http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes ... _claims_8/
8/24/08
Lot of accidents happening this season (K2 claiming 11) over 100 deaths this year in the Alps (France, Swiss, Italy combined).
What struck me about this particular accident was two weeks ago i was descending down the exact route these climbers were ascending when the avalanche came. A friend and I had just finished climbing on the "triangle" of Tacul, the obvious rock/ice face on the left of the photo Climbing.com published. Many parties choose to rappel down from there (its about 350 meters) but we choose to continue up to the top and walk down the sloping snow field where the avalanche occurred.
We spent 5 nights camped up in this part of the Alps and quite honestly thought an accident would happen simply from the hordes of folks "climbing" Mont Blanc via the "Trois Mont du Mont Blanc" route which is where this accident happened. It starts up Mont Blanc du Tacul via the sloping snow field, on to Mont Maudit and finishes with the summit of Mont Blanc. Everyday of clear weather, there was essentially a clusterfuck of people hiking up this glacier slog roped together. Sometimes as many as 50 in a row with close to 100 total at times going up the section where the avalanche came from.
Niles quite F-ing around up there in Euro high country B4 you kill you ass. What a great way to die, snow packed like mackerel with 80 Parisian weekenders.
Caribe, I'm safe and sound don't worry . I won't argue that an avalanche would be a horrible way to go but so would being run over by an SUV riding my bike to dinner on Maxwell st (happened couple days ago). You already know the odds I'm sure.
We gotta climb together soon man, Aaron and I are physched for the fall! He may be leaving the start of next year for a new land, we gotta all hang.
sendit wrote:He may be leaving the start of next year for a new land, we gotta all hang.
I am stoked 4 that bra. I will be in Estes Park, the Needles and Devil's Tower with a friend from Sept 1-12, but after that I am going to be the unkool guy and the weakest link wanting to chill with the popular super strong kids.
. I won't argue that an avalanche would be a horrible way to go but so would being run over by an SUV riding my bike to dinner on Maxwell st (happened couple days ago). You already know the odds I'm sure. 