I think the only way to describe this summer is wet. It seems like we haven’t really had more than a handfull of really good weather days to play with so for me getting out and doing the routes I really wanted to do this summer has been quite hard.
However, every cloud has a silver lining and with all this wet weather the mountains have been looking very white which is a good sign for the coming autumn. So rather than worring about what I haven’t been able to do I have been training and enjoying the time when I have made it up out of the valley.
I have really be concentrating on training to get in shape for the Autumn which is soon upon us. This has involved some rock climbing, a few day’s mixed climbing, lots of running up hills and drytooling.
I did manage to head up with my friends Jon Griffith and Ben Briggs for what ended up being the Kuffner Ridge on Mont Maudit. The originall plan was to climb the north face of the Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey and continue up the upper peuterey ridge to Mont Blanc, but it was too warm in the morning to cross safely under the Brenva serac’s so we headed up the Kuffner instead.
I had spent a few nights up high prior to this so felt good. I used the oppertunity to see how fast could do it. It was awesome going back to this route by myself and I was pleased when I got to summit of Mont Blanc 3h15mins after leaving the hut. I neglected to take any photo’s but Jon got some really good shots of Ben that morning. Check them out here…
After this me and a few mates managed to bust down to Finale for a few days climbing in the sun. It was a super fun trip with really good company. Thanks Dunc, Josh, Josh, Sam, Mo and Henry.
I had a little difficulty with my harness because we hadn't been doing much climbing recently. I managed to head up to the Col du Midi with Kev Avery. We messed about on some mixed pitches on the Peroux gully and German gully and finsihed up with a pleasant simul-solo of the Arete des Cosmiques.
Kev Avery. Not your average primary school teacher. 
Crux of the Cosmiques Arete. 
I have been doing lots of drytooling this summer with all the wet weather. So that’s it for now. I Not a huge amount to report but the weather look’s like its going to be improving over the next few weeks so hopefully I can get on something big soon. In the meantime more training. I only have one month left of work so bring on the autumn I say.