Holiday on Ice? – Tony Howard. March 2008

‘Good lead Youth.’ ‘What?’ ‘Good lead Youth’ came the words from below.  I thought I’d check that I’d heard correctly.  I don’t hear that much nowadays.  It was the penultimate pitch of the last route of our holiday, and the best pitch of the week ……. so far!  Simon joined me at the belay, followed by Steve a little later.   The next pitch was to be a fitting climax to the week.  Steve set off up a steep groove, which allowed an equally steep traverse right beneath a bulge.  Ice screws were inserted like the winding of a clock and progress was smooth.  This gave access to another short groove and an exit left on brittle ‘glass’ to easier ground.  Simon followed on blue; I brought up the rear on yellow.  The stance was spacious, the belay was bolts.  ‘La Colère du ciel’ was in the bag and all that remained was two abseils and a snowy descent to our sacks.   It had been an excellent week.  We had climbed every day; save for the scheduled rest that followed the late night of blues at our hotel! 

It had not started so promisingly though.  We flew out to Geneva on Sunday and drove to the Auberge Edelweiss in La Grave.  Monday saw too many parties on ‘Le Pylône’ and only after a long struggle through the trees, did we find & climb Les Mauvaises Années; a route of limited quality and one which was rapidly disappearing under the steady fall of snowflakes.  It snowed throughout the evening.  

Next day we tried ‘La Gorge’, which followed a gully of smooth rock walls curtained in ice and punctuated with deep pools – the second of which was just that: deep water, no ice!  There was no way round.  The word was others had not been so lucky – avalanched from their route, pride dented. 

On Wednesday we changed our strategy; drove to Briançon, ‘discovered’ a new guidebook and followed the yellow brick road south to Ceillac, where conditions were superb on the north-facing right side of the upper valley.   The day was advanced but there was still time for an easy ride up ‘Easy Rider’: two good pitches up clean firm ice and a short walk off the back.  Just like Scotland, eh?  Next day we returned for more of the same, despite the 1½hour drive each way.  ‘Holiday on Ice’ is the left branch of a ‘Y’ gully, and this was our aspiration.  In the event there were fewer people on the right branch – the pragmatically named ‘Le Y (Branche de droite)’ – same length, same grade 250m II/3+ and the same straightforward walk off the back.  Throughout the day, under clear blue skies, we looked down on the bright clean sunlit ski slopes on the opposite side of the valley.  It really is like Scotland, isn’t it?  

The Auberge Edelweiss is a French hotel and restaurant, with a German name, run by a Brit and his Dutch wife, staffed by Swedes as well as French and discovered by Simon.  It was superb!  The food and the wine were as good as you would expect in France.  The conviviality was excellent. The drink flowed steadily each night.  But Thursday night was special.  I’m a keen blues fan and Thursday night is blues night.  ‘Back Door Blues’ a duo from Briançon braved the Col du Lautaret to entertain us till the early hours.  We rested on Friday and on Saturday, with conditions much improved around La Grave; we climbed ‘La Colère du ciel’. 

Holiday on Ice?  It certainly was, even if ‘Holiday on Ice’ will have to wait till next year.  

Tony Howard                        March 2008