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A 2 day trek to Aiguille du Tour (3540m)
via the Albert refuge (2702m).1st/2nd August 2012.
Day 1.Weather: mainly hot and sunny.
Again we were lucky with our good weather for our 2nd high trip of our holiday.
With a short day ahead there was no rush to start, we got the cable-car up from Le Tour, from there we said our goodbye’s to Alan, Lillian, Diane (Who were all off home in the morning) and Carol who would await for us to return the next day, they went walking on the lower hills whilst we set off on the good track that slowly climbs the hillside up to the Albert hut.
Setting of for the Albert hutChamonix valleyBreventThere are great views down the Chamonix valley as you climb, and the Mont Blanc mountain range captivates your view.
Chamonix valleyThe path is much steeper as we neared the hut, which resembled as mixture of a monastery and a prison from below.
Albert hut pathAlbert hut pathAiguille du ChardonnetMont BlancAlbert hut routeAlbert hutAlbert hutAlbert hutWe reached the hut in an easy 2.20mins, time for an (expensive
) beer, but well worth it!
Beer time, Albert hutcamping site, Albert hutAuguille du TourThis is a very busy hut, being the usual 1st stop on the Haute route (which we hope to do next year) so its as well we had booked a few days earlier. Its certainly not as nice as the Refuse du Requin that we stopped in a few nights previous, The evening meal was ok, the breakfast was medeocre and the toilets were dire…the hole in the ground sort
.
Thunder clouds formingIn the evening during our evening meal the cloud bubbled up to give us some rain and thunder over Chamonix (so we were told, although we never heard it) So no spectacular sunsets for us that night, just a few more beers to sup until bedtime around 9.30pm.
This time I had a good nights sleep, thanks to remembering my ear-plugs this time
.
Day 2.Weather: Cloud early, then mainly hot and sunny, colder on ridges up high.
We awoke at 5.30am and away by 6.30am. After a few hundred meters we were over the rock and onto the glacier, it got fairly steep as we climbed high, but we moved fairly fast, by now acclimatised to the altitude.
En route to Auguille du TourEn route to Auguille du TourEarly morning sun, Auguille du TourEarly morning sun, Auguille du TourEarly morning sun, Auguille du TourAuguille du TourEn route to Auguille du TourEn route to Auguille du TourEn route to Auguille du TourEn route to Auguille du TourThe Col to Auguille du TourWe clambered over a rocky col (Not worth taking the crampons off for this short scramble) to the glacier on the other side, then more steep slopes led to the foot of the rocky spires of the Aiguille du Tour.
Views on Auguille du Tour routeViews on Auguille du Tour routeViews on Auguille du Tour routeViews on Auguille du Tour routeViews on Auguille du Tour routeMont Blanc framedMont Blanc framed
View to SwitzerlandViews on Auguille du Tour routeWe left our rucksacks and ice gear to climb up the shattered rock, the whole mountain side was so loose, extreme care had to be taken not to dislodge rocks as we climbed. After about 4 pitches that were needed for safety we reached the arie summit. Brilliant views down the Mont Blanc range and across the cloud inversion to the mountains of Switzerland.
The climb up to Auguille du TourAuguille du Tour summitAuguille du Tour summitAuguille du Tour summitAuguille du Tour summit viewOur route down was the same as our route up, once off the rock and cool air up high, we were back in the hot sun for the rest of the walk down.
Looking back to the Auguille du Tour ridgeAiguille du ChardnnetSo a nice cold beer was again very welcome in the Albert hut at around the halfway point.
Yet another awesome walk to file into the memory bank.
The video of the trek can be seen here:-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d83aHqMYe3U&feature=youtu.be