Multi-pitch climbing in mountains has more risks than single pitch routes, for obvious reasons - you'll be out longer, at the mercy of the weather, carrying your kit, whilst trying to find your route up the route and off. There are more things that can go wrong, simply because you're doing more and spending more time than you do on a single pitch … [Read more...]
An overnight train to the Alps
Ailefroide is a small village situated in the Hautes Alpes in France about 35 minutes' drive from Briancon and only a stone's throw on the map from Alp D'Huez and Argentiere. I recently visited with my daughter and around thirty members of our mountaineering club - KMC. This is one in a series of blog posts about how to get there and what to do … [Read more...]
Ailefroide – what’s there to do?
Ailefroide is a very small village in the Hautes Alpes in France. It is situated in a valley at around 1500m. We went there to climb and others of our group went for mountaineering on the surrounding high mountains and glaciers of 3000-4000m. What I loved about this area was that there was a really good mix of things to do and it felt like it … [Read more...]
Climbing in the Alps – Ailefroide
Information about climbing near to Ailefroide in France: Guidebooks You can buy a local crag guidebook for €11 at the shop in Ailefroide. The rock type is granite and the majority of the easy access routes are slabs. The climbs are all about smearing and footwork. If you're used to climbing with your arms, then get practicing without … [Read more...]