Struck by lightning on the Aiguille du Chardonnet - 12546ft (3824m) | ||||||||||||
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Introduction | ||||||||||||
-An icy traverse | ||||||||||||
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Shortly after meeting the Dutch pair another tower loomed up in the mist. Sheer rock. It looked much too steep and difficult for us to contemplate climbing over it. Unfortunately the obvious way past this tower was to leave the relative security of the rock and move onto the extremely steep ice slope beneath it. With a looping traverse around the base of the tower we could continue along the arete. On that traverse the entire drop of the north face would be beneath our heels. I felt my breathing speed up as I contemplated what we had to do. The start of our traverse involved a steep climb down ice clogged rocks to the base of the tower where it joined the ice. Another smaller down-climb on the ice would be required before we could contour the ice slope around the base of the tower and then return more easily to the ridge beyond. Every step would be poised above what was perhaps the most exposed part of the north facing slopes. The view down the north face, through breaks in the cloud swirling below us, suggested that an unchecked fall would go all the way to the bottom. I for one could not contemplate the traverse without good protection. It was JCs lead. If JC went first and couldn't get runners into the ice choked cracks on the rock face I could end up having to down-climb the most frightening part of the traverse without protection. If I fell I could fall free for 60ft before the rope would tighten and force me into a giant pendulum over the ice below the tower. My heart was racing at the idea of being out there on the ice slope over that enormous drop. I knew the rope would not remove much of my fear. Again feeling very guilty, I told JC I would prefer to lead. Of course he could see why I wanted to lead, but again without complaint he agreed. JC dropped a sling over a spike and I set off down the rocks protected by him from above. I made it to the ice below which was very steep and quite brittle. Only the tips of my crampon's front points nicked into it. As I moved sideways across the ice I became more exposed to a pendulum and I felt my fear building. I glimpsed the plunging slopes below me and heart thumping, I whacked an axe into the ice near the base of the tower. The rock was too close underneath and the brittle ice shattered away in chunks which I heard skitter rapidly away beneath me. I could feel my tensed legs trying to sewing-machine. I did eventually get good placements for the axes which gave me the confidence to move my feet but then I struggled to remove the embedded axes. I knew I was climbing badly but the exposure had got to me. I was very relieved to find an old nut above me in the rock half way round and I quickly put a runner on. A little more relaxed I then moved up to the ridge the other side but I had taken a long time. JC and the Dutch pair had been patient spectators to my struggle. Once I'd made myself secure I watched JC anxiously as he climbed down towards the ice but he followed quite quickly without incident. | ||||||||||||
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