It's been a challenging week in the Alps, dodging weather and searching for good conditions (not the first time a blog has started with that sentence this summer!) A wet walk to Vignettes on Monday paid off though, with perfect conditions on the Éveque traverse on Tuesday, while other teams had a great day on the Pigne-Cheilon traverse (the new Pas de Chevres ladders are now open and a big improvement)
Airy climbing on the Éveque SW ridge
We drove round to Moiry on Wednesday for the Pointes de Mourti, which left Friday and a mixed forecast to end the week. Cragging down the valley or gamble on the weather for a last mountain route? We gambled and at first it looked like we'd lost - on the long climb to the Dent de Veisivi the clouds rolled in and it started to snow! Despite a few heavy flurries the rock stayed (just) dry enough to climb, and we appreciated the irony of climbing in fresh snow on August the 15th - mid-summer festival day in Evolene!
The Petite Dent de Veisivi looking moody in the cloud.
The sun came out!
Fine positions, good rock and great climbing make the Petite Dent de Veisivi one of the the Arolla valley classics, despite the brutal walk-in. Climbing starts at the col by the snow patch, top right of the picture.
The descent is a fine, if short, PD+ climb on steep, juggy rock.
A glance up the valley this morning showed overnight snow down to around 2600m...
