About Me

My photo
Hello! My name is Keith Gault and I've been tramping the hills of the UK and further afield for over 40 years now. This blog records some recent hill days undertaken either on my own, with friends, or with clients under my guided hillwalking Company: Hillways (www.hillways.co.uk). I hope you enjoy my diary; please feel free to comment on any of the walks. I will respond to any direct questions.

Thursday 10 March 2011

Climbing Again in the French Alps – Rock & Ice!

La Meije (3984m)

Winter has returned to much of Scotland and shows no sign of relinquishing its persistent grip on the bens and glens - or even the lowlands, as this weekend has shown! So it was particularly welcome to get away to the French Alps again last week for some blue skies, warm sunshine and the occasional foray up assorted rock faces and frozen waterfalls!

Hot Rock

Naturally, appropriate time was set aside for copious sampling of local fromage et vin, pastis and tarteflette. Research also demanded that the afternoon temperature on the good doctor’s sun balcony be recorded at regular intervals. However, I did manage to overcome the insidious lethargy and malaise of dreamland to get dragged up some Grade V – VI rock climbs and a 30m frozen waterfall!

Cold Ice

Such were the consecutive days of unbroken sunshine and sublime warmth of the sun on my face, that the opportunities for off-piste skiing, ski touring and snowshoe plods were all quietly forsaken for the chance to lie in the sun and wonder what the poor people were doing.......!

Check out my plans for the coming summer at: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm