Starting to sound like a broken record. Just met Thomas and Oliver at the base of the Midi station this morning. Bright and early for the first bin down after a summit of Mont Blanc over the Trois Sommets route yesterday. The guys were the second group out the door of the hut Monday, thanks to the efforts of their Swiss guide, Raoul Cretin. And so pushed on up for a mega 5.5 hour day over the summit ridges of Mt Tacul and Mt Maudit on the way to 4,800 meters.
It’s back to typical August conditions here now. In fact, maybe making up for the cold and wet of July we’ve now got freezing point at over 4,400 meters this week! So, a sizzling hot climb for anyone out past midday.
Oli and Thomas now happily ditching the climbing gear and soaking toes after a mega 10 day effort. First part of the climbing done out in Saas Fee last week where the group of 5 managed five summits in six days. Including some seriously big days on the Laginhorn, Weismeiss, and Allalinhorn.
Now, we’re waiting for the thunderclouds to roll in this afternoon and break this heat wave here in the valley.
Andy Owen and his Haute Route team already on to the Swiss Trient hut and so averting thunder over that side. Richard Dupont and his team not reported in yet from their attempt at the Dufourspitze yesterday so that should be them coming in just under the wire. And Jim Kerr, Paul Farmer and their crew of three now out on Castor and Pollux in the Zermatt peaks as well. Busy times all around!
