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After
an early breakfast at the Gnifetti hut, I'm waiting for the guide to
arrive. The others have already left. And here comes Hervé, right on
time at 9:00. |
I
get a short instruction, then wer'e off, connected with a rope. Hervé
proves quite professional. One thing he does is showing how to forsee a
hidden crevass. |
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It's not these crevasses that are dangerous, you can see them. It's the ones you
don't see, hidden by snow. And they are more than the visible ones right now. |
But we are making good progress and soon approach 4000m. |
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Mighty iceformations at the side of Piramide Vincent. |
Passing
a "snowbridge" over a crevass at 4000m. This is why you should not go
alone up here. If the bridge brakes it's good to have someone holding
you back with a rope.
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Today Mont
Blanc is in perfect sight! Clear air, not a cloud in sight. Imagine that
it's about 80km away. |
Soon
time to take to the right, and climb the final 150 altitude meters to
the summit. Spending the night at the Gnifetti hut now proves
efficient, I'm well acklimated for the altitude. No problems handling
the climb. |
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Corno
Nero 4321m, is harder to climb. |
And
here's Balmenhorn 4167m, with its Christ statue and a bivouac. You need
to climb here as well, but it's secured, so it's not that hard. |
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The final climb towards the summit of Piramide Vincent is wide and straight
forward. To the left is Parrotspitze 4434m. |
At
the summt, 4215m. It wasn't too difficult to climb after one night at
Gnifetti. Just as beautiful as it is up here, it's as windy and cold
too. Hervé says it well, "No place for a picnic". |
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To the northwest is Lyskamm 4533m. |
.A group climbing Corno Nero, 4321m. |
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We don't stay at the summit very long, because of the hard weather. Instead we
take
aim at Balmenhorn, hoping for calmer weather there. The peak in
the background, to the left, is Weisshorn 4506m, far into Switzerland. |
Arriving at Balmenhorn. |
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Looking back to Piramide Vincent. |
At the summit of Balmenhorn the weather is far better. Here we can relax, eat and drink in the bivouac, before descending to Rifugio Mantova for lunch. After that, down to the cableways. Awesome! |
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