Shock, Horror…I’ve had to Pay !

Well the threatened hailstorm didn’t arrive overnight,in fact as the night wore on, the sky became much clearer, with a great show of stars for me to gaze up at (from bed, I was tired !), and a good nights sleep up the mountain, with just birdsong to accompany me !

I was up bright and early, as there were thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon, so I wanted to get my climbing done before lunch…not early enough though, since my last visit here, they’ve opened a ‘Caisse’, where I had to pay 5.20$ to use the Via Ferrata, not bad considering it’s my 3rd visit here (and I’ve had overnight parking !)

By 9 a.m. I was off, kitted up and ready to do the Via Ferrata Baus de la Frema, lots of different sections, some harder than others, and some Very Hard – I didn’t intend doing those !

I had a cuckoo to accompany me, singing somewhere in the trees, as I climbed the path towards the start of the route,then there it was, staring at me…the hole into the unknown, …or terror !

I climbed up and through it, to see down below me in the valley, a Himalayan rope bridge, stretched between two towers , which I was to climb soon …making my way around to the foot of the first Aguille, I climbed the snaking route around it, and up to the top, and without stopping shot across the rope bridge (before I could frighten myself!)- it’s easy, once you’ve done it !

Then around to quite a tricky section, which I decided was too hard for me, with a lot of overhangs, and so I went to a differing section to its side, and climbed that instead, that was tricky enough, with what’s described as an ‘airy position’ – it means you’ve got a lot of distance beneath you !- I just didn’t look down, not until I’d got to the top …

then up and over another ‘airy’ ridge, towards the hardest part – La Balme, around the big cave (grotte) , I picked the easier route, which was up to the right of the cave, and over the top of it, what I’d forgotten was that there’s a ladder to climb, above the cave top, and which you have to climb facing outwards…

looking down into the valley, as you climb up backwards…leaning backwards,  and of course get your pack stuck as you come to the top of it,and the accompaniment of crashes of thunder just as I was getting to the top of it !- the storm must be arriving.. I got up to the top of this section, then saw a Pont de Singe rope bridge to climb across between rock sections, I had to do it, or I’d be frightened next time, soon skipped over it and up and over the last ridge, where, with the rain coming down, and the thunder crashing I decided to call it a day..and run down to the car park and Wally, for a welcome lunch…wash,cup of tea, and deciding what to do next…I’d done a good days climbing with a 540 mts height gain, and no injuries !- well a few cuts..that was on the way down !

The cash office had closed, and no one else had been on the route whilst I was there, although a couple were setting off as I arrived back at the car park at almost 1-30 p.m., and another couple set off later… so what to do now, or where to go ?

I decided to stay in the afternoon thunderstorms, and settled down for a read,accompanied by thunder and lightning…and later some great starry skies, brilliant – with the sky flashing (don’t know why ?) and shooting stars.. what more could I ask (Northern Lights ??)

Bonne Nuit