Hey all.

I just got back from a trip to Patagonia (sadly no mountaineering, just hiking), and started using Windguru.

I found it pretty thorough.

Does anyone have experience with it in the Alps?

I'm thinking of using it as a main / secondary weather forecast in combination with local ones.

Thanks!

I was mainly doing mixed terrain with singing rock bandits but quite frankly they are shit..

Hey guys,

I am interested in your long term experience with the Samaya 2.0 tent.under which conditions did you use it?What were your experiences with this tent?

Hi guys!!

I recently bought Mammut duncan boa low gtx boots to hike. I actually love them however I have been wondering lately if the boa system on this model can be used counterclockwise to losen the strings. I have seen that this is possible with some boa systems and wanted to know if any expert knows if that is also the case for this model.

And if it really is possible to loosen the strings turning the system counterclockwise, is it easy to turn or does the system offer a bit of resistence? Wondering in case you guys say it is possible and I turn it and it offers resistence and I break them hahahahs.

Thank you!!!

Has anyone had any experience with their gore tex pants? And are they on par with hardshells from other brands?

Hi! I’m asking here and advice on how to dress warmer this winter. I’m asking here because this clothing must be somewhat dual purpose: climbing/alpinism and everyday. I do really have very few social occasions outside of climbing/alpinism and working settings (where I absolutey have no need to dress up since I mostly use a working uniform).

So the main requirements are:

• fabric/whole garment durability
• bright colors are ok but no flashy/overly technical appearance
• climbing/alpinism and everyday usage
• I run colder than most people
• in my region we now have temps that goes near 0C/32F in the valleys and will likely touch -10C/14F in the coming months

Current clothing system that I use daily:

• Patagonia Thermal Weight bottoms

• BD Forged Denim pants

• Patagonia Thermal Weight zip neck (or other brands similar items)

• Patagonia R1 (or other brands similar items)

• Arc’teryx Atom AR (2019 model) that seems to have lost some warmth

• TNF beanie

Now, keeping in mind the requirements, what would you change to boost warmth? I might upgrade my fleece with something far more heavier (i like this option because fleeces if cared well can last decades without significant loss of warmth and they can be more useful in fall and spring). Another option would be to change my Atom with something heavier. What about pants? Maybe I should upgrade to a softshell….

So I decide to choose between this two manufacturer.

1. HMG is porter 70/80 liters. Halka 70 or Ice pack. Reading reviews a try to understand cons and pros. What is more comfortable for more weight cargo?
2. Cilogear 45 l worksack. Thinking about this volume because it is possible expand to 75 liters. But 70 liter worksack price is almost 1k. Too much

Does HMG have cargo load straps?

In this post, I would like to share with you some history of the Alpinist Gaston Rébuffat and his vision of climbing The Six Great North Faces of the Alps. The information I gathered in this post is based on multiple internet sources, so if you see any inaccuracies or missing information, please let me know by sending a direct message.

What is a North Face?

For those unknown to the term North Face, it basically refers to the Northern side of a mountain, which receives the least, or no sunlight at all, of all faces on a day, assuming the mountain lies in the Northern Hemisphere. Due to being mostly in the shade, these faces are a lot colder and thus have a lot more potential to create and maintain a frozen layer between the rocks and/or create glaciers. This proces is also referred to as glaciation. This frozen layer keeps the mountain from falling apart, resulting in much steeper faces. These steep faces are as a result much harder to climb than the rumbled South faces and the cold and low amount of light doesn't soften the climbing conditions either.

Overview

Basically, the Six Great North Faces of the Alps consist of:

• The Matterhorn, first North Face ascend in August 1931 by the brothers Toni and Franz Schmidt from Bavaria.

https://preview.redd.it/kc6o0vzqbu3e1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=1225c25e5c575b1d6d2b21c917a3639c9f12aaa5

• Cima Grande di Laverdo, first North Face ascend in 1933 by Emilio Comici from Italy.

https://preview.redd.it/kkvi0ojrbu3e1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=1a4b3cda8727dc78e615091ab0d52a45b5b6a8cb

• Petit Dru or Les Drus, first North Face ascend in 1935 by Pierre Allain and Robert Leininger from France and the UK (unsure).

https://preview.redd.it/gssjbw4sbu3e1.png?width=649&format=png&auto=webp&s=c000bbba81a4e2c0293ac31f18c4310351d683a7

• Piz Badile, first North Face ascend in 1937 by the legendary Ricardo Cassin (founder of the Cassin company) together with Vittorio Ratti, Gino Esposito, Mario Molteni and Giuseppe Valsecchi, all from Italy.

https://preview.redd.it/wh1tuhgtbu3e1.png?width=540&format=png&auto=webp&s=54930c7fdcd63f661186fa078c145b8cbaa89909

• The Eiger, first North face ascend in 1938 by Anderl Heckmar (Germany), Heinrich Harrer (Austria), Fritz Kasparek (Austria), and Ludwog Vörg (German).

https://preview.redd.it/m8sgda1ubu3e1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=ad7aa89e5e435ccad8276e4287064c7fabd1495f

• The Grandes Jorasses, first North face ascend in 1938 by Ricardo Cassin, Luigi 'Gino' Esposito and Ugo Tizzoni, all from Italy.

https://preview.redd.it/hemhmwjubu3e1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=1531cb2923246713e8f83686658a0748fa41c360

These North faces are generally considered to be one of the hardest North Faces in the Alps. Especially the Matterhorn, the Eiger, and the Grandes Jorasses are notorious for being extremely difficult and are also referred to as the North Face Trilogy.

Gaston Rébuffat's vision of climbing the Six Great North Faces

As mentioned in the previous section, all of these North Faces were first ascend in the 1930's, back when climbing equipment was still relatively unreliable and people died quite regularly trying to accomplish these great feats. The name Mordwand or Murderwall on the Eiger really does it's name justice since more than 60 people have died on this face alone since 1938.

More than 20 years after the Matterhorn North Face was first ascend, the French Alpinist Gaston Rébuffat was the first person to ever climb all the Six Great North faces of the Alps, finalizing his climbs in 1952. Together with his team, he documented his journey in a film he published in 1954, which he called Etoiles et Tempêtes, roughly translating to Stars and Storms.

https://preview.redd.it/po7yrsdvbu3e1.png?width=683&format=png&auto=webp&s=7fe5c90ffacf561f324070d5837b837f73fc35cd

Gaston started climbing at age 14 and at age 17, in the summer of 1938, he made a first attempt at the North Face of the Grandes Jorasses, right after the first ascend by Cassin's team. Unfortunately, he was not successful due to poor weather conditions. It was only until 1945 before he tried again, and this time he succeeded with the assistance of Édouard Frendo. The following year, he successfully guided another mountaineer called René Mallieux op the North Face of Petit Dru. In 1948 he attempted Piz Badile together with another client, Bernard Pierre, and although they had to endure a harsh lightning storm, they reached the summit the following day. In 1949 he climbed the Matterhorn North Face twice, together with Raymond Simond and together with the Italian guide Gino Soldà, he climbed the Cima Grande di Laverdo in the Dolomites. The only challenge was the Eiger North Face.

On July 27, 1952, Gaston started his climb of the Eiger North Face together with Paul Habran, Guido Magnone, Pier Leroux, and Jean Brunaud. They made quick progress, but after the Hinterstoisser traverse, the progress slowed down at the Ice Hose, right underneath the Karl Max Bivouac. This was due to another team consisting of Hermann Buhl and Sepp Jochler moving considerably slower than Gaston's team and not letting them pass easily. This however didn't stop Gaston and his companions and at 6 o'clock in the afternoon, 2 days after they started climbing, they successfully reached the summit.

Gaston's Legacy

Gaston climbed many other great mountains until he passed away in 1985 due to cancer. He has a record of over 1200 climb graded the difficulty level D or higher. Although he never got further than high school, he became a foremost mountaineering writer and editor at the Alpinism column in the Paris Daily, Le Monde. He also directed other movies, apart Etoiles et Tempêtes, like Flammes De Pierres and Les Horizons Gagnés. But above being a great climber, many also saw him as an extraordinary human and great family man.

Many great alpinists have climbed the Six Great North Faces since Gaston. Most noticeably Leo Schlömmer who was the first one to do them in one year, Tom Ballard being the first one to climb them all solo in one winter and Dani Arnold who has the record of having the fastest solo ascend time (with currently the exception of the Eiger North Face, which Ueli Steck broke a couple years after Dani set the record in 2015).

https://preview.redd.it/nps98z8wbu3e1.png?width=950&format=png&auto=webp&s=34cafd12129c2e112369320e59ccd49289a5e536

Sources

Six North Faces of the Alps: Matterhorn - Glenmore Lodge

UKC Articles - The Six Classic North Faces Of The Alps

The North Faces of the Alps - Jussi Haikka

AAC Publications - Gaston Rébuffat, 1921-1985

Gaston Rébuffat: Poet of the summits and exceptional mountaineer

Gaston Rébuffat | Chamonix Guides

Gaston Rébuffat - IMDb

Gaston Rébuffat (Author of Starlight and Storm)

Hello. I want buy backpack Hyperlote mountain Gear Halka 70. Or maybe ice pack?

I like that hip belt is removable. Is there someone who can give review about this backpack. Also north face cobra 65 look interesting. But in the shop they told me that it’s winter backpack. Back has no any ventilation. Just foam.

Or maybe you can give an advice what backpack where is else with removable belt. I want removable belt because less weight when I will go to mountain from camp.

As the title say which month of winter/early spring has the most favorable weather for a high altitude ascent. I'm well equipped and prepared, with a good experience in -25°c weather. I'm planning on climbing a couple of peaks in the Alps including Mont Blanc.

This is a rarely climbed route in mt.sannine and there is hardly any info about it but it is said to be pretty steep. So from this picture do you guys think 2 ice axes are enough or should i add belaying and pitches? (also it is zoomed in so it looks less steep than it actually is)

Hello. I don't know if anyone has already asked something on this topic, I'm new here. I hope you don't mind. I'm wondering if anyone has climbed Dufourspitze from Capanna Margherita? and back. What does the route look like? What can I expect? In what month did you climb and what were the conditions? Is it difficult to book accommodation in Margherita? looking forward to hear your experiences, thanks for every answer in advance.

to get ahead of you, I have experience. I know the importance of acclimatization and preparation for the climb, I'm interested in your experiences

Bonjour, j’aimerais votre avis sur ces trois chaussures, en excluant la notion de prix Scarpa ribelle tech 3 La sportive aequelebrium speed gtx Mammut eiger speed high gtx

Je cherches une chaussure plutôt polyvalente et rapide, que je pourrais emmener dans des sorties mixtes, que ce soit sur rocher, glacier ou en neige. Pas besoin d’une chaussure conçue pour des températures extrême mais qui soit suffisamment chaude tout de même.

Hello all,

In the first week of December I will be back in Chamonix with a fiend and I am looking for advice from locals/experienced climbers on what could be some safe winter climbs//low peaks/hikes to do.
(I read that Midi is closed till 21st of December?)

Team Experience:
- Alpinism: Medium (on the weekend warrior spectrum)
- Climbing: Both comfortable leading single/multi 6b with climbing shoes, 5+ in crampons
-Crevasses: Low experience, but we have the gear...

We will have all the climbing, mountaineering gear with us. Also we have a car, so if you remember something in the Alps (not only cham) please feel free to mention it.

Thanks in advance

Hi all,

I would appreciate some advice for a trip to the Cordillera Blanca in Peru in June next year. We are planning a few unguided ascents of some of the peaks up to around 5700m or so. Nevado Mateo, Vallunaraju, Pisco and the like.

My question is this: are double boots a strict requirement? My feet are (almost) never cold and I have a pair of Mammut Kento's that have good insulation and are pretty warm (been down to -20 celsius in them but never at altitude) and a pair of La Sportiva G Techs which I will use in the Alps this winter for the first time.

Would either of these work? Would one be better than the other? Advice from anybody who has been there would be appreciated!

I'm looking for a tent whose primary purpose will be a "short-term" basecamp up to about 4000m altitude, for 2-3 people. I'm thinking up to 5-7 days spent camping on a glacier or in the mountains while doing day hits rock or alpine climbing - e.g. on the mer de glace, bugaboos, wind rivers etc. Not expecting to do proper expeditions from this (e.g. living in it for weeks), but something that could work for a night or two before/after a route for 3 people, or a longer stint for 2. Budget aside I'm looking for interesting balances between size/weight/durability - obviously having multiple tents for different occasions is simplest, but one tent which works at least OK for everything would be better.

While I have a 2 person tent that works fine in these environments, ideally something larger provides more space to hang out when the weather is bad, or room for gear, cooking etc. in vestibules, and something light makes packing it in/out or even climbing with it possible. I've looked at the Samaya 2.5, MSR Access 3, and some Hilleberg options. Anyone have experience with these specific tents, or can recommend something you use for similar trips?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a jacket that can fill the role that my old Arcteryx Nuclei AR filled for me:

- Windproof, breathable and highly water resistant (doesn't have to be waterproof)
- Good synthetic insulation
- Packable

Thank you for your help!

Hello everyone, has anyone took some ice climbing courses in Norway and/or Chamonix? I'm looking for some advice.

Thank you!!

Hello!

I’m currently deciding between crampons and I’m interested in hearing the opinions of climbers about the Elderid Shark crampons. What do you think of them? Are they worth purchasing, or would you recommend a different brand?

Thank you for your help!

Have You used them? I ve read a lot of reviews, and most of them described those boots as a perfect fit for me. Nevertheless I have seen a few reviews that pointed out the bad durability. I want to know some of the users experience. Also, do You think they are good for >4000m in alps in summer, or it’d be an overkill?

Looking for suggestions of routes to do in the Alaskan range next summer. I have experience multi pitch alpine rock and ice, my aerobic fitness is very good. I would prefer to do something technical rather than just snow climbing. I’ve heard ham and eggs and west ridge of Hunter are good introductions to the Ruth gorge, anyone have input on these two?

Preferably shorter due to my lack of a large budget. I know west butt will have the best infrastructure of anything else in the Alaskan range but I likely can’t afford to do anything on Denali, besides Denali seems too ambitious for a first trip.

Hi there!

This winter will be my first on skis after ~ 25 years of snowboarding and split boarding. I'm switching because my main winter pursuit is alpine climbing and I've progressed to the point where still not knowing how to ski is a glaring and massively limiting gap in my skillset.

I typically start new sports with dirt cheap gear and get nicer stuff once I've got a season or two of experience using the junk stuff. But I have been good this year--and I randomly stumbled across a bunch of discount coupons for Salomon, Atomic, Volkl, Armada, Rossignol, and DPS.

I plan to use these skis as a way to get to and from both single and multi day alpine/ice climbing objectives in Colorado and the PNW. I figure that skinny, light skis will deposit me at the base of my climbs earlier in the day and fresher in the legs. But I don't want to buy skis that are above my pay grade. Taking my lack of experience into account, I'm wondering how far toward the "skimo" side of the spectrum I should go. For what its worth--I'm 29 years old, 6 ft tall, and 175lbs.

My questions are many but these are a few of them:

• What width would best balance uphill efficiency with downhill usability for a beginner skier?
• How does a heavy pack typically affect the uphill/downhill experience on skis? Should this influence my choice of ski considering I typically carry a fair amount of rope, ice tools, rock protection, etc?
• Are tech bindings (pin bindings) the clear choice for this type of skiing, or are there hybrid options I should consider that would be easier to use when first starting out? I should account for being a sh*t--I mean type one--skier when mounting my bindings and adjusting my DIN setting, right?
• How critical is it to pair skis with boots that match a certain stiffness or flex profile for a first-timer like me? Any specific boot recommendations?
• Are there specific models among the brands listed above (Salomon, Atomic, Volkl, Armada, Rossignol, DPS) that you'd suggest I look into?

Finally, I'd really appreciate resources, suggestions and insights on the broader topic of skiing as an approach tool for multi day alpinism objectives.

Wishing you all a safe and happy season. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your knowledge

Are VBL liners for your boots, over your baselayer and in my sleeping really necessary?

I’ve only come across VBL liners when researching for expeditions with the reason being that they protect your boots liners, your down insulation and down sleeping bag from absorbing moisture which you probably won’t be able to dry out.

Up until now, I’ve always worn wool baselayers and midlayers that wicked moisture away from the skin and created enough of a buffer for the sweat to evaporate away. I could imagine packing a fleece sleeping bag liner would do the trick as well.

I’d be happy for someone to share his/ her experiences, as I could imagine VBL liners didn’t exist in the past and people managed even then.

I’m trying to figure which crampons to purchase. I am based in Northern Norway, my main experience is ski touring and hiking with a little mountaineering.

I want to progress the mountaineering aspect, particularly in winter. I’m aiming to be confident with glacier travel, steep packed snow and ice routes. Probably not true ice climbing at any point in the near future.

I currently have a set of Irvis Hybrid crampons that I use with my touring boots. I would prefer to not use them as a base for any modular plans as they are set up nicely for my ski boots.

I was thinking about having a set of Petzl Irvis and then picking up the Dart front sections. Then I could use the Irvis for more general winter hiking, but put on the Dart front sections if I was planning on doing something more technical/steep.

I’m aware of the Petzl Vasak as an option instead of the Irvis, so would be interested in people’s opinions on which would fit this set up and my needs better.

Many thanks!