Alps: But where?

Hi all,

I want a short (circa 5 days) holiday in late April/May (for my 21st ;o). I want to travel abroad
and summit a decent sized mountain (about 3000m). The trouble is, I have no idea where to go and
what I'd need. I have ice axe/crampons/warm clothes/fitness etc... Ideally the plan would be fly or
drive to France, B&B for a night and then spend the other 4 days in a tent on the Alps. There will
be two/three people going. Can somebody recomend a good place to go to get my first taste of a real
mountain abroad? Just a town and mountain would be sufficient, I can fill in the gaps and get
myself there.

Thanks,

Nathan

In message <4028cbf8$1@news.1anetworks.net>, Treefrog <treefrog@mountainbikes.co.uk> writes
>Hi all,
>
>I want a short (circa 5 days) holiday in late April/May (for my 21st ;o). I want to travel abroad
>and summit a decent sized mountain (about 3000m). The trouble is, I have no idea where to go and
>what I'd need. I have ice axe/crampons/warm clothes/fitness etc... Ideally the plan would be fly or
>drive to France, B&B for a night and then spend the other 4 days in a tent on the Alps. There will
>be two/three people going. Can somebody recomend a good place to go to get my first taste of a real
>mountain abroad? Just a town and mountain would be sufficient, I can fill in the gaps and get
>myself there.

For splendid mountains offer a first taste Savoy is very delightful. The mountains may not be quite
3000m - closer to 2000m - but they make good day ventures and the scenery is dramatic.

Town Name: Annecy (old & pretty with a lake) Albertville (hills slightly higher)

Find Geneva on the map and move South

Mountain: Well - what about La Tournette? But it's like asking for a Lake District Fell - picking
one out is unfair on the rest.

Caveat: You wouldn't get a snow line here in April/May.

--
Michael Farthing cyclades Software House

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 12:18:19 -0000, Treefrog wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I want a short (circa 5 days) holiday in late April/May (for my 21st ;o). I want to travel abroad
> and summit a decent sized mountain (about 3000m). The trouble is, I have no idea where to go and
> what I'd need. I have ice axe/crampons/warm clothes/fitness etc... Ideally the plan would be fly
> or drive to France, B&B for a night and then spend the other 4 days in a tent on the Alps. There
> will be two/three people going. Can somebody recomend a good place to go to get my first taste of
> a real mountain abroad? Just a town and mountain would be sufficient, I can fill in the gaps and
> get myself there.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nathan

Haut Savoie. I can recommend some very good places - give me your email and I'll scan you a few map
sections for you info and post a precis to the group

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 12:18:19 -0000, "Treefrog"
<treefrog@mountainbikes.co.uk> wrote:

>I want a short (circa 5 days) holiday in late April/May

maybe Arolla, south from Sion, in Switzerland, access for Pigne d'Arolla a 3,800m easy (facile)
plod. "Vignettes" and "Dix" huts are intrestingly situated, and a route : Dix hut - Charion hut -
Otemma glacier - Vignettes hut - Pigne d'Arolla is good

Chris Street wrote

> Haut Savoie.

That makes three of us. I'd go for Sixt Fer-au-Cheval. Easily accessible from Geneva and gives you
access to peaks such as Mont Buet, which fits your bill.

Chris

"Carl" <h@h.com> wrote in message
news:0rbi201int23bpdrinjr1ok2qi42habh5i@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 12:18:19 -0000, "Treefrog" <treefrog@mountainbikes.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >I want a short (circa 5 days) holiday in late April/May
>
> maybe Arolla, south from Sion, in Switzerland, access for Pigne d'Arolla a 3,800m easy (facile)
> plod. "Vignettes" and "Dix" huts are intrestingly situated, and a route : Dix hut - Charion hut -
> Otemma glacier - Vignettes hut - Pigne d'Arolla is good

That sounds and looks(http://www.peakware.com/encyclopedia...os/arolla2.htm) fantastic.
But... Would "easy plod" mean I could venture up it without ropes or technical ice axes? I mean, I
could learn basic rope skills before May but I couldn't learn how to climb in that time ;o)

Cheers,

Nathan

> > maybe Arolla, south from Sion, in Switzerland, access for Pigne d'Arolla a 3,800m easy (facile)
> > plod. "Vignettes" and "Dix" huts are intrestingly situated, and a route : Dix hut - Charion hut
> > - Otemma glacier - Vignettes hut - Pigne d'Arolla is good
>
> That sounds and looks(http://www.peakware.com/encyclopedia...os/arolla2.htm) fantastic.
> But... Would "easy plod" mean I could venture up it without ropes or technical ice axes? I mean, I
> could learn basic rope skills before May but I couldn't learn how to climb in that time ;o)
>
note I did it in July, cant really comments on conditions at other times, or indeed July of other
years The Pigne d'Arolla is not a climb its a walk. so tech axe not needed, walking axe should be
fine (though I did upgrade my axe on my return - light axe was horrrible for cutting trench for axe
belay when practicing crevasse rescue), rope is needed as it is approached via glacier, so rope is
for walking again not for climbing. The glacier looked benign except up near the Vignettes hut,
where it was quite cut up. I was guided and learning the skills as I went (skills were really just
how to rope up) I felt it was a great introduction. If you follow the full loop that I mentioned,
then there is one 25m(?) abseil, but it could be done carefuly with just crampons and axe, and would
I think be easier earlier in the season. (if you just went Up and Down from Arolla, staying at the
Vignettes hut, then it would be fairly straight forward. In the picture that you link to, the route
would follow the ridge on the left, but a little behind, out of view on a snow slope

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 12:18:19 -0000, "Treefrog"
<treefrog@mountainbikes.co.uk> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I want a short (circa 5 days) holiday in late April/May (for my 21st ;o). I want to travel abroad
>and summit a decent sized mountain (about 3000m). The trouble is, I have no idea where to go and
>what I'd need. I have ice axe/crampons/warm clothes/fitness etc... Ideally the plan would be fly or
>drive to France, B&B for a night and then spend the other 4 days in a tent on the Alps. There will
>be two/three people going. Can somebody recomend a good place to go to get my first taste of a real
>mountain abroad? Just a town and mountain would be sufficient, I can fill in the gaps and get
>myself there.
>

Not wanting to put you off, but April/May is more late winter season than early summer. For
instance, the Haute Route is usually a ski tour at that time rather than a walk. Mount Buet has been
mentioned, a quick google search and everything before June is talking about ski ascents, with the
earliest time that an ascent on foot is mentioned is June.

My inclination would be to look for somewhere a lower. The other problem being that if the thaw is
in progress then everything will be unpleasantly wet.

However, I don't have anything to suggest since my experience of that time of year in the high
mountains is limited to ski-ing. So the purpose of this reply is really just to flag up the
possibility that some things you'd like to do may be impractical at that time of year.

Simon

P.S. You might get some useful replies by posting to uk.rec.climbing since mountaineering is one of
those things that sits somewhere between walking and climbing.

zermatt and the gornergrat(~3000m) and is walkable and not technically
difficult! with great views to the monte rosa glaciers!
ive been there twice and its immense!
enjoy
"Simon Caldwell" <simonjcaldwell@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:niss20h88ipsdkdhi1oogjj1sci126lrjc@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 12:18:19 -0000, "Treefrog" <treefrog@mountainbikes.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >Hi all,
> >
> >I want a short (circa 5 days) holiday in late April/May (for my 21st ;o).
I
> >want to travel abroad and summit a decent sized mountain (about 3000m).
The
> >trouble is, I have no idea where to go and what I'd need. I have ice axe/crampons/warm
> >clothes/fitness etc... Ideally the plan would be fly or drive to France, B&B for a night and
then
> >spend the other 4 days in a tent on the Alps. There will be two/three
people
> >going. Can somebody recomend a good place to go to get my first taste of a real mountain abroad?
> >Just a town and mountain would be sufficient, I can fill
in
> >the gaps and get myself there.
> >
>
> Not wanting to put you off, but April/May is more late winter season than early summer. For
> instance, the Haute Route is usually a ski tour at that time rather than a walk. Mount Buet has
> been mentioned, a quick google search and everything before June is talking about ski ascents,
> with the earliest time that an ascent on foot is mentioned is June.
>
> My inclination would be to look for somewhere a lower. The other problem being that if the thaw is
> in progress then everything will be unpleasantly wet.
>
> However, I don't have anything to suggest since my experience of that time of year in the high
> mountains is limited to ski-ing. So the purpose of this reply is really just to flag up the
> possibility that some things you'd like to do may be impractical at that time of year.
>
> Simon

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 19:11:37 -0000, "Martin Glaser"
<marty31*nospam*@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

>zermatt and the gornergrat(~3000m) and is walkable

In April???

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 13:16:13 +0000, Michael Farthing wrote:

>>Ideally the plan would be fly or drive to France, B&B for
>>a night and then

> good day ventures and the scenery is dramatic.
>
> Town Name: Annecy (old & pretty with a lake) Albertville
> (hills slightly higher)

Easycar have a rental place at Geneva airport (actually a it
of a hike away in the car park of the next-door arena). From
there an hour or so on the motorway to Annecy.