3 Men Mooning - a climb

Sometimes its easy, the mountains are there. So is the weather and the conditions are perfect, just to go. The climb is easy accessed in front of you, the icicles is hanging there, on solid rock.

Its the yearly Arctic Ice climbing Festival in Abisko Sweden.

The hopeful words are easy to understand

-It would be great if we could have a new route climbed during the Festival! Take the snowmobile, it should work fine to be three people on it so you wont need a sledge. Climb it and if you cane back here at 16.00 for the competition.

Ok, we go, see you at four! Well sure!!

I had seen a couple of interesting lines from some pictures Anders had taken while doing heli skiing in an area between Abisko and Riksgränsen. Only problem was that the lines are pretty far away. And above that it was hard to get a proper view of the climbs just by the pics.

So nothing else to do then going for a chance. If it goes it goes, just the approach could be quite tricky, three people riding one Snowmobile might be one to much already.

Arriving ”Gränsen” the weather isn’t even close to … nice. Windy, cloudy and flat light, something that this area is famous for, the flat light, typical ”fjellvaeder". Flat light is where there is a thick layer of cloud in the sky, and the light bounces through the clouds so that it comes from all directions, creating no shadows on the snow.

A skiers nightmare as well as a snowmobilers.

the Route - "3 Men Mooning"

While unloading the snowmobile I try to figure out the options but always get to the solid conclusion that we do it the Finnish Way, hoping on the best but prepare for the worst!

Rigging the equipment works well and soon we start to move, a little to tight together maybe!

But on a low speed we slowly make progress, sometimes I need to go ahead just by myself to reqon the way, but it turns out better then suspected. the wind and clouds opens up and 40 min later we are at the base of the routes. 

Two different choices above with one more likely to be able to topping out, the other a little more ”open card”. So with the words ringing somewhere in the background we go for the more likely one. Looks quite straight forward with a little bit of everything and fun climbing with maybe 4 pitches.

  30 mountain minutes later we are all up at the bottom of the first pitch, a grade WI4 looking something that had a bit of sun on it, but looks super solid an fun.

Head up and off we go.

Second pitch is a 60mts snow field which we quite soon has travelled as well. Which sends us to the base of a little more interesting section of ice, 90 degree to start with but soon angles out again with some shorter sections with vertical hammers. Just fun!

  But as often in this areas everything is bigger than in distance and soon we have climbed 4 pitches and still not close to the summit.

One more easy pitch, nr5, takes me to the bottom of a most interesting looking steep thing. A full on vertical icy playground! Yeess!!

And as I like steep playgrounds I aim for the most playful part of it, which gives me a 20m section with icicles and overhanging climbing, pure fun!!

Closing the pitch with a belay just below the final traverse ledge at the summit I dress up for a bit of good time belaying my friends up to share the views of a wonderful passionated place, not even close to a mooning moon.

And yes, we wasn’t even close to be back at four´ich. More like 8 and a little late for dinner. But instead a great day out with friends!

Happy guys on top, Me Martin and Robert!

"3 Män Mooning” 6 pitches, WI5

2x50m rope

Ice screws

a couple of nuts

Lynx Snowmobile

//Mellan långa vintrar kommer korta somrar!

Couloir Nord Oest de la pointe d´Areu

The last weeks has been amazing for skiing in the Alps. So most of the climbing gear has had to be left in the basement in exchange for skis & skins.
The warm weather at the beginning of the year made January as a disaster for the ice climbing part. Instead it was possible to keep the rocks hoes on for a bit longer so not to bad.
Otherwise has the changing weather made the alpine conditions very good so it should be a good season for some high mountain climbs as soon as the snow settles and the days gets a little longer again.

Hoar frost crystals, beautiful but dangerous.

 

An other thing has been the high number of avalanche accidents, still in the lack of snow amount. Which just shows that it isn't the amount of snow that makes the risk, it´s the attitude and willingness of risk taking among people.
An other thing is the big contrast in weather, going from very warm to very cold and also that we this year again got a big layer of depth hoar and during the clear cold night it builds up hoar frost due to water vapour that moves up through the snow during cold clear nights. Which when covered with fresh snow forms into a weak layer that easily collapses from pressure, from the feet of a climber or the pressure of a skier.
There has been quite many casualties and accidents, to many. One of the more extreme is one that took part in the ski area of Courmayeur, from the topplift Arp and Dolonne two weeks ago.
A section which a huge amount of people have passed and suddenly it just went.

The avalanche in Dolonne, Courmayeur

An other was the other week in Valgrisenche, triggered by an helicopter when it put down a couple of skiers. The weight of the helicopter made the whole mountainside collapse and took a guided group of skiers with it and buried two victims. Which was safely rescued. Two others was quick enough to pull their Avalanche packs and was kept on the surface.

So with this things like this in mind I have had the idea of staying on lower aspects than 30 degrees or really steep runs that doesn't accumulate and build the dangerous layers.

 

One is Glacier du Bron, col du Autannes
A ski run that can be safely approached via ridges and small faces. And once on the top the descent can be made very safe and possible to avoid all steep sections. Giving it a enjoyable run of over 1600 vertical meters down to the village of Trient.
With no tracks around at all we had the luck of riding the whole thing with no other tracks, just perfect poudreuse. Exept a part of rocks at the bottom when crossing the stream due to the lack of snow cover.
Link to glacier du Bron

The local hidden pub in Trient

An other fine line is the Couloir from col des Nants on the eastside of Aravis, Pointe d´Areu
Its neighbour, the much bigger gully to the right is an obvious goal to ski but this goes a bit steeper up to 40 degrees and makes a great ski run with no objective dangers. On this day though it was more transformed into "bèton" and not so much enjoyment of skiing, but a nice sunny day out!

On the way towards la Clusaz via Megeve on top of col des Aravis is the mountains of l´Ètale.

Summit of Ètale with a view of cloudy sea

A couple of interesting runs which the center one is the most obvious, "Ètale"
Link to l Ètale

l´Étale Aravis from Mountainpassion on Vimeo.

The next goal was to be the beautiful couloir of pointe d´Areu at l´Aravis. On it´s north west side is a narrow line called "James Bond" or Nord Oest Couloir de la pointe d´Areu. Maybe the greatest line in the whole area!? Something that just needed to be skied.

View over the NW Couloir at d´Areu

The approach is a work out by it self. Either via Romme sur Cluse or from Burzier, neither nor its about 1000 vertical meters just to get to the base of the couloir...but its worth every bit of it.
Once at the base it´s steep from the beginning so skis on the pack and axe in the hand. Actually it can be useful with crampons as well...depends on the amount of snow.
For me I had to cover 2 sections of ice and rock but being able to chop out steeps for the unequipped boots it worked out ok.

 

 

The booting up to the summit is quite interesting and not to bad, of course depending on the quality of the snow. The harder the walk up, the better the skiing is...
At this time it was something in between but stable, about 30min workout.
Finally on the top the views over the massif is stunning as always, but still.
And so the interesting part, the descent! With sections over 45 degrees and you must not fall.

 

And when doing this "ballade" make your self prepared for a lot of hiking, for most people its a long but beautiful day.
Link to info about d´Areu

// Heller en skrynklig själ än ett slätstruket liv

 

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Zinal goes flying - flying Mutant 9

The master of flying, Choucas

A great day of flying between powder days in Val d´Annivers...

Speed flying Coouloir en Zinal from Mountainpassion on Vimeo.

 

And yes, there was some powder as well!

The last week has produced some great amounts of the long wanted white stuff.

 

As always with heavy amounts of snow, specially after a long dry time, there has been a number of avalanche accidents as well. Some that has involved casualties.Despite a 4 on the avalanche scale people just go off as noting has happened and many times there is just pure luck that the number of victims isn't bigger.In many cases the false security of a couple of old, or fresh tracks makes people believe that everything is a go!

"Everyone can be a hero one day

and a mother fucker the next” Gary Hemming

 

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