Forget Chamonix, some of the best ice climbing in the world is in the lesser known Ecrins area of the southern French Alps. Jerry Gore fills you in on the fundamentals - great pics too :-)
British climber and outdoors industry professional Jerry Gore and
his wife Jackie upped sticks and moved to the Alps a few years back,
where they set up AlpBase, a business offering chalets and apartments
for climbers, walkers, skiers and mountain bikers and providing
professionally run courses all year round.
What makes AlpBase different is that it's located in the beautiful
Ecrins Massif in the southern French Alps. It's an area that's 30
times larger than the Chamonix Valley, but still largely unknown to
many Brits. It has incredible opportunities for hiking, climbing,
kayaking and mountain biking and, at this time of the year, some of
the best waterfall ice in the world...
Just to underline that, the area annually plays host to the
largest ice-climbing festival in the world, now in its 16th year.
We've climbed in the area too and trust us, it's spectacular, you'll
climb more steep ice in a week in the Ecrins than you'll manage in
several seasons in Scotland. And then there's the delights of French
food and wine waiting for you in the evening...
Here Jerry tells you how to ice climb :-)
How To Climb Ice - Jerry Gore
It's hard to think of anything more beautiful in winter than a
fully-formed ice fall, creating tier upon tier of glistening
chandeliers. Ever since climbing my first euro ice in the Ecrins
Massif's famous Ceillac Valley, I was a convert.
With ten-minute walk-ins, in-situ gear, bolted belays and an easy
walk-off, all before a three -ourse lunch, the experience was so far
removed from the damp masochism of Scottish winter, that I actually
enjoyed it all. Not just the evening banter in a local pub recounting
the day's epics. For an outdoor addict pure ice-climbing simply has
to be one of the most exhilarating things you can do in the mountains
in winter.
Getting Started
So how do go about getting to grips with your first "cascade de
glace" as the French so eloquently call them. Living in Britain
really your only choice to experience ice at first hand is to visit
your nearest ice wall. There are now a number of these indoor
climbing fridges including the following:
The Ice Factor - Kinlochleven, near Glencoe, NW
Scotland
www.ice-factor.co.uk
The Toyota Ice Walls - Castleford, West York's
www.ellis-brigham.com
Vertical Chill - London
www.ellis-brigham.com
The North Face Ice Wall - Manchester
www.ellis-brigham.com
Once you have had a taster and feel ready for the big challenge -
unless you have had a lot of Scottish winter climbing experience -
the best move is to book yourself onto an ice-climbing course that
will ensure you develop the right technique and can tackle such
formations safely and competently.
There are many ice venues in Europe, but arguably the Number One
ice-climbing area lies in the Ecrins Massif of the Southern French
Alps. This is where ice climbing started in 1984 with the publication
of Godefroy Perroux's "Cascades de Glaces". The launch in 1991 of
Europe's largest ice climbing meet "ICE" (now in its 16th year)
together with the brilliant website www.ice-fall.com
detailing the condition of local climbs throughout the season, are
the other two reasons why the Ecrins is so popular.
Clothing And Equipment
As regards what to wear you will need normal Scottish winter
mountaineering clothing, but generally go light. This game is about
movement not inactivity. For ropes use two half ropes (8-8.5mm are
recommended with dry finishes). I use a Petzl Reverso, saving time
and energy for the leader when belaying.
In terms of rucksacks, often I leave mine at the bottom of the
route, but if I take one it's small (20ltrs). For footwear I always
wear full mountaineering leather (B3) boots such as Scarpa's Freney
XT's, or La Sportiva's Nepal Evo's, together with C3 crampons like
Grivel's Rambo Evolution 3's.
For a pitch of classic WI 3+ you will need around 6-10 ice screws
depending on ability (they must be easy to place and fast to remove
like Grivel's 360 screws), and of course two technical curved picks.
I use Grivel's Taa-k-oon's which are designed to be used without a
leash.
If you are unsure about leashless climbing my suggestion is to
hire all your ice gear once you are out here and that way you can
experiment. But as they say once you go leashless you never go back.
And don't forget, sharp tools are essential on pure ice, so make sure
you pack your file.
Grading
Climbs in the Ecrins as elsewhere in Europe, use the usual classic
WI (Water Ice) grading system for icefalls. The WI grade is a
numerical grade and gives the technical grade of the hardest pitch,
taking into account the angle, the complexity of the moves, and the
usual quality of the ice. Very roughly add one to the French WI
numerical grade to get the Scottish equivalent. WI 2 = Scottish III
and so on.
When To Go
For most areas in the Alps the ice starts forming in early
November and usually you can climb ice from mid December in a normal
year. By the second week of March the first signs of spring are
noticeable and we generally stop climbing low level ice by then. But
ice climbs have been done in the Ecrins as late as mid April in high
valleys such as Ceillac.
Places To Stay
The most convenient places to stay are local gites or apartments.
These can be found either through the internet or local tourist
Information offices. If you are coming to the Ecrins check out my
accommodation website www.AlpBase.com
It provides details on self-catering apartments and chalets for
climbers, plus information on skiing, and ice climbing in the Ecrins.
We offer free use of local maps and guidebooks, and are always
on-hand for advice and local knowledge. You can also contact me by
email for route conditions and information at jerry@AlpBase.com
Guiding Services
If you are interested in going on an ice course or hiring a guide
for a day or so at the beginning of your holiday consult the internet
or visit the guides office local to your area. Again, if visiting the
Ecrins check out our website www.AlpBase.com for details and prices
on our ice climbing courses and personal bespoke guiding. Or email me
on jerry@AlpBase.com
Travel Companies and Nearest Airports / Airlines:
For the Northern Alps areas such as La Cogne and the Argentiere
ice falls can be easily reached via flights to Geneva. For the
Southern Alps, the nearest and easiest airport is Turin International
Airport for the Ecrins and Grenoble airport for La Grave.
Avalanches
Avalanches are an ever-present danger for ice climbers throughout
the winter season as they often share the natural gully lines with
the routes. North-facing slopes can hold deep powder and south facing
ones are obviously affected by direct sunlight.
Wind slab is also a common occurrence especially after a long, dry
spell and they must be watched especially when descending. Often it
is better to abseil your line of ascent and hence most of the popular
routes are well equipped for this. Always get a local forecast as
heavy snowfalls can occur at any time during the season. And never be
afraid to ask locals for advice.
Weather Forecast
These are usually posted up daily outside village tourist offices,
and mountain guide bureaux. Or try the following:
www.meteofrance.com
or www.avalanche-net.com
Mountain Rescue
Make sure you know the telephone number of your nearest mountain
rescue station in case of accident.
And finally…….
This game is fun, no question, but remember wherever you're
climbing, always treat this fragile medium with the respect it
deserves. When ice breaks it takes no prisoners. Always seek local
advice, talk to guides and fellow climbers about the current
conditions, and find out what has been happening to the area
recently.
Unlike mixed climbing in the UK, where fickle conditions can often
make you charge onto the first thing you see, with Euro icefalls you
can afford to start slow and build your grade up gradually during
your stay.
Have a nICE time!
Jerry Gore
AlpBase.com
UK expedition climber Jerry Gore, 44 years old, moved to the
Ecrins Massif in the heart of the Southern Alps two years ago, where
he runs his company AlpBase.com offering bespoke mountaineering
courses on ice climbing, multi-pitch rock, bouldering, Via Ferrata,
ski touring, and glacial walking. AlpBase.com also provides
apartments and chalet accommodation for climbers, walkers, skiers and
snowboarders.
Exclusive OUTDOORSmagic.com offer
Get 10% off AlpBase.com ice-climbing courses in the Ecrins Massif
for January and February 2006.
Only £890 for five days instruction. Includes:
- Airport Transfers
- All transport and mechanical uplift
- Full board and accommodation for 6 nights
- Equipment loan
- Five days instruction,1:2 ratio with IFMGA mountain guides
Just quote "icextra" when booking and get 10% off our 2006
mountain courses. Email jerry@alpbase.com,
phone +33 492 23 45 69, or see www.alpbase.com
to find out more.
To see some more great companies offering to whisk you away to the four corners of the world, check out the OM travel offers section.
