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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:14pm PT
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France SHmance.....Stupid France.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:19pm PT
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The title had so much promise.
Then I opened it.
LOL, I just made myself crack up. hah!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:39pm PT
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Would be nice to see some tasty posts about alpine climbing in Cham.
I’m not holdin’ … spent a couple weeks there in 2000, stayed in Les Houches.
Ate some food, had some nice wine, hiked around a bit when the weather cleared and did some easy rock stuff in the lower valleys.
Never got into the Valle Blanche or up into anything “real”…
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:44pm PT
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I've been twice, each time in June, not one of the better seasons. My first trip it was unseasonably hot and humid. The snow was mush, the ice melted. Good conditions on the rock, so long as you weren't hoping to do really hard things.
The second time I had ten days of almost non-stop rain. Nothing but bouldering that trip (and a few easy solos at the Valley crags), although the bouldering there is amazing--
Good trip even with the rain.
Cham itself is such a weird place: a complete zoo. By French standards, the food is pretty poor, although still way better than what you'll find in North American mountain towns. I found a cafe in Argentiere I liked. There are two good bookstores, the peripheriques are amazing, and it is surprisingly nice to have a fast cable ride to the glacier.
I stayed in South Cham once, near the hospital, and the choppers brought down victims round the clock.
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RDB
Trad climber
Iss WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 16, 2009 - 07:48pm PT
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My ancient high school climbing buddy wants me to come over in the next few weeks and drag our sorry asses up this, the Eugster Direct:
With the avi conditions in Canada a complete mess and air fare cheap I'm sorely tempted.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:55pm PT
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Aye, Walleye.
You know the deal.
We don't need no stinkin' France. France can BITE ME!!!
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:58pm PT
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Awwwww! Roy.
Why you look almost like Sulu in that one?
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:59pm PT
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If you've got free time, the weather is decent, and you're healthy, what are you waiting for?
It's like Disneyland for alpinists.
Put it on a credit card. Take yr skis. Pay it off later. Then you can come back, post pix, and twist the knife.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:00pm PT
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haha.
I know Jay.
A simple wink doesn't translate so well in a photograph....
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:05pm PT
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hehe
I see the gang's all here.
'Better start posting up what you got Dane,
Before the boys start a ruckus, ... 'n spilling beer on the carpet.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:08pm PT
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Be nice to the French. They gave you your independence, the roots of your constitution, and the Statue of Liberty. And a bunch of other stuff.
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goatboy smellz
climber
dirty south
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:15pm PT
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...like French girls...and French kisses...
Go Dane GO!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:42pm PT
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The views we had from from Les Houches:
Hanging out at our petit chalet in Les Houches, (care of our buddy Kyle).
Stevie Haston, noted bad boy alpinist, giving me “the talk”……………
 “Ever done any real alpine climbing, chump?”
(actually, he called me *mate*)
* “Well, some gullllies in the Sierra, a bit of waterfall ice, um yah, Mount Rainier…”
“Yes well, chaps often get off the Midi Telepherique, set foot on to the ridge below and get blown clean off…”
And that was that.
Never had any real good weather anyhow.
Stevie after a night working over our considerable stash of red Burgundy:
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:45pm PT
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Is that anything like a cilley boy?
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RDB
Trad climber
Iss WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 16, 2009 - 08:56pm PT
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bad boy Stevie is back...
"Rob's just been in the shop singing the praises of his father-in-law the infamous Stevie Haston. It seems that Stevie did his first 8c+ yesterday, a route called "Descent en Enfer" at the Grotte de Sabart in Ariege (Pyrenees, France).
So as Stevie's part sponsored by V12 (he gets free coffee and anything else his other sponsors DMM and La Sportiva can't supply) we thought we should publicise this amazing feat. Not bad for a 52 year old grandad eh? There should be more in-depth accounts appearing on DMM and La Sportiva's websites, keep an eye out for them."
The Midi? We'd just got off the Eiger in '78 and stopped by Cham. for some "fun" cimbing. Stepped out of the tram and walked out the tunnel...I about SH#T me self, sat down to put on my 'pons just to get back on flat ground! We were humbled. Never been back. That has got to change.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 16, 2009 - 09:12pm PT
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 16, 2009 - 09:30pm PT
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 16, 2009 - 09:31pm PT
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I know Walleye,
The Mighty Tarbuster reduced to putting up scans of his effete postcard collection.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jan 16, 2009 - 09:33pm PT
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Sorry Yosemite chauvinists,
Chamonix is the:
World Capital of Alpinism and Skiing.
It says so right on the sign.
Brian Becker on the North Face of the Aiguille du Plan, 1976
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