Guide Course no 3 – Day 2-5 – Ecole du Glace and classic mountaineering in Switzerland

From Chamonix we continued around to the Swiss side of the Mont Blanc massif to the Cabane d’Orny. On the first day we walked up from Champex and practiced glacier travel and rescue. On the second day we continued with short roping on the lower peaks above the hut and on the following day we traversed Aiguille du Tour north to south, east to west and back again. On the last day we climbed the classic traverse of Les Ecandies on our way back down to our cars.

It was some really good days at the Cabane d’Orny and we all learnt a lot. It’s a big change going from normal mountaineering to guide training, as the technical difficulty of the bulk of what we are training for is not very high, but its really inspiring to work on moving fast in easy terrain and short rope as a way of travelling safely through the mountains. 

Going up with the lift from Champex

The team getting started

Ecole du glace

Glacier travel

Crevasse rescue training 

Cabane d'Orny

Short rope practice

Eva and myself took turns in being guides on day 3

It's getting crowded

Lowering 

They melt in pretty good, don't they?

Early start

Oscar and Tobias in the sunrise

One of our teams on Aiguille du Tour

Tobbe and Oscar on the ridge 

The Chamonix massif from the north summit of Aiguille du Tour

Tobias and myself on the south summit

Me, taking a bath... 

HK trying up after our collective swim

In the huts, we have to help out with the dish 

A tired crew 

Where's my glove?

A team on their way to Ecandies 

Where are we going?

Per Ås following on the first pitch

HK and Per in the cave

Eva and Anders following on the razor

Per following on the razor

Eva leading up the last crux

HK on the jump

Walking down from another good day in the mountains

Tobias close to Champex