The Hills are Alive..with the Zip of Jotown

I’d travelled through Nice and Cannes (where the film festival was opening that evening – I decided not to attend!), away from the coast, up over several mountain passes, before arrive in a mountain village called Tende http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tende , a quite prosperous village from the look of it (well, the climbing shop certainly mad money out of me!), and a museum containing the ‘Merveilles’ museum http://www.cg06.fr/cms/annexes/merveilles/w_musee_merveilles/w_merveilles_uk/html/start.html , and stayed on the Municipal campsite there , with great views up into the mountains, and a river gushing by , and with the good weather I was ready for some climbing… I’d rented a special pulley, http://www.karstsports.com/petp21tancab.html  so I could do the Tyrolean traverses, which are on several of them – I’d decided to rent, and if I enjoyed the experience, I’d buy one – what do you think I ended up doing ?

So, I set off from the village climbing up into the Rochers de Saint-Saveur,which I would be having, doing the Via ferrata des Comtes Lascaris http://viaferratafr.free.fr/via-ferrata.php?via=41 , named after the medieval Lords of the Region, the views down into the village and valley, in the early morning sunshine were spectacular, the village being quiet for Ascension Day, a holiday, with not much evidence of people flocking to Church !

As I got to the cemetery , the faint track went up into the fields, and subsequently ( I thought) the hillside above, and there then followed a bit of ‘bushwhacking’ through gorse, and tress on a steep hillside, before I eventually ended up at the correct start point, surprising 3 people who had come up the correct path ! Fortunately they seemed to be a couple and a guide, who would be able to lead the way for me, as their were two options ,and I would be taking the easier,although still difficult one – the ‘new’ me ?Then I was off, climbing up the route above, onto the fairly steep rocks, just keeping the other climbers in the distance, giving me some confidence – I’d not done any climbing since last years fall, and I was slightly  ‘hesitant’ (as you may guess!). I was soon climbing quite well, up,around,and over the rocks,  and then being faced with a Himalayan bridge to cross, which with a little stop, breath…and movement I was soon over, climbing up into ruined chapels, and buildings on the top of the rocks ! and then, my first sighting, of a Tyrolean Traverse, which I was going to have to overcome – fortunately the guide was still there, instructing the couple, and I was able to confirm my thoughts as to how to do it !, and then it was my turn to ‘have a go’, connected up the pulley, and all my other safety devices (not many), let go and Whoooosh…I zipped down the cable at a fast acceleration, zooming down the wire with the sound of the pulley wheels spinning round, and soon I was down…relieved, but happy !

So, down into the village I then went, finding the correct path on my way down , straight to the climbing shop, and purchased the pulley, and some other essentials which the guide said would be better for me, to protect my equipment, lunch at the campsite, short breather,then back up to do it all again ! I’d decided that as I now knew where to go, I should try it again, to build up my confidence and strength !

I soon climbed out of the village, found the correct path (the sign helped !) , got all my gear on, and set off up and around the rocks again, still deciding to take the safer option, rather than a big overhanging route !  and once again moving quite well around the rocks, and over the tops, quickly marching over the long Himalayan bridge again, by now it was windy, so it was swinging around quite a lot, and soon I was confronted by the Tyrolean traverse wires, and with no one to check, I sorted it all out myself, and off I shot….Whoooooosh, really fast the new pulley was really zipping along, and I wondered how I was going to stop, without crashing into the wall opposite… I did manage it, although something to be worked on, I had to use my legs as shock absorbers !

Another successful climb done,and all that now remained was to have a wander down into the village, look around the churches and local sights, and back to camp for a good nights sleep – ready for the next days climbs !

Bonne Nuit !