Gorner Glacier explorations 2013



Back to the Gorner Glacier, Zermatt, to once again explore the 'moulins' or sink holes in the glacier. I wasn't sure if I could make the trip this year but literally at the last minute managed to steal a week and join good chums Martin Groves and Gareth Davies on the second week of this years trip to the Gorner Glacier.

Arriving in Zermatt on a damp Saturday evening I had unfortunately missed the last train up the mountain. In addition the useful shops had already shut... So it was either back down the valley to Tasch to a campsite, or try and find some over priced bed in Zermatt, or start walking. I opted to start walking.

What daylight had been left was gone by the time I entered the trails in the forest. One of those damp but muggy nights which made the steep lug up the track very sweaty, especially with a big pack. The idea was to bivvy down somewhere on route, but a nice flat spot just wasn't appearing in the gloom as I slowly stomped up the mountain.

Rather surreally I arrived at one of the higher stations for the mountain train and was suddenly in the grounds of a luxury hotel! Definitely out of my price bracket but also felt very wrong. I walked past to escape the opulence and noise.

The map suggests a possible good spot. Flatter contours and a small stream - a little alpine meadow. The rain and mist reveal enough to suggest this is the case and I quickly set up the tent and can escape the damp. Sadly I have no stove - the boys have enough with them and it saved trying to find fuel the other end of the flight - but sadly this meant no hot brew or food. Just water and some breakfast biscuits. Somehow this didn't matter - I was alone in my small spot on the mountain.

Morning arrives and I lounge in the sleeping bag not terribly keen to get up! But sticking my head out of the tent and glimpsing the Matterhorn through breaks in the cloud spurs me to get the back side in gear. I pack as the first mountain trains make their way up the mountain.

Morning with the Matterhorn pocking out of the clouds.

 

A steep stomp brings me to the next station on the mountain railway. Here I take advantage of a civilized toilet and the sale of some coffee! I move on keen to find the others on the glacier.

A few hours later I'm at the camp on the glacier. The day sees a changeover - and effectively seven is reduced to four. The tent is soon set up and before long it's off to explore an ice cave. Martin is keen to do more science and wants to go survey a site called the 'Balrog'.

Camp by the glacier - scarily somewhat reduced in just two years.........

Normally descending these holes is left to the night when temperatures drop, water levels reduce and the metal work doesn't melt out of the ice! However as the day was cloudy Martin thought it would be worth looking at descending into the Balrog. The original choice of route was quickly abandoned by the very large boulder on the lip of the ice shaft held in place by a melting step of ice... hmmm. Instead we descended an open canyon in the ice and climbed into another entrance rigging the rope off ice screws deep in a melt hole and down in the good ice, a traditional ice bollard and some additional icescrews placed after hacking away the poor ice, and then recovering the screws with the displaced ice!

Placing icescrews out of the sun!

Entering the Balrog

Inside the 'Balrog' was very atmospheric with the large open entrance we had entered by, and the light from the shaft we had wisely decided to avoid! Progress was soon halted by a lake, and we set about surveying and placing in markers to allow for future monitoring of the site. However the Balrog started rumbling and we decided it was time to leave!

Midnight and its little rest. Three of us are up and away - me, Martin and pro photographer Robbie Shone. A thick mist is down making navigation necessary. We head off for 'Son of Monster' Moulin. Monster Moulin had been an epic two years ago but was now a former shadow of itself. Instead 'Son' was forming behind. I was given the task of rigging. The entrance was the normal severe ice hack to find good ice, but once in the hole the ice was soon superb. The shaft was a superb fluted rift, rigged with regular rebelays to allow a descent along the rift. At the bottom a false ice floor would have resulted in very wet feet except I was wearing canoe dry pants which proved to be a great be of kit choice! I pushed along the bottom rift, down a short pitch and gained the stream... but then it just got too tight. That was it. We headed out. Martin surveyed and held the flash gun, while I posed and Robbie took some very cool piccies! We exit the hole to the first hints of the dawn.

Martin ascending 'son of monster' moulin

..with Robbie ahead taking some proper pictures!

A misty walk back.

...which clears as we arrive at camp

The weather deteriorates, and the next couple of days proved a little vexing for getting down ice holes, but does mean some sleep! The plan was to go back to the same area as 'Son' and explore some of the other holes. We ended up doing a morning daylight trip. Results were mixed. Water was too high in some, although myself and Gareth revisited a hole we'd be in two years go. It was still recognisable, but bigger and we could get further. With water levels getting noticeably higher, and icescrews getter looser we head for home!

Gareth rigging

Martin on the descent

Surveying the hole

Robbie heading up hoping to get some piccies!

Exploring canyons on the glacier on a wet day

Sadly mid way through the week we said good bye to Robbie, giving him a hand getting his kit to the mountain rail station, whilst stashing some of our extra kit on the way.

With a cold night promised by the forecast we had our next Moulin in sight - the 'Growler'. This looked ominous in the day with water thundering down. So with some trepidation the three of use set off to explore. Martin started the rig. The cave proved to be a superb trip in the end. A 10m pitch dropped into a fine meandering canyon in clean white ice. Deep pools required traversing, and Martin set me the task of rigging as I could wade straight through them!

Another fine pitch was descended and we explored a little further, but with ice screws running out we opted to started the survey out, ascending to a cold and clear night.

All that remained now was to pack up a ridiculous amount of kit and head home! We got up very early again and started the first kit shuttle, exploring some contact caves on the way.

Contact cave with stream

Ice shapes

Monster bag man

Gareth with very big bag!

Ascending from camp

Some of our kit!

All in all an excellent and tough trip - cheers chaps!

And to finish some random pictures of pretty flowers and other nice shots...

Three stooges at dawn

A long way to paddle... the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race

The Devizes to Westminster Canoe race is a bit of a classic. This year was its 65th running - an event with pedigree! Its not an event I would have originally thought of doing, but a couple years back the idea was raised (in a pub of course...) by my good friend, and companion on many an adventure, Simon Nurse.  A battered, but usable K2 kayak was found but the reality of life kicked in and the K2 remained unused, lying in my garden annoying the missus......

Role on 12 months and the idea again gets raised, this time by fell running chum and adventure racer Gary Davies. However I was due to be away over Easter 2013 when the event is held, so again the idea died...

A couple of months before Christmas, the original plans for Easter (back to Castleguard Cave in Canada) were on hold so randomly I mention to Gary 'oh I'm about at Easter, we could do that canoe race....'. Thus starts an adventure!

Even though the timescales to get ready for such a race are tight, we are still slow to get going. The first challenge was refinding the boat - it had been removed from my garden a the request of my good lady and hidden in a boatyard off the River Ely!


First attempt at using our training boat!

The boat was successfully tracked down and finally late November I got my first taste of K2 kayaking - blimey they are wobbly!! And this was with a K2 with no seats....  After a few miles of successfully keeping a K2 the right way up, our training for the DtoW was off.... sort of!

Christmas slowed further progress, but come January we started to get out more, regularly getting trips of 10-12 miles on the local Rivers Ely and Taff. The key problem with the boat though was the lack of seats. Using just foam pads, bum-ache was rife - a few miles of paddling turned to agony.

It was time to upgrade boats. Our good friend Nick Dallimore, our mentor and advisor, also had a Marsport Falcon we could use. We started to use this boat, initially with just foam pads, to improve stability. Initial sessions were a bit wayward - I was in the front steering and we seemed to be zig zagging across the whole river! Later we swapped roles, useful to do anyway, but steering was still wayward and in the end we realised the problem was with the boats steering mechanism and not us!



Dont let a little snow stop training!

The proper seats then got put into the boat. The extra height proved demanding for me and for the first time we started to get wet - not fun in cold weather and in cold water. Many evening sessions were at temperatures below freezing.... all good misery training.

Events for Gary, and ski holidays in February for me, put a gap in this training. Gary was able to fill this in with training in K1s but whilst I had a few K1 sessions I wasn't confident to go too far from a pontoon in such boats!


March arrives and D-Day approaches. We need to get some long sessions in. With less than a month to the race we get onto the actual DtoW course for the first time. Joined by one of our friends also doing the race, Roly, we managed to get a car shuttle in place to do a 36miles section from Woolhampton to Boulters Lock on the Thames.


Roly on the canal after Woolhampton

The trip proved worthy training with about 10miles on the canal, and the rest on a pretty racy River Thames, including doing the last few locks in the dark. However all was not well.. physically I was fine but mentally I was shot. We used the Falcon with the proper seats in and I never got comfortable in the boat. The constant feeling of not having the control and feel needed for such a boat pushed me, and having a couple of swims in the Thames didn't help. If we were going to do DtoW we were going to need a more stable boat.

Quickly Gary found a Kirton Mirage (a 'wobble factor 5' boat as apposed to 'Wobble factor 4' for the Falcon) based at the Cardiff International Whitewater Centre and owned by Canoe Wales. Waterside D race, 34 miles from Devizes to Newbury, was on the following weekend and we arranged to use this boat for the race.

Lacking support we again met up with Roly who was doing the event with his DW partner Dave and shared their support for the race. Arrival at the race was somewhat fun as the promised rain turned first to sleet and then snow! By the time we were on the water it was snowing pretty heavily and was very cold.

The first 15 miles of this race are without any portage break and are pretty tedious as a result. Matters weren't helped by the weather or the fact I get us wet twice quite early on - once trying to get under a swingbridge and the other catching the wing paddle at the wrong angle in the water as we came to the side. Not good for my confidence.

The rest of the race started to go much better. Paddling technique improved and our portaging technique got pretty effective. Going through the 480m long Bruce tunnel was also quite an experience! Water levels on the canal were pretty high and as we arrive at the finish in Newbury the canal is racing along, but we successfully cross the line without further mishap in a little over 7 hours.

Packing up at the end of the Waterside D race

Again physically I'm fine, but I still not convinced I have the skill sets to properly take on the DW race in a K2, especially as it is looking very likely conditions could be pretty challenging. Somehow I'm convinced to continue and a very last minute entry is accepted by a very busy but accommodating race secretary.

During the week before the DW race start I'm back on the Kennet and Avon Canal, but this time in a Canal barge on a short family break. The weather is soddin' freezing, and on a number of mornings we are icebreaking through the canal. The race plays on my mind. Water levels on the Thames are still high, the weather is going to be very cold, and the issue of the K2 boats sits heavily on the my mind. Rarely have I been through such a psychological roller coaster ride for a challenge.

Suddenly during the week the race looks unlikely. Water levels on the Thames are high and the organisers have released a self assessment form to judge whether you should take part. Conditions have also affected our support team - two good friends who had kindly volunteered only a month or so previously, but without any experience of the event and course. Wisely they realise they are not prepared for the task and pull out. It looks like game over, and personally I can live with that!

My team mate Gary is more persistent. Somehow he manages to persuade an experienced hand at supporting the DtoW, Chris Gazeley, to help us out. Although it will only be him and Gary's wife Dawn supporting us, Chris seems to be willing to give it a bash - so the game is back on! Time to confront my demons...

A last minute change of boat completely changes my mental state on the event. It is decided to change tact and use a heavy but stable tandem seakayak, a Nelo Waterman, that Gary owns for adventure racing. This is great - no battling the demon of the K2 kayak for me! The extra misery of the weight is something I can happily handle. Roly is happy as well - he and Dave get to use the more stable Mirage instead of their Falcon!

So come Good Friday and I get home from Devizes and the family canal holiday, frantically pack and sort kit to travel back to Devizes for the race! We pick up Chris on route, check in to the travel lodge, and pop down the pub for food and a couple of beers, and to meet Roly and his crew.

The morning arrives, we sort out some breakfast before heading to the event start. Fairly efficiently we sort kit and the boat, get kit checked and then register. Definitely no going back now. We do a final check of the boat and then make a decision on how to portage a heavy boat especially on the long Compton section. We decide we'll run with it and dump the portage wheels.

Preparing the boat

We plan for an 0800 start time, with an overall plan to complete in 25 hours. We do manage to get on the water for about 0800, but as we hadn't used the boat yet we have a little additional faffing to sort seats and rudder lines. At 0823 we cross the start line.... only 125 miles to go!

Approaching the start line.......

The first few miles worry me - the right shoulder is hurting from the start. Gary is frequently telling me the paddle cadence is dropping but I'm focusing on micro adjustments of paddle style to shift the pain. After a few miles the ache subsides, although the arse and right leg start going numb instead. We have a couple of brief feed and drink stops which gives the chance to shake out the leg and bum, and then on we paddle.

After 3 hrs we hit Lock 51 - our first portage. Thankfully we have the chance to get the legs moving again. Chris and Dawn efficiently get some food down our necks as we carry the boat across the lock. We opt for a change round as well - Gary goes up front to see if the back is more comfortable for me, and off we go again.

This next section is going to be a tough grind. Over 30 portages will take us to Newbury at the 34mile mark. We hit the Bruce tunnel, and again have a disconcerting paddle through the dark tunnel! At Compton we run the 6 or 7 locks that are close together rather than keep putting in and out of the canal, which is the tactic most teams seem to employ around us. Being runners the tactic works well and we end up ahead of a bunch of teams that had recently passed us on the canal.

On the Canal

So we paddle on - hit a portage, get out, get in, paddle on. Suddenly disaster - after a portage our rudder goes haywire. We stagger on in a drunken swagging across the canal frantically trying to avoid other competitors. Eventually as we approach Hungerford we managed to locate some tools, We had fortunately come to a halt outside a Scout hut! 20 minutes of fettling and we are back in the race.

Newbury arrives, after close to 8 hours. Our average speed is only about 4mph but we knew this section would be slow. Chris emphasises strongly that we have to pick up the pace or we wont make the tidal window at Teddington.

Fortunately after Newbury the canal picks up pace. In fact there is quite a flow in a number of places, and our boat is able to pick up some extra speed. We plough on to Reading enjoying the extra pace and the handling of the boat on some of the racier sections.

Darkness arrives before we hit Reading. The canal is flowing fast here, and its quite surreal to be paddling through a civic centre. Soon we're through the portage at Blakes and out onto the Thames. Dreadnought, a compulsory checkpoint, is quickly reach and our support are ready and waiting amongst the chaos. Quickly we have pans of a tuna pasta concoction thrust into our hands and fruitcake thrust into our mouths almost simultaneously. Chris and Dawn ensure we feed and drink, and quickly pack us off on our way in the boat. Chris urges us to keep the pace up.... Just over 70miles to go....

The night is clear so night vision is good, although the moon is yet to rise. It also means its cold, very cold. The Thames is still flowing strongly and we can feel the pace of our boat pick up. Somehow we're still paddling quite strongly and progress feels pretty good. We gradually pick of the lock portages and generally without too much of a problem. Marsh is quite a long and awkward portage, and one where the cold hits us which leaves us keen to get paddling and sort of warm up again.

Every so often our fabulous support team of Dawn and Chris appear, throw food and drink down our throats and get us going again. We're grateful for our tub of a boat on the lumpier bits as we watch racier K2s struggle with some of the chunkier water, and even spot a couple go over (fortunately close to the river bank).

The moon rises and it becomes a very beautiful but bitterly cold night. We paddle on, time becoming a blur. One moment its midnight, the next three in the morning, and soon twilight is on the horizon. On we paddle, various aches and pains shifting around the body.

The sunrise is superb and soon we are in the daylight again. The boat has got heavier through the night as it now has a layer of ice covering it! We negotiate the ice covered 'rollers' at Molesey lock and its now a mere 5 miles to the tide way at Teddington. Baring no major mishap we'll hit the tidal window at Teddington for the final phase of the race.

Those 5 miles prove a grind as bodies really start to tire. We hit Teddington lock where our support gurus drag us out of the boat, thrust warm pots of porridge and tea into our semi frozen mitts and get us nourished for the last section of the race. Gary's shoulder is starting to hurt and a dose of anti-inflammatory is administered.

Feasting at Teddington

We push on through the 'roller' at Teddington, fitting spraydecks on the way, and it's onto the tidal Thames. This section isn't as dramatic as I imagined given the conditions, and is a bit of an anticlimax.

Heading for the portage at Teddington (Dawn Davies)

We have 17 miles left to the finish and its going to be a final hard grind. Initially we are very slow as Garys shoulder gives some severe gripe, but gradually he manages to get the paddling going again and we again make steady progress.

Unfortunately we hadn't really learnt the geography of this section so are unclear what sort of progress we are actually making. Bridge after bridge goes past, but no landmarks we recognise. The paddle grinds on.

Eventually a passing team informs us we're at Putney Bridge with about 7 miles to go. We paddle on. Central London starts to appear, and then we glimpse Parliament and Big Ben! Almost there! Westminster Bridge appears, and loads of cheering souls. We've made it, we actually made it.....

We cross under the bridge to great support from the crowd. The finish crew catch us as we flop out of our boat, and step marshals each grab us and assist us up the steps - we can barely walk. The boat follows us up and suddenly we are on the embankment in the tourist throng, all very very surreal.

At the finish!

Chris and Dawn are waiting and in true fashion Chris shoves foods into our mouths! It's all pretty fantastic! We stagger to the car, elated at finishing this extraordinary event. Clean clothes are grabbed, we change and shower and eat. The body hurts and we are all very tired. Chris and Dawn haven't stopped and without them completion would not have been possible. Diolch yn Fawr iawn team!

So the final question - would I do it again? Certainly, though I'd get myself properly sorted with K2 kayaks for the next time! Easier to carry :-)

 

La Grave

La Grave is an off piste ski mecca. The town itself is a slightly mad mix of 'subculture' hipness and extreme sport freaks. There is definately something in the water in this part of the Alps that gives the place a more random feel than areas such as Chamonix!

From the town an antiquated lift system serves as access into some wild mountain ski territory, taking you from 1450m to 3200m. From here a lift tow takes you even higher onto the glacier itself and the link across to the Les Deux Alpes ski resort.

I'd first managed to ski La Grave a couple of years back. It had long been on my list of ski trips to do, and fortunately that trip was blessed by good weather and some fresh snow (especially welcome as there had little snow for almost a month prior to this).

Finding ourselves back in Les Deux Alpes for another family ski holiday and I was keen to do a return trip to La Grave. Needing some company for the trip I booked in with the ESS who I've used before and have been excellent. Traditionally they run the La Grave trip on a Wednesday, but want you to have a 'pre-test' on the Monday to check your skiing is up to the task! I dutifully turn up for my informal assessment.


Following Rene....

Our instructor was a talented Italian chap, Rene, who took us for a ski off the main slope of Les Deux Alpes giving useful instruction all the way. With lots of fresh snow the skiing was superb, even if the day was a little grey. At the bottom Rene asks do we want to go again - too right we do!

Wednesday arrives and its a bluebird day, but will the link to La Grave open, and will La Grave itself open? The recent week or so has seen lots of snow, but with this snow comes increased avalanche risk. In addition the link hits heights of 3600m and frequently has to close due to high winds...

Initial reports are not good. The link hasn't opened and neither has La Grave. We opt for an off piste day around Les Deux Alpes. No point waisting an opportunity to ski with a local instructor who will know all the secret powder pockets!

Powder fun

First run is on the Vallee Blanche side of the resort, and we're soon skiing some excellent powder. At the bottom Rene checks the current information. La Grave is opening, but will the link? We opt to chance it and start heading up to the glacier via the Jandri lift, and then the funicular train. Arriving at around 3400m we are blasted by winds and spindrift - it doesn't seem too hopeful.

However the final ski tow opens and we head for the link to La Grave. We may get there yet! At the top of the tow we have to pay 20E to cover the use of the La Grave lifts, and then its a tow to the top of the glacier at La Grave by being dragged along by a piste bashing wagon! This is entertaining to say the least.......

Preparing for the tow.

We finally reach the La Grave side of the glacier - the gamble has paid off. We descend to the top lift station using the only pisted run at La Grave. This crosses the glacier and is the safest way to descend especially without crevasse rescue kit, plus our guide can't take us off piste on the glacier itself.

At the station the main runs down La Grave take off. One side is the classic 'Vallons la Meije' whilst the other is the 'Vallons la Chancel' with lots of options in between. The locals know of many more routes!

Our first run is down the 'Vallons la Meije'. Most of the route has already been well skied, although powder lines can still be found. We set off on a descent down this wild and fabulous valley. High on our right the steep cliff faces still have sections of glacier with hanging seracs. It is an awesome place.

We enjoy the skiing, with Rene offering much constructive tuition on our functional but less than perfect off piste ski technique! Regularly he stops to give us more advice on those subtle movements that turn your ski technique into the brilliance you aspire to. Alas it needs lots of practise and more time away in great places like La Grave.

Eventually we hit the tree line, and most of the group enjoy the tights turns amongst moguls and trees. Eventually we hit the station at 1800m. This is basically a pylon sticking out of the forest where you can join the cable car without hitting the valley bottom. The lift at La Grave is a bit of a classic experience in itself!

Time for one more run before we have to try and hit the link back to La Grave. We start on the 'Chancel' side before reaching a col and dropping back onto the 'Vallons' side. From here we traverse across and join the mid station at 2400m.

Back at the top we stop at the top station restaurant for coffee and a bit of food - all very civilised! Some food and chat and suddenly we realise its almost 1530 hrs when the top tow shuts. Hastily we shuffle out and over to a waiting piste basher for another tow to take us to the base of the actual ski tow. This piste basher has two rope lines behind it with regularly knotted loops.

By the time all the remaining skiers had been gathered up there must have been close to 50+ of us behind the wagon! Surely recipe for disaster?! The tow goes surprisingly well until the end when one skier goes over and takes out a few others.

We grab the last ski tow to take us back to the top of the glacier. The rest of the link is shut though due to the wind so its going to be a bit of a walk back to Les Deux Alpe. As I'm dragged by the tow the sun drops behind the ridge in front of me and lights the skyline. The light captures the bubbling mass of spindrift snow being blown by the high wind - its going to be harsh once on the exposed glacier...........

Sure enough once at the top of the tow we are blasted by wind and spindrift. We gather as a group and press on. Its an initial slog up before reaching the undulating top of the glacier, where we shuffle and occasionally ski our way back to the resort.

Once officially back on the Les Deux Alpe side of the glacier I look back and see some lights through the spindrift. One of the ski patrol is passing on a skidoo. A line is thrown from the back and we get another powered tow but this time from a skidoo - this became interesting when we started to go downhill and the tracks of the skidoo got very close! We let go very quickly.

We enjoy a final ski back to base, via empty pistes on great snow, which became even more enjoyable when we got out of the wind. Rene takes for a final off piste run back to the resort base and a well earned large glass of Leffe! A classic day. I really do like La Grave.