Struck by lightning on the Aiguille du Chardonnet - 12546ft (3824m) | ||||||||||||
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Introduction | ||||||||||||
-Bivouac | ||||||||||||
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We passed by the hut and picked our way for about 5 or 10 minutes into the peace and quiet of the rocks some distance above. Well used bivi spots were all over the place and we easily found a flattish spot where both of us would be able to lie outstretched for the night. Result. We had great views of the Chardonnet. I spent much of my time staring at the mountain trying to identify and memorize the exact line of our intended route. Most of the route looked OK but I was concerned by the possible line of the descent. It was not obvious to me from our bivouac spot. There were some huge cliffs at the right hand side of the peak through which we might have to abseil. They looked hundreds of feet high and close to vertical. I prayed that the descent did not go right through those cliffs. My nerve would be sorely tested if we had to get down those. Fortunately I don't think either of us were feeling any significant ill effects from the altitude. We ate well and enjoyed plenty of tea and soup. As the sun dropped close to the horizon the Aiguille du Chardonnet became bathed in a warm, golden glow. It was a beautiful sunset. We set our watch alarms to wake us in the early hours of the morning so we could get a good start on our summit day. As the sun disappeared the temperature began to plummet. We laid out our sleeping mats and got into our sleeping bags. We'd both brought expensive Goretex bivi bags to pull over our sleeping bags. We hoped they would keep the worst of the rain off if we did get caught in a downpour. I don't think either of us really knew if they would work but hey, they were a lot lighter than a tent. As a student I did once spend a night out in a bivi bag. Steve Masztalir and myself were above Pen-y-pass by Snowdon. It was pouring with rain. We'd both got those bright orange polythene survival bags. We had a particularly miserable night. I don't think I slept at all. In my £10 sleeping bag I was really cold and spent the whole night trying to keep the rain out. Unfortunately for Steve he had managed to doze off and consequently the neck of his survival bag had opened to the weather. He ended up lying in a pool of freezing water. The next day he was cold to the bone and totally wasted. He spent the entire day sat at a table in the Pen-y-pass cafe, trying to warm up and sleep. Still enthusiastic to stay 'in the wilds' and keen to learn from this debacle I tried to persuade Steve to try again. Generally amenable to most suggestions Steve was unusually firm on that occasion and totally refused to spend another night out like that. We spent the next night in the youth hostel. I've never forgotten how unpleasant that bivi bag experience was, so as JC and I settled down to sleep I was relieved to see that the weather looked fine. I hoped it stayed that way. | ||||||||||||
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