Don't You Love It When A Plan Works Out?
/WRITTEN by CHRIS & ANNE ENSOLL
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.
Dwight D Eisenhower
Every Alpine season is different - different clients with different aspirations, different weather, different conditions. We always start off with a plan (despite what Eisenhower said) but always with the attitude that no plan survives contact with the enemy. Some years we don't achieve any of our major goals, and some years we tick them all off. This summer was an all-round success, with two Matterhorn ascents and one Mont Blanc ascent, plus numerous other lesser summits in just four weeks.
Rob and Ewan on the top of the Cosmiques Arete with Mont Blanc behind
5th-11th July 2018
A 1:1 Matterhorn week, working for Adventure Consultants, with Kate from Australia.
Day 1: traverse of Aiguille de l'Index
In the cloud on the Aiguille de l'Index
Day 2: through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy, ascent of the Aiguille Marbrées. Overnight in the Torino hut
Day 3: ascent of the Aiguille d'Entrèves, return to Chamonix
Looking down the Mer de Glace from the Col d'Entreves
Day 4: drive to Tasch, train to Zermatt, lift to Schwarzsee, walk to Hornli hut
Walking up to the Hornli hut
Day 5: ascent of the Matterhorn
On the summit of the Matterhorn
Day 6: rest day
Day 7: Godfrey Perroux route on Aiguille de l'Index
Kate then joined another Guide, Phil Ashby, for a further five days which included a successful summit attempt of the Eiger via the Mittellegi ridge.
16th-20th July 2018
A five-day intro week with four friends from the UK: Almaas, Jess, Mike & Pri. Their aim was to become independent alpinists, and they followed their time with us with a successful week doing some great routes.
Day 1: climbing in the Aiguilles Rouges and ascent of the Aiguille des Crochues
Almaas on the Aiguille des Crochues
Day 2: walk to the Albert Premier hut, glacier skills training, overnight in hut
Day 3: ascent of the Aiguille du Tour, return to valley
Crossing the Col Superieur du Tour on to the Trient Plateau with the Aiguille du Chardonnet behind
On the ascent of the Aiguille du Tour
Happy team descending from the Aiguille du Tour
Day 4: Aspirant Guide John Crook joins us. Jess has a rest day, while Mike, Almaas and Pri do Left Edge Route on Mont Blanc du Tacul with Chris and John.
Day 5: Jess & Almaas climb the Arête des Papillons on the Plan de l'Aiguille with John. Pri & Mike have a rock coaching day at the Gaillands with Chris.
John continued the success theme by completing his training and becoming an International Mountain Guide the following week - fantastic!
22nd-31st July 2018
A 1:1 booking for nine days out of ten with Wendy Dodds from the UK, aiming to do the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. As the course developed, Wendy chose to have seven guided days rather than nine.
Day 1: traverse of Aiguille des Crochues (there & back)
Day 2: traverse of Point Lachenal from the Aiguille du Midi lift, return to valley
Day 3: ascent of Mont Blanc du Tacul, ascent of Arête à Laurence to get to the Cosmiques hut, and overnight in the hut
Walking towards the Col du Midi en route to Mont Blanc du Tacul, with the Cosmiques hut on the right
Looking towards Italy from the summit of Mont Blanc du Tacul
Day 4: ascent of the Cosmiques Arete, return to the valley
Day 5: drive to Tasch, take the train to Zermatt, take the lift to Schwarsee, and walk to the Hornli hut
Day 6: ascent of the Matterhorn and return to Chamonix
On the summit of the Matterhorn
Day 7: rest day
Day 8: rest day
Day 9: ascent of Mont Blanc from the Aiguille du Midi cable car and return to valley
On the summit of Mont Blanc
Day 10: rest day
2nd August 2018
A one day booking with two friends from the UK, Rob and Ewan, and we did the Cosmiques Arête.
On the Cosmiques Arete
