Carrel Hut

 

I made it down to the hut, doing some simu-down climbing with a group of nice Germans, and watched the beautiful sunset over the Alps.  I had already reserved a bunk next to the wall, prime space, bedding down next to a stranger. The bathroom was outside, around the corner.  They provided nice wool blankets, but unfortunately no food.  I had underestimated how much food to bring.  The hut provided gas to cook, but no food.  I was soaking wet, from the rappels through the snowy traverse that I was able to avoid on my way up.   My rope was also wet.  So I went to bed, cold, wet, and hungry, with only half a granola bar left.  I listened to the symphony of snorers through the night, and people getting up at 3:30 or 4:00 to start the ascent.  Even the guide who was stocking the hut said, wait until it is light before you climb.  But everyone was setting off before dawn.  And it was cold and very windy, the verglass had returned.  I could not see how I could climb the mountain again with no food, and I was not that keen on climbing in boots and crampons by myself, in the cold wind. So I made my way down to the Abruzzi.  I could tell I was tired from the day before, and from the long night with little sleep.  It was a good choice.  I had enjoyed a beautiful 14 hour day of climbing the Matterhorn. And I had really climbed it.

 Sunset from the Carrel Hut

Afternoon climbing the Matterhorn

 

So I decided to climb up as far as I could, nd check things out. I climbed up past another set of fixed lines, around narrow ledges, up steep rock that in some cases had long chains hanging down for aid or protection. It was a warm and beautiful day and I was moving fast.  At one point there was a long slightly upward traverse, protected by a cable, which was buried in snow.  I had to do a traverse on the rocks above the snow, since I did not want to get my approach climbing shoes wet.  There was a narrow path on the top of the snow, next to the rock, made by previous climbers, but the snow was very steep. One slip, and I would be on this steep snow.  No danger of injuring an ankle here, the incline was so steep that a fall meant you were gone, thousands of feet down, certain death. I passed a group of Hungarian climbers, who were belaying each other, as was customary on all parts of the mountain.  Even the parts that were not steep climbing were on narrow ledges or ridges where a slip would mean you would never be seen again.  I climbed on over slabs, up the ridge, skirting snow here and there.  It was a beautiful day, I was in the zone, and very happy to be  on the mountain.  

I had set a time to get back, because I did not want to descend the mountain, find the rappel anchors in the dark, by myself, on unfamiliar terrain.   I went pass that time, thinking, maybe I could make it to the summit, then I encountered a large ridge covered in snow,  just below the summit, on the Pic Tyndall, a large subpeak 4241 M (13, 914), about 300-400 meters below the summit.  I did not want to get on this icy snow ridge without boots, and I especially did not want to down climb it later when it might be even more icy. So I decided to head down, and try the whole thing tomorrow, starting earlier.

I made it down to the hut, doing some simu-down climbing with a group of nice

Germans, and watched the beautiful sunset over the Alps.  

 Massive bolts set into the rock, and long hanging chains. 

 The view looking back toward the west.

Last view of the summit before turning back down.

the first climb: Carrel hut

 

I woke up at 4:39, looked out the tent and could see the dance of the headlamps heading up the mountain from the Carrel Hut, at 3830 M.  (12, 565),  which would be my first destination.  I packed my smaller pack to bare essentials, leaving the tent and other items.  I was on the trail by 6:00, and walked slowly, to make sure I did not get lost.  At the saddle between the large massive Testa de Leone and the rest of Il Cervino, I caught some wind from the north, but otherwise it was a beautiful calm day. After the saddle, I put on my approach shoes and climbed slabs, steep rock with huge fixed lines, that people used to pull themselves up the hard parts.  My goal, of course, was to climb without using these lines.  They were much too wide diameter to attach an ascender or self belay device, although they did have interludes where a sling could be clipped to protect a fall.  I arrived at the Carrel Hut just before noon.    I decided to check out the route, so I packed the rope, left my boots, crampons, ice axe, since I thought I could make it up without stepping on snow, and the warm weather had melted all the verglass, a thin sheet of ice that often covers portions of the climb.  The warm weather also melts the snow, which makes the possibility of more verglass if the weather gets cold at night.

 Along the way there were little monuments to famous lost climbers, little shrines, and a small shelter made out of stone.

 This line is about 2.5 inches in diameter.  Very thick, and slippery, too, as I found on the descent.

 The bunks inside the hut where climbers can sleep.  I left my axe etc, on a prime spot next to the wall.  The climb to the hut was quite steep, and offered some more difficult options if you chose.

medusa

 the walk, at 5:45 am, from big cottonwood canyon to little cottonwood canyon, brighton to alta, to hellgate slide area, to visit the infamous climb: medusa

 the sunrise, over twin lakes, at grizzly gulch

looking around for web site designs, i rediscovered the balbusso twins, left, and below.

gear organization day

S-curve

Brighton Painting

Brighton Painting

The problem for most of us is that we’re trying to grow a flower on a rock.
the S-curve crag

the guardain

 

There must be joy and freedom and understanding in love.

i decided to climb the guardian, a four pitch affair, in big willow canyon. it was a 3 hour walk with a large pack, I thought i would camp and then continue on to Lone Peak.  Halfway up, i started to hear thunder, it was a scary slab climb, with not belayer, so I came down, later it rained, I did not have a tent.