The Ones That Got Away

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The Ones That Got Away Greg Aimer Early starts are the province of the morning light. Roped up and mountaineers. Arriving at Les boots trussed in crampons, we Houches as early as possible, we crossed a snowfield and began to found the telepherique station climb a relatively straightforward closed. Since our arrival in the rock ridge. The rock was covered valley, the telepheriques had in fresh powder snow and was fairly departed at regular intervals to a exposed. We felt that Mt Blanc point 800 metres up the mountain, might not be as easy as some had but now they had ceased business suggested. until next season. Winter had officially begun. Thus began an After several hours of belayed attempt on Mt Blanc, Europe's climbing up the 700 met tres of ridge highest peak. I set the final belay off the porch of a gigantic aluminium hut which We blanched and staggered up overhung into space. The Refuge through the pine forest leading de 1'Aiguille de Goûter (3817 m) from the village. Eventually we was massive by our alpine standards broke onto the ridge where the and indicated the numbers of people telepherique cables ended - and who climb in the Mt Blanc range. found the tracks of a cogged railway. In our amusement we After a brief one day storm, the ambled along the tracks and weather cleared. Donned in many continued past the last station layers, we cramponed off just after higher on the mountain. Forest first light and headed towards the gave way to scrub and scrub to distant dome of Mt Blanc. The bare rock. Patches of snow clung views were spectacular, looking to to the shadows. The shadows the valley floor 2500 metres below lengthened and we rested amid a with a studded ring of granite glorious sunset in an abandoned spires castellating the immediate cabin. skyline. The climbing began in earnest in Roped together, we passed through

Claire on Mt Blanc. L'Aiguille de Bionnassay behind. several minor crevassed areas and Turning from the mountain we faced up the moderate slopes of the Dome the glacier systems below, de Goûter, a 4304 m bump. tormented by their end of season aridness. The choice of the ridge, The summit ridge of a neighbouring now covered in deeper powder, was peak, Aiguille de Bionnassay, was the only realistic route down. spectacularly lit by the rising Being out of the wind was a relief sun - a massive shark's tooth. although sweat soaked our heavily The cloud base below isolated us clad bodies. The rope didn't jam from the world and we felt often and we made a quicker exhilarated at being so high. descent than I thought we might. Down from the mountains, the Our progress was fairly slow. The weather deteriorated rapidly. altitude was definitely affecting Our campsite outside of Chamonix our abilities to walk for long was blanketed in snow. Winter without rest. As we passed over had really arrived. Climbing was the Dome de Goûter we ran into the over for us. lower sections of a jet stream passing over Mt Blanc. The summit Having had our fill of sightseeing, was only one km away but the air we jetted home to New Zealand. temperature was below -20°C. Hands were freezing inside layers Here, our immediate intentions were of gloves. We made hard going of to continue our holiday. Heading it up to the next point - a small south, we camped up the Awatere bivvy tuçked off the side of the River, at the confluence of the beginnings of the summit ridge at Hodder River, the "gateway" to the 4360 m. Climbing through the Inland Kaikouras. The approach to entrance we were unable to fully the mountains involves up to 80 unthaw. The winds were sending crossings of the Hodder, a snow-fed huge plumes of snow off the summit. river which raged waist high We considered it judicious to turn through its upper gorge. High back - not being sufficiently traverses involve gorse and equipped for the extremely low matagouri grovels so we kept to the temperatures. water.

The first goal was Mt Tapuaenuku The exposure was brilliant and the (2885m) the highest peak in the West Coast was blue sparkling. The range. We reached the upper extra effort appeared disproportionbasins in Staircase Creek before ate to the results and so shrugging striking snow. our shoulders we edged off the ridge and back down the easy slopes. Coming into the couloir that leads to the upper ridges, the snow was The real goal was Aspiring. We crisp and crampons bit the surface. crossed the valley, and from French The summit ridge was covered in Ridge Hut were faced with a snow, sludgy from the early brilliant morning. Disarmed by the summer's sun and so we roped up reasonably stable weather, we for the last 100 metres. From the gathered our packs and crossed the summit, ranges of snow capped peaks Breakaway and the Bonar Glacier to to the west and the Seaward Colin Todd Hut (cries of doom as he Kaikouras to the east poked their writes in We shared heads above a thick cloud base that retrospect). extended from far north. the hut with two others, John and Malcolm. Mt Alarm is the sister peak of In the evening strange cloud Tapaenuku and only just a junior formations appeared over Aspiring. partner. Emerging from another The valley mist lifted higher and dark night, we headed back up began to enshroud the glacier. We Staircase Creek again. The summit were disconcerted at the thought of ridge already had sun on it at the weather breaking but also some- 6.30 am and our hopes of finding what disbelieving. good snow were somewhat dampened when we finally climbed out of the I stuck my nose out of the door at shadows. The ridge was composed 4 am and there seemed to be stars of soft snow and weetbix. Travel about. All four of us dressed and was slow and felt most unstable. brewed ready for a SW ridge attempt. The rope provided few feelings of Stepping out of the hut again was a security as Claire belayed from rude shock. Mist billowed about large buckets cut in the snow. and cold winds cut the skin. The The final 100 m became steeper and snow was completely unfrozen - the more exposed. The snow was sliding weather completely changed. on its ice base. Gazing about at Abandoning the climb, we pit bashed the familiar landscape, we decided the day away . . and the next day to chuck the last 30 metres and with : and the next and the next bated breath began the descent. On the fourth day of blizzard, The sun was hot and the going a whiteout and sub-zero temperatures, treacherous slog. food rationing began in earnest. It was barely possible to stand Deciding Aspiring was a promising outside in the lashing northoption, we drove further south. westerly gale. Boredom grew as the Mounted by 15 day packs we struggled book supply was exhausted, the food up to Aspiring Hut and, leaving some supply eaten and card games became surplus gear behind, took the steep repetitious. On the morning of the route up to Liverpool Bivvy. seventh day began a serious attempt at escape. Aspiring and the peaks The weather was poor for two days of the Bonar occasionally peered but the third was excellent. We through the cloud. The going was scurried into the early morning and a slog through deep powder rifts. up the straightforward ridges Heading over the Quarter Deck, we leading to Mt Barff (2243 m). found a way through slopes After climbing onto the SE ridge, potentially crevassed and tip-toed brilliant views of Aspiring, off the ice down to French Ridge and Avalanche and Rob Roy stopped us in back down valley to the cars. our tracks. The SW ridge of Aspiring was a tantalising sight. High winds destroyed much of the As we got closer to the top, the rest of the 1982 season, wind climbing came up, quickly reaching bowlespecially at Mt Cook. The total over force in gusts. The ridge to for the season stood at one ascent the summit was heavily corniced and and four that got away. The appeared to be a 60° waist deep mountains remained unpredictable swim. The whole edifice seemed and their challenge remains. remarkably unstable. To go on ?