Shortly after Terry and John Hollands met the Hungarian team on one of their favourite playgrounds in Croatia, the opportunity came to join their meet in Ailefroide. As the Ecrins National Park is where we’ve been going for holiday every year since 2006, this time we just had one good reason more!
Unfrotunately my daughter Jenna sprained her ankle just two days before the planned departure so she and her boyfriend stayed at home and I made this long journey alone. But there was a Hungarian friend, Ildi, waiting for me in Vallouise and three English friends, Jill, Terry and John, in Ailefroide. And that absolutely wonderful landscape!!! So I had a strong motivation to drive all that long way!
Arriving at the campsite I thought I took the wrong way and ended up in England there were so many English people around me. I was happy to meet some of the huge team, and even happier having the opportunity to climb with them.
One of the most beautiful routes was Eperon Bouchier, a 7 pitch easy climb which I did with „two old buggers and a young manâ€.
One of the best things about this place is variety. You can try so many different types of rock, granite, limestone, conglomerate, quartzite and even gabbro. Unfortunately the gabbro place was a bit far away and the road leading up to the crag at 2400 metres is closed at 8 in the morning, so we chose not to visit there. Instead, we tried the conglomerate at Mont Dauphin. Terry was not too enthusiastic about this but in the end I guess he liked it too. I absolutely loved it!
Some other day we tried superb quartzite rocks in the wonderful neighbourhood of the Col d’Izoard.
We climbed a lot here so we really deserved cake and coffee afterwards.
I liked this place so much that the next day I came back here for a hike. I took the windy road up to Col d’Izoard which was a very exciting drive. From there I walked up a path to a lake at 2500 metres, and then I pushed further up to a ridge at 2800 metres. The view from there was absolutely breathtaking!!!
And let’s not forget about animals:
It was great to meet the English, they were very friendl.y and funny folks and I learned a lot of new words, and at least 6-7 different words just for rain! I guess my favourite is „It’s raining stair rods†And it was even greater to climb with the English! I certainly looking forward to our trip to England in September!
Good blog, cat and cake (as well as climbing etc).
Hope we might meet in September!
Ah Ailefroide, what a great place – I remember climbing some awesome routes (up to 13 pitches long) literally minutes from the campsite. 😛 Even better than roadside climbing! Also, there were piles of wild strawberries, raspberries, and myrtles to be collected all around. :yum: It’s weeks till we get away on our holidays – keep the stories coming to keep my mind filled with alpine scenery while I work on this dull, well, work. 🙁
Pity I’m back at dull work already! 😥 😥 😥
Great piccys of the views. When we were there (2006) it rained a lot… we left to go to Chamonix, where it also rained a lot. Oh well, that’s the Alps in August for you.
Looks like piccy 5 is tarte au myrtle :yum: :yum: :yum: :yum:
Yeah, Dalma only knew three people at first but ended up knowing half the UK climbing establishment at the joint AC/CC/FRCC/Wayfarers’ Meet 😛