F/AB-035 Summit Pano
I’m was due in the Alps for the week, and as a hangover from younger years spent climbing, I decided to see if I could bag a big alpine peak with an Alpine Mountain Guide. After a bit of research Pic de la Grave F/AB-035 looked manageable in a winter day and I arranged a guide!
Rearing to go
Ejected from ski lifts at 3200m
The plan was to get high on the mountain with a ski lift, taking my snowboard and the guide in skis, climb the peak, do some SOTA, descend and then board down to the valley.
Unfortunately, lift access was hampered via La Grace because of the decline in the size of the mountains main glacier in recent years. So we approached from lifts in Les2Alpes with a traverse to the bottom of the glacier. At that point, it was stash the skis and snowboard, and out with ropes, crampons and axes.
Approaching the Glacier
ArĂŞte in sight!
After this, it was an approach up the Glacier until we reached an area of crevasses and the Bergshund. A belay through this area of crevasses was needed. Following this there was another hundred metres or so of ascent to reach the ArĂŞte.
ArĂŞte
ArĂŞte
ArĂŞte
The climb up the arĂŞte to the summit was exhilarating with almost 360 views of the Alpes. It was incredible and conditions were good for climbing.
On the summit I quickly put up the 10.9 m inverted vertical (thanks @HB9BCB, it works in the Alpes too, hi hi). Phone signal was bit patchy but I managed to get a text out to the GM/ES crew after last weekends GM action and MM0EFI kindly put up a spot on 20m !
On 20m with pileup madness
What followed was a humongous pile up! a rather frustrating one, so many chasers trying to work the summit and calling over each other. My apologies to anyone who missed out, I was only able to spend a short while on the summit !
Summit shot!
The descent was via the same route, which we followed until we eventually reached our board and ski. Another section of traversing was required until we were able to start the descent on my Board the right down the valley with about 2000 m of Descent.
This was quickly polished off with beer, charcuterie e fromage!
Epic day. Thank you France 
, you delivered.
Has to be my finest SOTA day ever. Thanks all !
