Alpine Elephant Accommodation

Climbing / ski touring hols

2010-04-07T17:08:00.007+02:00

As our visitors this winter know, I've been working as a physio this winter (and have recently started a new job in Devon) whilst Kath has been running the chalet.

This is also the plan for winter 2010 / 2011 i.e. Chalet Henriette will be offering catered or self-catered accommodation. We are both intending to run Christmas week (catered) then Kath will be running the chalet (with someone local to assist) for the rest of the season.

This summer / autumn (2010) the chalet will be available for self-catering only.

So I have had two holidays at the chalet in January and March. We did some very enjoyable skiing in the Grand Massif and at Praz de Lys, plus in March I had a couple of great ski touring outings (to the Pointe de Bellegarde overlooking the Fer a Cheval and to the Haute Pointe at Sommand).

I also managed to get out for a days alpinism with my friend Benoit (re. photos).
We skied from the Grand Montets into the Argentiere bassin and did the Frendo-Ravanel on the Aiguille Carree. It was in good condition and an enjoyable climb, and basically a great day out. I found the skiing very hard on the way back with a full pack and lack of practice! Regards Nick

Bearded Vultures 2010

2010-04-07T16:50:00.002+02:00

They're back and they've been busy!

Nest re-occupied: Kath first noticed the adults around the nest site in mid-January, though they may have been around a bit earlier. From the 21st January we noticed them on the nest continually, so were sure that they had returned and were propagating an egg (or eggs). We have enjoyed some great views of the adults on the nest and soaring locally. They are easier to view this year, it seems they are sitting higher on the nest somehow (or have slightly shifted its position) as we are consistently getting full views of their neck and head.

Hatching: Kath noticed a lot of commotion on the nest on sunday 28th March so she believes the youngster has hatched. If 2 eggs are laid, they are normally a few days apart; this is an 'insurance policy' and assuming both hatch the stronger predates the weaker (or the parents simply ignore the weak one and it dies).

ETD! Assuming all goes well with the rearing, the young takes several months to grow and its first flight should be scheduled for sometime in end July / beginning August!

2009/ 2010 Ski Season round-up

2010-04-07T16:38:00.004+02:00

February: A very good month, good amounts of snow and frequently cold temperatures, hence the skiing was often powdery!

March: Very cold at the beginning of the month, so conditions were excellent up to the middle of the month. Then we had a couple of weeks of very mild temperatures, which though it was lovely to enjoy the sun and the warmth, did mean the onset of 'spring snow' conditions and (as the mild period continued) less good skiing in the afternoons. This was a good period for ski touring.

April: At the end of March and beginning April we had a reversion to colder weather and frontal systems bringing snow, so there have been some excellent powder conditions again recently.

January conditions

2010-02-06T11:57:00.004+01:00

January has been a great month - good snow and generally very good weather, allowing us and our guests to really get out there and enjoy!

Kath, Jason and guests had a superb powder day last saturday, plus they've had a couple of really good days out on the snowshoes this week- enjoying getting out into unfrequented areas.

Kath and I had a fantastic view of the Bearded vultures - both adults seen on the nest on the 21st Jan. Plus we did an easy ice climb (mid-Jan) with our friend Nicholas - he really enjoyed his first ever ice climb and Kath (who traditionally begins to curse me half way up on these things) enjoyed it all the way!

Conditions are looking good for the forthcoming week too, with light snow showers today and then forecast to be cold and clear for the next few days, with more snow likely on thursday.
Regards N

A Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T23:24:00.006+01:00

(Photo of garden, 5/01/10)

Our run up to New Years Eve was a bit unpleasant, with some high winds and very mild temperatures (and rain!). It was (frustratingly!) ironic that the UK was very much colder at the time!

We had new guests arrive on the 30th Dec, and the view (and mood!) in the valley was rather gloomy when setting out their first morning (the 31st) with rain falling at lower levels. However, on arrival in the ski area the guys were greeted with 20cm of fantastic powder. Don't you just love it when that happens!

New Years day was fine, sunny and powdery, then more and more snow arrived from the 2nd Jan (as per the photo) and a fantastic week was had!

The skiing / boarding in the area has been great with 'off-piste on piste'.

Kath and friends have also got in a bit of ski-touring, which has been great in the new powder.

Re. wildlife, Kath & Jason were very excited to have a close encounter with a pair of Bearded vultures circling only 100m over head at the Gorges de Tines; they also saw an adult (most likely one of this pair) circling near the nest site on the cliff opposite us. Regards N&K

Winter 2009/2010

2009-12-24T13:28:00.002+01:00

So Winter 2009 has arrived with a bang!
Cold temperatures and large quantities of snow have been the pre-christmas flavour here (and throughout the UK and Europe as we all know!).
The autumn was generally mild and the build-up wasn't great, but this has been rectified by large quantities falling in the week beginning 14th December, i.e. a week before the season commenced.
In the run up to Christmas we've had more snow with fluctuating temperatures, and quite high winds at times. This seems to be the picture for next week, with at least a couple of weather fronts coming through. This may mean difficult skiing conditions at times, but will mean yet more snow!!
Happy Christmas to everyone and a great New Year!
Regards N&K

Looking forward to WINTER!

2009-10-28T22:19:00.003+01:00

So we're still in Cornwall....Now the clocks have gone back and its a bit dark and grim in the evenings our thoughts are turning keenly to the winter in the Alps! We're looking forward to exciting snowstorms and bright, dry days and winter wonderland!
Kath will be returning to Chalet Henriette at the end of November to start preparations for the season; I shall return to France for Christmas week (still finishing my physio contract in the UK till then). We are going to be ably assisted this season by Jason Miller (aka the chalet boy!) who is a good friend and a mad keen boarder. Jason gave us a massive helping hand in the renovations of 2007 (when we did the 2nd floor conversion) and we're looking forward to having him back and to a great season!
So here's to a fantastic 2009/2010 winter and perhaps see you soon! N&K
To contact us in the meantime please phone 07540 422555 or use our normal email addresses: info@alpineelephant.com or alpineelephant@neuf.fr

Autumn 2009 - updated

2009-09-05T17:18:00.003+02:00

Kath & I are back in the UK (in Cornwall) for the autumn. We are both working as physios to keep up our registration and earn some pennies. Its lovely to be back in the UK and catch up with friends and family. The dogs are loving going for walks on the beach and we are getting out surfing quite a bit, plus I've been doing some great climbing on the local sea-cliffs. We will return to France in the beginning of December to run the 2009/2010 winter season; the chalet is kindly being looked after by local friends whilst we are away.
To contact us please use the normal email addresses: either info@alpineelephant.com or alpineelephant@neuf.fr. The mobile is the same: 0033611 695 079 or you can contact us on our UK mobile: 07540 422555. Regards N&K

The vulture has landed!!! (and flown again)

2009-08-05T21:39:00.002+02:00

We're really pleased to announce that the young Bearded vulture has successfully fledged. It has been sighted by the nature reserve wardens in flight, and doing fine. There was some concern last week following its first flight on wednesday (29th July) when it was unable to gain sufficient height to return to the nest. With each new attempt to fly it was losing altitude and the wardens were concerned (perhaps overly!!) that it might reach a point where it would get stuck in dense forest from where getting elevation would be difficult (for a bird built for soaring flight). This would have made it vulnerable to predators etc.
We did think this concern was a bit over the top given that this species survived for hundreds and probably thousands of years before mankind eliminated the alpine populations in the early 20th century! But it is certainly brilliant that the bird has shown its capacity to cope (!) and this successful fledging makes it very likely that we shall see the adults again - quite probably next year - for another attempt at a brood. Apparently the adults normally breed each year, and will feed this young one for a few more weeks before sending it away to find its own territory. Regards N&K

Summer activities, alpinism.

2009-07-18T13:26:00.003+02:00

In late June, I had a brilliant few days climbing with Mark McCarthy.

We did the North face of the Pain de Sucre d'Envers (the first photo shows the summit ridge) and a couple of days later the Couturier Couloir on the Aiguille Verte. (The second photo shows the view into the Argentiere basin on the evening before the climb).

Both climbs went really well, and we did them in good conditions and very good times. Both climbs were excellent, perhaps the Pain de Sucre was the most atmospheric and it was certainly more interesting from a technical point of view, however this was balanced by the satisfaction of summitting the Aiguille Verte, a mountain I've wanted to climb for some years now. Nick

Bearded vulture update...flying soon...

2009-07-18T13:23:00.003+02:00

The young vulture is fully feathered and its first flight is imminent. It is very dark in colour, lacking the white (and ochre) colouring of the adults. With this success, it is likely that the adults will return to the nest site to attempt another brood next year. A resident pair of Bearded vultures in the Bargy (approx 30 km from us) have nested 13 years in a row, so we hope 'our' vultures will be as prolific! N

Summer activities, alpinism.

2009-07-18T13:03:00.003+02:00

In early June I made an attempt on the Shroud (or 'Linceul') on the Grand Jorasses with Benoit Rossett. Conditions were good, though crossing the rimaye involved a fair detour.

Unfortunately we went too far left in the bottom portion of the climb and were drawn into an area of thinly iced slabs (no depth or cohesion to the snow/ice) and lost a lot of time in downclimbing to our previous position. So we decided to abandon the climb. We were totally gutted but it was a good decision and I look forward to coming back! (And sticking further right!!) N

April and May 2009, activities etc

2009-06-01T17:25:00.005+02:00

A newt at the edge of thawing ice near the Col d'Anterne, 30th May.

Climbing the NE ridge of the Petite Aiguille Verte.

On the approach and climbing on the Cosmiques Arete.

Near the Belvedere de Reposoir (on the descent from the Pointe d'Anterne).

Bearded vulture: The youngster has been seen out of the nest, apparently practising using its wings. But it still has lots of down, so it will be a while before it tries to fly - we hope!

Walking: Did an ascent of Le Buet on saturday 30th May...weather not great during the middle of the day (cloud, hail) but a satisfying outing none-the-less. Route taken: Lignon to Col d'Anterne, traversed ridge via Grenier de Villy, then Buet, then descent via Grenairon.
Comments: Still a fair bit of snow, but clear where it counted (on the wire sections etc). Saw several marmottes, a fox and approx a dozen Ibex (mix of youngsters and females).

Climbing / Ski touring:
Kath and I had a really nice outing with our friend Marcel (aka ski hire man) to the Pointe d'Anterne (in mid-April). We also climbed the Cosmiques Arete in late April - an enjoyable day. I also did the Petit Aiguille Verte with a friend Fabian soon after. Lots of people out!
We skied the Vallee Blanche in early May with a few friends, and it was still in pretty good condition, a few naughty crevasses at the bottom of the Geant icefall though. N

Bearded vulture update...

2009-04-29T14:45:00.003+02:00

Though we haven't seen it yet, we are confident from their behaviour that the adults are rearing a youngster....and the nature reserve wardens have run a lucky dip competition to name it, so they must be very confident too!
We've had lots of good sitings recently of the adults coming to and from the nest (changing over), preening themselves during the evening and doing nest repairs. N&K

Bearded Vultures in the valley!

2009-04-17T17:02:00.008+02:00

We are very privileged to have a pair of Bearded Vultures,the Gypaetus Barbatus (or Lammergeyer) nesting in the valley. Apparently the young should have hatched about 2 weeks ago (i.e. end March) and from their behaviour the adults seem to be feeding their brood. Normally, 2 eggs are laid and the first born will predate the other, so there is just one young bird to rear. Apparently the young bird takes 3-4 months to rear before it is ready to leave the nest.
We are lucky enough to be able to see the nest from the balcony of the chalet, so have been able to observe the birds on the nest via telescope and see the adults in flight by naked eye.
Very exciting! For more information click on the title above to follow a link to an article in the Spiegel Online (from where this photo from the Alpenzoo Innsbruck was sourced) or follow: http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,435307,00.html .
Another very informative article is at the WWF site: http://www.wwf.or.th/what_we_do/where_we_work/alps/news/?21330/A-close-shave-for-Switzerlands-bearded-vulture
And:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/beardedvulture/beardedvulture.html
Plus:
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/science_technology/Bearded_vulture_chick_flies_into_history_books.html?siteSect=514&sid=7703041&cKey=1176281261000&ty=st
N&K

Ice climbing round up - 2008/2009 season

2009-04-17T16:26:00.004+02:00

Its been a great season for the local valley water ice. The climbs were coming into condition from early December and continued to be climbable till the last week of March (my last route was the 20th March 09). It wasn't a very cold season, but temperatures were consistently sub-zero for a prolonged period, with only a few (and short-lived) mild patches. A lot of the lower climbs in the valley bottom (e.g. at 750m altitude) were in great nick through Jan and Feb and there were several repeats of awe-inspiring stuff in the Fer a Cheval such as the Cascade de la Lyre (VI, 7).
Though I had a slow start, I managed to get out and climb on 16 days and did some fantastic climbing, with some personal bests in March. My top ice climbs for this year were La Dame du Lac (V, 6+) and Ilynx (IV, 6) at Lac de Montriond, La Ligne Verte (IV, 5+, M6) in the Vallee des Fonts sector and Double Cigare (III, 5+) in the Vallon de Sales.
We also had a successful Ice Festival week 17-25th January, with 6 climbers staying with us. Of course they came on a week where we had a relative mild spell and lots of fresh snow, but some good stuff was done all the same!
For photos to wet your appetitie please see my Flickr account - http://www.flickr.com/photos/alpineelephant/ - there are 2 slideshows available, one with photos solely from the ice climbing week, one being a bumper collection of all my best recent local ice climbing photos.
Owing to the success of this years 'ice fest' we're going to run 2 weeks next season, dates TBC. The format will be the same, with catered accommodation and full logistical support e.g. transport to / from the walk ins, providing up to date information on the routes and conditions etc, perhaps even joining in with a bit of climbing if requested!
Regards, Nick

End of the 2008/2009 ski season!

2009-04-13T17:37:00.004+02:00

Well, we've survived another season!! The resort carries on for another week, but our last guests left on Sunday. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with us - it's certainly been one of the most enjoyable winter seasons that we've had (the 4th one!).

The snow (and ice) conditions have been great, though it was getting pretty hot in the last week (about 23 degrees at the chalet!) so there was some heavy skiing in the afternoons!

The Cascade du Rouget is now in full flow (1st photo) - hard to imagine climbing it as we (and various guests) did in January.

Kath and I have got out and done a bit of ski touring - the other photo shows Kath nearing the refuge du Grenarion with a view over to the Paroi d'Anterne (i.e. the cliff that forms the left of the Point de Sales, when looking from our lounge window).

So now for a bit of a rest, and hopefully some good ski touring and climbing before a visit back to the UK - and then the summer.

Regards Nick & Kath

1st week March - round up

2009-03-06T12:45:00.001+01:00

1st week of March...Not the best week for our guests weather wise but with a reward of powder snow at the end. It was mild and murky at the beginning, with a return to snowy, wintry conditions on thursday... We did get some nice sunshine on Tuesday morning and (unexpectedly) on wednesday. Today we have a lot of fresh powder (30cm at chalet level, 860m) due to continuous light snow all day yesterday and overnight. (last updated Friday 6th March 09).

Recent ice climbing

2009-02-28T13:47:00.002+01:00

Having been busy with guests (and with skiing) and due to lots of snow I haven't managed to get out climbing in February apart from doing one route - 'La Ligne Verte' with my friend Benoit Rossett.

This was an awesome route, and a very big tick, which we were really pleased with. For more photos / info click on the title above to go to my Flickr album or go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alpineelephant/

Regards Nick

February update

2009-02-28T13:08:00.005+01:00

English half term has been and gone and we're nearing the end of the French holidays - so everything is quietening down after the busy period of the season. The weather in the last fortnight has been absolutely marvellous with a day of snow and a cloudy day in each week and otherwise lovely sunny weather. So there's been great powder to be had and its been great on the pistes. We've had 2 lovely weeks with the McBrides / Smith / Bingham / Rawlings posse's and then the Williams / Francis / Cameron clan!

The bottom 2 pictures are views from the top of Les Carroz. Regards N&K

Snowy and cold...

2009-02-10T16:54:00.003+01:00

Update for tuesday 10/02/09: Lots of snow falling today, with more due tonight, tomorrow and into thursday. Its going to be very cold, and the cold temperatures are forecast to continue well into next week (though the precipitation should be less from thursday). So its looking very good for skiing (and ice-climbing!) for Feb half-term and beyond. Bring it on!

Off piste malarky!

2009-02-09T18:08:00.003+01:00

Saturday (7th Feb) was the last day for the Morton clan (Ian, Wendy, Sally and Claire) on their 3rd visit. With the fresh snow (approx 20-30cm) we spent the day in Sixt and had great fun skiing the off piste black 'Planay'. Its not steep but very 'off piste', Sally wouldn't believe I was actually taking them down a designated run!

Having lost at cards the night before I was wearing the 'Suit of Shame' (honest, its not my normal ski wear).

No prizes for spotting this desirable item, which may once have been highly fashionable.

Regards N&K

Snow update

2009-02-07T10:05:00.003+01:00

We've had approx 20-30cm of fresh snow today - still falling - and more due monday / tuesday. So conditions throughout the Grand Massif are excellent.
Even before this latest fall the pistes have been in superb nick eveywhere, including all the lowest runs - e.g. the Piste de Cascades, the red and black down to Vercland from Samoens, all of the runs at Sixt Fer a Cheval...
So its been a great season and looks sets to continue that way!
Regards N&K

Ski de fond

2009-02-05T18:38:00.003+01:00

Kath & I had a lovely day out on thursday doing Ski de fond (cross country) around Samoens / Vallon. The piccie shows me by the river at Samoens (very near the Grand Massif Express telecabine).

The cold temperatures have meant great fun for ski de fond fans this winter.

Powder days!

2009-01-27T18:51:00.004+01:00

After a long period of sunny and cold weather (so cold that the pistes have stayed in superb condition throughout) we've just a week with several active westerly fronts depositing fresh snow.

We had a lovely morning on sunday, out skiing the local pistes of Sixt Fer a Cheval. Lots of fresh tracks to be made, hardly anyone about! Heres a piccie taken at about 10am, note the lack of people on the main blue piste!

Regards N&K

Ice climbing 'Festival' week

2009-01-26T19:06:00.003+01:00

Our first Ice climbing 'fest' was a great week, with 6 climbers (Dave Andrew, Pete Holden, Dave Richards, Richard Hopkinson, Dave McKinney, Chris Woodall) staying with us for 8 nights. A big thanks to them for coming!

The build up to the week had been perfect - loads of ice at all levels, low temperatures for a month and half, stable snowpack.....so of course the weather turned on the day of arrival and we had to contend with a series of westerly fronts bringing milder temperatures and some rain / snow! This made route selection more tricky, as on a couple of days the milder temperatures meant doing lower routes wasn't a sensible option and then after the dump of snow on the monday / tuesday the higher routes were fairly plastered and we had to be wary of avalanche etc. However, because of the excellent build up there was always something to go for and people went climbing on 6 days out of 8 (with some skiing and walking on off days). Some great routes were done as the photos show (click on the title above or go to our flickr album / slideshow for more photos from the week: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alpineelephant/sets/72157613043434470/)

Routes done included:

'Torrent du Vivier' I, 3+ (several ascents)

'Cascade du Rouget' II, 4 (several ascents)

'Douche Ecossaise' II, 2

'Bain Moussant' II, 5

'Cascade du Deschargeux' II, 3

'Double Cigare' III, 5+

'Cascade du Nant d'Ant' II, 5 (several ascents)

'Le Sortilege du Bois des Brumes II, 5

Plus 2 unnamed routes:

One in the Cascade de Rouget area: I, 4 (several ascents)

One in the Le Perret 'Coin de Rue' area: I, 4 (several ascents)

On the last night we enjoyed a slideshow courtesy of Pete Holden about a recent trip he made to Mexico, and we were also able to look at a slideshow of all the photos taken that week. Again, thanks to all who came and a big thanks to Kath for the 'behind the scenes' stuff, the excellent cooking and for letting me go out and climb with our guests on 4 days! Regards Nick

Ice climbing at Chalet Henriette, 2008/2009

2009-01-26T18:02:00.000+01:00

Theres been some great ice action this season with plenty being done in the last month. I've been out with lots of different people - this included taking Kath on the local Cascade du Rouget (II, 4). We see it from the lounge window so we both agreed it had to be done, though it is years since Kath last climbed any ice!

Our first ice climbing festival week (17-25th Jan 09) has just finished successfully. Conditions for the preceding month had been near to perfect - settled snowpack, cold and clear with a great build up. Of course the day our climbers arrived the weather changed and we were affected by a series of westerly fronts that caused milder temperatures and brought lots of fresh snow. So this made climbing a bit more tricky! However, due to the excellent build up (and some reasonable weather for most of the week) we were still able to get out (climbing on 6 out of 8 possible days, with 1 days skiing or walking) and some great routes got done. I was able to accompany our guests on 4 days so was chuffed with that.

I've just created a new Flickr account with lots of the climbing photos - there are 2 albums reached by clicking on the title of this post (or go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/alpineelephant/).

The photos from the last weeks 'ice fest' are in the "Ice festival, Chalet Henriette" slideshow; then these and additional photos of the area etc are all featured in the larger slideshow "Ice climbing, Sixt Fer a Cheval". Enjoy,
Regards Nick

Snow, snow, snow!

2008-12-26T15:42:00.003+01:00

These photos were taken in the back garden on the 18th December. Guinness is modelling for us to show the depth of the snow! Regards N&K

December 2008

2008-12-26T15:28:00.004+01:00

The ski / ski touring season has got off to a fantastic start this year, thanks to lots of snow-fall from the end of November onwards.

I've been out on my touring skis on several occasions before the ski area opened, making the most of some amazing powder! The first few photos show a day in Morillon in the week before the lifts opened.

The last couple of photos show Morillon again, but on the first weekend of the season for the Grand Massif (the 13/14th December), when Kath and I got out on the Saturday. Great skiing again - in lots of powder - and with hardly a soul around as the photos show!

Current views from the chalet

2008-12-15T13:05:00.005+01:00

Here are some views from snowy Salvagny!

The first photo shows the front view of the chalet;

The next is the view from the kitchen;

The next one is a view from the front of the chalet / balconies;

The last one is the view from the top balcony towards the Piste des Cascades.

Pre winter outings

2008-12-15T12:56:00.002+01:00

We were getting out and doing a bit of walking and climbing before the onset of the winter...

I did a nice 6 pitch rock climb at the Col de Columbiere with a friend Pete, on the last day that rock climbing was really possible (16th November). We enjoyed a fantastic inversion, with the cloud lapping at the base of the cliff and us in brilliant sunshine. (Photo on top left).

Kath and I also had a great walk up the Mole; we nearly didn't get out but knew that (again) there should be an inversion (we were in the clag at home). So we dragged ourselves out and were very glad of it - within an hour or so we were out of the murk and enjoying amazing panoramic views as the last 2 photos show.

Regards N&K

Winter Wonderland!

2008-11-26T14:26:00.003+01:00

Well, winter is here now ! Following last weekends snow we've got about 40cm or so at Chalet level (just under 900 metres) and it is Winter Wonderland! The temperatures have been cold though not excessive (minus 3 at the chalet for the last couple of nights) and there is masses of ice building up on the ice climbs in the Vallon de Sales (seen from the lounge window!). There is a lot of activity on the ski pistes at Sixt Fer a Cheval and on the Piste de Cascades with the workers preparing for the imminent season (scheduled opening 19/12/08). We've already had a good build up in October and early November with several snowfalls that had left a good snow base above 1800 metres or so. So its looking like a very good start to the season... Haven't been out in the white stuff just yet as we are doing a bit of work on our downstairs rooms, but we hope to be out ice climbing and / or ski touring on the weekend of 6/7th December. Will post up some current photos soon. Regards Nick

Early season snow!

2008-10-30T12:07:00.009+01:00

This bodes well for a great start to the winter season for the Grand Massif! Here are 4 photos taken from Chalet Henriette this morning (thursday 30th October) after the snowfall of yesterday / last night which fell down to about 650 metres. Bring it on!

Alpinism 2008 - round up

2008-10-30T12:00:00.007+01:00

Hi all, well I've had a brilliant October and did 3 more routes (in the Mont Blanc massif) with Jeff Ingman who came over at the end of the month.

We took the cable car up to the Aig de Midi and stayed up at the Abri Simond for 2 nights, doing 3 days of climbing.

Our first route was the Pellissier couloir, a fantastic gully on the Pointe de Lachenal. It was mostly ice with a bit of mixed and then a full-on rock pitch (crampons off) to finish. Brilliant climbing - photo of the 2nd to last pitch above.

The next day we attempted the Cascades de Cosmiques, which appeared to be formed enough. However, after a couple of interesting pitches (with some technical rock and thin ice smears) we found the crux ice pitch to be way too thin to trust and backed off. We then spent the rest of the day chilling out in glorious sunshine at the Abri Simond and enjoying the cloud inversion in the valley!

On our last day we set off to do the Midi Plan traverse (as a return trip due to the state of the glacier d'Envers du Plan). Unfortunately Jeff was feeling ill and it wasn't wise for him to continue. I teamed up with 2 French climbers, Francois and Maud, to do the route. As expected it was a fantastic outing, but quite an effort to reclimb the Rognon de Plan...it was interesting to note several parties turning back at the Rognon and the fact that we were the only party to do (and have recently tracked) the extra bit from the Rognon to the Aiguille de Plan.

I've added all the recent photos to my alpine web-album - link to this by clicking the title above.

Thanks to everyone I've climbed with this year - Olivier, Neil, Warren, Barry, Colin, Jeff, Francois, Maud - for making it a great one for alpinism!

Regards, Nick

Walking - summer & autumn 2008.

2008-10-16T16:00:00.007+02:00

After a good summer, we've also had a nice autumn (sorry to all those who've been stuck in the UK!) and we've had the chance to do some more really nice walking. We had a particularly good day recently on the Point de Marcelly (top most photo) with a superb walk/scramble on the ridge and amazing views. We also accompanied Marcel (aka "ski hire man" and ESF instructor) to stay in his summer chalet in the Vallon de Sales (the upper Vallon de Sales is in the bottom most photo). Marcel will be leading ski tours this winter which will include a one night stay in his fantastic little chalet, so it was good to check it out. We were impressed by the wood burning stove, and a considerable quantity of 'aperos' were downed (aperitifs) before a great fondu. The web-album has just been updated with new shots, so if you'd like to see some photos (of walks in the Haute Giffre and Bellevaux areas) click on the title above. Regards N&K

Alpinism (October) 2008

2008-10-13T18:15:00.012+02:00

As hoped, the weather has been kind this month and Colin (Morrison) and myself got some really nice routes in (during the beginning of October). These were in the Mont Blanc Massif and the Ecrins. We did 2 routes in the Tour/Trient area (the north face of the Tete Blanche and the Petite Fourche on one day, the NE ridge of the Aiguille de Tour the next) just before the arrival of a weather system that left a fairly reasonable amount of snow in the Northern Alps. So we then went down to the Ecrins national park and did the traverse of Mont Pelvoux. This is a fantastic mountain and we were able to do a beautiful route - the Coolidge Couloir - in great condition. The descent (of the Violettes Glacier) was quite a mission however and a very long day was had! I shall post up a description of the descent soon to (hopefully) help anyone who wants to do it. The Ecrins is where I was first inspired to climb, so it was wonderful to go back there and I hope it won't be too long before I can get down there again. For some photos click on the title above to go to the web-album. Regards Nick

October snow!

2008-10-03T19:25:00.006+02:00

These photos were taken friday 3rd Oct in the evening; the first one is from one of the upstairs bedrooms at Chalet Henriette, the next from the kitchen. As shown there was a fair bit of snow fall today, down to about 1100-1200m. Its very exciting as though we're very much enjoying the autumn (with the leaves just starting to turn lovely colours) this feels like the start of the build-up for the winter ski and climbing season! N&K

Alpinism 2008

2008-09-28T13:52:00.008+02:00

My alpine routes were kicked off in June of this year with an ascent of the Rebuffat-Pierre route on the Eperon des Cosmiques. Fantastic golden granite and nobody around! In August I managed to join up with a keen Scottish contingent (Neil, Warren and Andy) on a weekend up at the Col de Midi. We did the traverse of the Pointes de Lachenal on our day of arrival (which is a really nice short outing), before (on the 2nd day) Warren and I did the Contamine-Mazeaud on the North face Triangle and then continued to the summit of Mont Blanc du Tacul. This was a great route and was in fantastic condition. Neil and Andy did the Chere couloir and really enjoyed that. This was a week or 2 before the tragedy on the voie normal of the Tacul (which is still in a very active and dangerous state).
Later in August I did the NW arete of Mont Tondu with Barry Atkinson. Mont Tondu is a lovely peak sitting at the SW end of the Mont Blanc area, overlooking the Tre la Tete glacier. Its a great route, not hard (PD-) but full of character and very varied. We stayed in the Conscrits hut, which must be my favourite refuge, great food and a really 'sympa' guardian. We had our own room so I slept unusually well!
Click on the title above to go to my Alpinism web-album if you'd like to see some photos.
A friend (Colin) is due out today for a 10 day spell, hopefully we'll get some good stuff done.
Will update this as appropriate!
Regards, Nick

Our new website is live!

2008-09-08T16:14:00.005+02:00

The new Alpine Elephant Accommodation website has gone live! This is now full of information on all of our alpine walking and skiing holidays, plus our new special interest activity holidays: ice-climbing, ski-touring, wildlife spotting and mushroom foraging. We've updated a lot of information and included new features such as Guest comments and a lot more photos.

New for this coming winter are our Ice climbing 'festival' weeks, dedicated to those who want to get on the frozen stuff, and also an Introduction to Ski Touring for those who'd like to extend their skiing enjoyment! This is a day outing with a qualified instructor (all equipment provided) split over an afternoon and the following morning with an overnight stay and traditional meal in a mountain chalet. No previous experience needed but you'll need to be confident off-piste.

Hope you'll join us! Regards, Nick & Kath

Summer season (walking) 2008.

2008-08-23T18:12:00.011+02:00

Its been a good summer for us and we've managed to get out and do a good amount of walking and climbing (plus 2 trips back to the UK in May and July). When we've been here in France the weather has been lovely, not too hot, but lots of sunny warm days. We have had some impressive thunderstorms though and got a good soaking on several occasions!

Most of our walking has (of course) been in the local area of the Haute Giffre, but we've also gone into the Bellevaux area. We've had several trips into the Cirque de Fer a Cheval, and memorable walks / scrambles to places such as the upper Vallon de Sales, the Criou, the traverse of the Roc d'Enfer, the refuge du Grenairon and the Point de Marcelly. Some of our guests have spent several nights in the local refuges, with top marks seeming to go to the Refuge du Grenairon for its superb food! The photos can be seen in our Walking 2008 web-album, reached by clicking the title above. Regards, Nick & Kath

Ice climbing in the Haute Giffre / Grand Massif

2008-06-18T13:56:00.015+02:00

Here are a few photos of the ice climbing in the Haute Giffre / Grand Massif area (near Samoens, 1 hours drive from Geneva, approx 10 miles north of Chamonix). This is an unknown area to (nearly all!) British climbers, with a massive potential. It has a legendary reputation in France (for the climbs in the Cirque du Fer a Cheval in particular) and hundreds of awesome ice climbs (the local guide lists over 270 ice and mixed climbs). A lot of these were climbed only very recently so there is a lot of potential for exploration and new routes (the guide was 1st published 2007!).

To see a slideshow with more photos click on the title above - it shows climbs from the last 3 winters, i.e. 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08. The routes shown are all within our local area (near to Sixt Fer a Cheval and Samoens), and many are actually visible from the lounge window at Chalet Henriette (where the walk-in starts!) or were max. 10 mins drive away. Regards Nick

Winter season 2007/2008

2008-04-24T11:43:00.018+02:00

A big thank you to all our guests. Having expanded to five bedrooms we've had a lot more people which has been great - more work but a lot of fun!

2007/2008 was a fantastic season for snow with powder galore throughout December, January, March and April, with only a bit of a lull in late Feb and early March.

We've created a slideshow of selected photos from the season including skiing antics, climbing and ski touring - you may be in there! Just click on the title above and you'll go to our web albums. With special thanks to John B and the Mortons for sending us copies of their photos. Any others are welcome! Regards Nick and Kath

Ski tours 2007 / 2008

2008-04-23T13:55:00.004+02:00

I really got into ski touring this year - thanks are due to Kath and Terry (the master!). Follow the links (click on the title above to begin) to see some photos of tours in the Haute Giffre and Chamonix area. A particular highlight was the classic 3 cols trip with Terry at the end of the season. Heres to more next year. Regards to all involved! Nick

Summer season 2007.

2007-10-25T12:23:00.004+02:00

We closed throughout Summer and Autumn 2007 to allow us to renovate the 2nd floor and install 2 new rooms - a lot of hardwork but very worthwhile. However, in between the dust and noise we did get out and do a bit of good stuff; and enjoyed visits from Jas and Susan and Andy. Photos via clicking the title above. Regards N&K

Winter season 2006/2007

2007-05-06T14:07:00.008+02:00

In common with the rest of Europe there wasn't a lot of snow around at the beginning of the 2006/2007 season. During Christmas week there was only a restricted area of skiing (though all the Grand Massif resorts were open) and it wasn't possible to link between the resorts as usual.

Fortunately New Year week began with a dump of snow that meant the whole of the linked area was open and functioned as normal for the rest of the season. In sharp contrast to a lot of peoples expectations (fed by the British media showing pictures of green fields and zero snow) the pistes were with few exceptions in excellent condition and this remained the case into April (good work by the pisteurs!). Its true to say that the off piste was a bit thin until the end of Feb / March, but all in all it was heartening to think of how good things were given the very poor start.

Anyway, a lot of fun was had, with lovely groups and some memorable days out, within the Grand Massif ski area plus trips to Praz des Lys and Courmayeur and a mission over to Chamonix to do the Vallee Blanche. Plus I managed to sneak out and get some ice climbing in, despite quite fickle iceing conditions due to the relatively high temperatures of this year.

For a slideshow of our best photos click on the title above. Regards N&K

Summer season 2006.

2006-11-25T13:21:00.004+01:00

A lovely summer, with visits from various friends and guests. A lot of nice walking and climbing was done, and visits to Chamonix and Annecy etc. The Tour de France came through Samoens and we sat in the sun and watched it all flash by! Photos via the title link above. Regards N&K

Winter season 2005/2006

2006-05-05T14:09:00.004+02:00

Our first winter season kicked off in great style with masses of snow in November, and great conditions that continued to nearly the end of April. Thanks to all who supported us! Photos via clicking on the title above. Regards N&K

Summer season 2005.

2005-11-25T13:35:00.001+01:00

Our first summer - quiet, but with a few visits from friends and self-catering guests. We enjoyed some fantastic walking and amazingly stable and sunny conditions throughout the Autumn. Click on the title above to see some photos. Regards N&K