Czech route and SBO

Already a couple of weeks have already passed by since returning from the Alps. The last week of my stay in Chamonix was pretty exciting! The weather forecast had predicted some good weather so Gabriel Mazur, Gustav Mellgren and me decided to go and have a look at the Droites NE face. We had heard that the Czech route had been in condition a month earlier so we we´re keen on trying that route out.

Party at Grand Montets

No stove needed for melting water

We headed up the Grand Montets with the last bin. It was the last day of the season before closing the lifts so there was a big party going on at mid and top station. We enjoyed the party for a while until the ski patrollers started to send down the party people.  In the end we were the only ones left and made ourselves ready for a night in the toilets. Luckily for us the staff of the Grand Montets had left the heating on especially for us. 

Early morning packing

At 2 a.m. we got up and after a ´´breakfast we started to make or way down onto the Argentiere glacier and up towards the Droites face.
It was already light when we arrived at the start of the route. Looking up conditions looked doable but it temperatures were already quite high. The first part of the route is all easy snow climbing so we made pretty good progress moving together. After a while we came to the first proper ice pitches. Gustav took the lead. By now there was quite a bit of ice coming down because of the warmth but nothing big so we continued.  For the hardest ice pitch it was my turn to lead. Al three of us were pretty skeptical because it was very warm and the ice was just dripping. I climbed up to take a look, it was obvious… time to turn around. 

first easy snow slopes

Gustav taking the lead

Bergschurnd crossing

We abseiled down and had a great ski out, we all agreed on the fact that summer was officially here.

The Days after the climb it was testing time.  Already a year ago I got accepted to the Swedish mountain guide course SBO. Unfortunately back then there we only three of us that got in so they decided to postpone the course with a year.
We had 3 days on which we got tested on rock climbing, Ice climbing and skiing. It all went well for me and coming winter me and 7 others will start the course. I am already excited!