Ecrins (the first post of many)

I've just got back from a week in Ecrin, France. I've been happily clipping bolts and climbing massive mountain routes in beautiful locations. Time passed too quickly out there, even though it feels like I've been gone for a month and now I'm back I just want to be away again. Life is simpler in a tent.

I can't seem to get over how big the Alps are. Even though where we were staying was higher than Snowdon (and higher than Ben Nevis in fact) the peaks were still towering above us. Everything natural seems bigger but all the human impacts (like towns, buildings, roads and people) seem so much smaller. It's a very humbling place to be, I guess you can realize how small you really are there. 

The climbing has been immense. We only went for long rock routes with no glacial approaches. This was for a few reasons. Soames has little ice experience and I although I've got some winter experience, I've not experience on glaciers. Also it meant that approaches could be done in trainers not big boots, and ice tools and crampons could be leave in a box under the bed (till the winter season returns!) thus meaning a smaller lighter pack. I actually used my little lowe alpine crag attack all week. With enough cramming and judicious deciding of what to actually carry it all fitted, and I was able to climb with it.

Actually the whole trip was immense. From driving for long hours, to dealing with the heat to enjoying a cold grande biere after each day. One of the amazing things was how many people we spoke to, and who made the effort to come over and speak to us. It wasn't like being in England where people seem to be confined to their own little groups and corrals of tents at the weekend. There was a vastly different atmosphere about the whole place. On top of all this we learned loads. We learnt little things that would make life a little easier and big things that would change the way we approached climbing bolted mountain rock.


It was a good trip.