There were about 3-4 people on the first lift who were not climbers
(10%)
06:25 Alps time 22:25 California time
We got to the top shortly before 7am.
Nearly everyone on the lift quickly left the building to go climbing,
leaving just a few guests wandering a multi-story facility.
I wandered all over taking pictures as quickly as I could, you never
know when the sunlight will disappear.
I then started re-taking all the same pictures, with slightly less
shadow since the sun was a little higher.
The later pictures were generally better with less shadow.
06:57 Alps time 22:57 California time
06:57 Alps time 22:57 California time
06:58 Alps time 22:58 California time
06:59 Alps time 22:59 California time
06:59 Alps time 22:59 California time
07:01 Alps time 23:01 California time
PANO - scroll right
07:02 Alps time 23:02 California time
07:13 Alps time 23:13 California time
07:14 Alps time 23:14 California time
07:15 Alps time 23:15 California time
07:28 Alps time 23:28 California time
07:29 Alps time 23:29 California time
07:29 Alps time 23:29 California time
07:29 Alps time 23:29 California time
07:29 Alps time 23:29 California time
PANO - scroll right
07:32 Alps time 23:32 California time
07:32 Alps time 23:32 California time
07:32 Alps time 23:32 California time
07:49 Alps time 23:49 California time
Eventually I ran out of pictures to take, so I took the grabbed a hot
chocolate and sat down for a few minutes to wait for 8am.
I wasn't the first on the lift over the France, but I was close enough.
The crossover was awesome.
They bring the cars to a full stop maybe 5 times for a few minutes so you can appreciate the surroundings.
08:05 Alps time 00:05 California time
08:05 Alps time 00:05 California time
08:06 Alps time 00:06 California time
You can see a tent in the shade below.
08:09 Alps time 00:09 California time
08:11 Alps time 00:11 California time
08:11 Alps time 00:11 California time
the tracks make it appear that some madman or manwomen took off alone
across a heavily crevassed section of the glacier...
08:13 Alps time 00:13 California time
08:13 Alps time 00:13 California time
08:15 Alps time 00:15 California time
PANO - scroll right
08:18 Alps time 00:18 California time
08:22 Alps time 00:22 California time
08:24 Alps time 00:24 California time
08:27 Alps time 00:27 California time
08:38 Alps time 00:38 California time
08:40 Alps time 00:40 California time
08:42 Alps time 00:42 California time
The crossover takes about 35 minutes total.
08:43 Alps time 00:43 California time
08:43 Alps time 00:43 California time
08:45 Alps time 00:45 California time
08:45 Alps time 00:45 California time
08:46 Alps time 00:46 California time
08:50 Alps time 00:50 California time
08:50 Alps time 00:50 California time
08:53 Alps time 00:53 California time
09:22 Alps time 01:22 California time
You can see the bottom of the Step Into the Void - the line was an hour, I couldn't believe it.
There's a similar skywalk on the Italian side, no line at 7am.
I didn't get any pictures of it or any of the rest of the interior of
Pointe Helbronner.
09:23 Alps time 01:23 California time
09:23 Alps time 01:23 California time
09:23 Alps time 01:23 California time
09:25 Alps time 01:25 California time
09:30 Alps time 01:30 California time
Eventually I'd seen everything I'd needed to see and got in line to go
down.
09:43 Alps time 01:43 California time
09:44 Alps time 01:44 California time
09:52 Alps time 01:52 California time
09:54 Alps time 01:54 California time
10:23 Alps time 02:23 California time
10:33 Alps time 02:33 California time
My next goal was to ride up Le Brévent on the other side of the valley
to get pictures of Mt Blanc in the afternoon sun.
10:42 Alps time 02:42 California time
10:42 Alps time 02:42 California time
10:42 Alps time 02:42 California time
11:16 Alps time 03:16 California time
from Le Brévent
11:31 Alps time 03:31 California time
Lunch at Le Brévent
11:41 Alps time 03:41 California time
13:01 Alps time 05:01 California time
13:05 Alps time 05:05 California time
PANO - scroll right
I spent hours watching the clouds slowly take over the horizon, and
eventually I went down to Chamonix to find a hotel room.
14:42 Alps time 06:42 California time
Hotel Alpina
Hotel Alpina sold me a room that was not ready... they promised to call
me when it was ready...
I waited for maybe 90 minutes before inquiring, finally said my room
was ready
Then they tried to put my on the first floor instead of the high floor
I'd been promised.
Finally I had my room...
16:22 Alps time 08:22 California time
16:40 Alps time 08:40 California time
My room at Hotel Alpina
16:41 Alps time 08:41 California time
View from my room at Hotel Alpina
Meanwhile, Kent solod Dom
Kent's pic
Kent's pic
Kent's pic
Here’s the murder scene right below the crux of the Dom rock step.
It’s
so pressure packed there in the morning.
There’s always a line and
filled with folks who don’t climb rock very well.
It’s where I backed
off last time.
I waited until most climbers were up it before I did it
easy this time.
Kent's pic
Kent's pic
Kent's pic
Dusty, with a pic of the Mischabel group in the distance: I saw you Kent!
14:54 Europe time 05:54 California time
Kent: I saw you too Dusty! Just got back down to hut
Kent: Freaking whipped
Kent: Super windy
Kent: Almost turned back at the same place
Kent: Waited an hour in freezing cold for all the inexperienced
people to flounder up
Kent: After that, it was no problem
Kent: I freaked a few climbers out by down climbing it at
the end of the tour
Kent: Good stuff
14:55 Europe time 05:55 California time
Dusty: Awesome Kent!
14:56 Europe time 05:56 California time
Kent: It was so windy at the top had to crawl the summit ridge
Kent: Couldn't stand up in the wind
Kent: Staying at Dom hut tonight and drinking beer
Kent: :)
15:07 Europe time 06:07 California time
Kent: Yea, it's about 200ft down from the top
Kent: The top was survival stuff with the high winds
Kent: I took a few up there, but not a calm day at 4500m
Kent: Looks like we both had a good day
Kent: Hey, as I was hiking down there remembered I forgot to say
happy b-day to you in saasfee
Kent: I'm late as usual
Kent: :)
Dusty: Christ thats an amazing picture Kent...
Dusty: Weisshorn on the right?
15:09 Europe time 06:09 California time
Kent: Yes Weisshorn on right, Matterhorn left and the others in the
middle
Kent: I'm glad I snagged Weisshorn in good condition
Kent: Didn't look good today
18:54 Europe time 09:54 California time
Dusty: Midi may be a bit cooler better than Helbronner, but i loved
Helbronner
Dusty: The crossover beats both by a mile, closest you get to a
moonwalk without being Kent
18:58 Europe time 09:58 California time
Dusty: Of course they intend for everyone to do the crossover twice,
not like i did :)
Dusty: 38 one way, 40 rt
Dusty: I spent the extra 2.
I wandered town and decided on Rose Du Pont, primarily because of the
view and the availability...
19:29 Alps time 11:29 California time
The foie gras..turned out to be a mistake, in more ways than one!
It did not taste great, but I foolishly ate it anyway.
19:29 Alps time 11:29 California time
19:58 Alps time 11:58 California time
The duck was fairly tough, not sure if it was the duck or the
preparation.
