The rocky spires of the l'Aiguillette d'Argentiere towers over Argentiere (claims the guidebook). Some fine routes from 4c to 6b+ head up most of the faces, including a particularly atmospheric step across from one spire to another.
A truly epic micro-adventure. Is it possible to leave the UK one morning, spend the night in the Monte Rosa hut, and return the following evening back to the UK? Yes, it seems!
Will and I were a little slow on the powdery walk-in and arrived at the base of the corrie to a small queue of people below our route. We changed objectives and I led off up Original Summer Route (maybe the variation start. maybe not). We ran out the route as two long, stiff pitches with plenty of steep hooking and digging needed to find the route. Will recovered from a small mishap on P1 to put in a stellar lead through the steep, final corners to the summit.
Thomas, local climber and occasional poster on UKC, kindly offered to introduce me to the steep limestone multipitch of Untersberg. The climbing was far from the polished, traffic-filled Avon Gorge, although Thomas let me lead the last pitch of sketchy, loose rubble to let me feel "at home". A very different style of climbing to much of the mountain trad in the UK, but one I imagine I will get used to.
After yesterday's exertions, I fancied an easier day, so Erinna and I went for a small hike over the hills south-east of Ötztal-Bahnhof.
A three week expedition to Pakistan with Clay, Ross, Steve and Karim, climbing in the Gunj-e Dur Valley north of Shimshal. Two new routes on previously unclimbed peaks.
For more photos, please see: https://www.flickr.com/photos/67hours/sets/72157685753210772/
