Felt like winter in Chamonix...so we left, in total contrast
love being welcomed by the warmth, colours, vibrancy and soul of Verdon
in autumn. Here looking across the plateaux perched above the Lake when
we arrived few nights ago
Brilliant day working a super classic hard route with new friend Ivan
Hanging out ;-)
After a summer in the mountains on granite & dolomiti,
slowly adjusting back to limestone, here on typical compact and
puzzle-like Verdon Gris, a fun day easing our fingers and toes back into
gouttes d'eau. Paula's down there on a pillar in blue and aqua
View from the Durandal abseil line and lots of autumn colours
Abseil approach, on the way down "Massacre à
la Tronçoneuse", stunning exposure. Sitting atop Massacre earlier we
heard voices near the finish of 'La Demande' and saw a group looking
over the rim, one body shape seemed familiar from behind (dont ask me
how), then that big and slightly goofy smile shone back at us with a
wave, Honnold is checking out Verdon with a camera crew, suspect he's
not here to do the 6b/+ we're on haha.
Down at the 'Luna Bong' juniper tree on abseil approach,
beautiful setting, a little intimidating!! Looking down 'Luna Bong', and
over to 'Nécronomicon',...Im not ready yet...
Paula throwing the ropes at Luna Bong
Abseiling down Luna Bong looking at all that incredible and blank'ish rock just before going over the roof...
My best friend AND favourite climbing partner
😉 atop 'Massacre a la Tronconneuse' with cool views to the world class
Tom et Je Ris.
Dropping in to Jardin Mediane,
oranges...browns...oh...there's a roof...gulp...it gets steep and blank
under that...am I going to be able to climb back out? 📷@paularyan2014
One of the things I love to do after finishing a climb in
Verdon, is a recce of a new sector/climb to stoke the psyche for future
adventures, here looking down the chute of "le Toboggan de la Mort" 6c+
250m and the smooth single pitch "Tanti Auguri"
Not bad this cliff....
Crossing the Verdon river to climb on the Paroi du Duc, we managed to avoid all the steep stuff!!
Cave woman soaking up some gorge atmosphere mid route at a comfy belay station on Cat so Angry. Foreground is a Griffon Vulture nest, they nest Jan-Aug so chicks should be airbourne by now!!
So photogenic round here ...sadly her least
favourite movement, traversing,...how about downclimbing as a second
& traversing...probably best not to repeat her comment on that
one...
A recce of the super classic Pichenibule line today, a left leaning diagonal from the ground to the rim "a masterpiece of routefinding" from the late 70s - 300m 6c+ & A0 or 7c...follow the grey in the sunlight from the ground, to the Jardin Ecuriels, then traverse out left and up from the Jardin diagonally to above the yellow scar through the smooth and steep and airy and blank looking crux pitche(s), to the final glory pitch to the rim
Scenes from days out on multi-pitch
sunrise...should be a big day today...best laid plans didn't work out so just a medium day in the end...
There she goes, questing up the grey pockets on the sharp end in sector Eycharme pitch 3
Working our way up a beautiful line in sector Eycharme, here on a smooth vertical pocketed grey pillar on P4 / 6c
Its getting cold...lets go to Spain!!!
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