, iceaxe

Fun meter ON!

HanZo Couloir

//Keb lines 2020