Trip with friends … The North Face
Life that sometimes you have to do in one day what we should do in two! After a quick phone call to the “L”, we come to wedge a date, a day! Wonderful, now with the vagaries of weather, I send forth the idea of a trip to the North Face of the Grand Pic de Belledonne. The appointment is taken at 5:30 in Grenoble on a Monday morning, despite a night of thunderstorms in the mountains. Less than an hour later, we start for a day that will end as to get used to our favorite restaurant in Saint Martin d’Heres, in the colonel, but later, much later than expected. We want to enjoy our day! The season was long, there, between us, we will laugh without stress! Fun!
But the “L” always has an idea and not far today, despite himself, he will be performing a belly ache and intense well head
We climb calmly, let’s superb refuge Jean Collet, and arrive at the small but surprising glacier at the foot of the North Face of the Grand Pic de Belledonne. That’s it, you’re in the bath. We must get off a good meter in the bergschrund to protect us from possible projectiles and reach the stone. It will loop in 1h the base. Rock not so bad if you chose the best way, but few copyrightable. Bad weather in the evening, we will have left some snow benches not so obvious to negotiate. Once at the foot of the difficulties, I assume to be the first climber, story that friend enjoys and can make its “breakfast” quietly relay under 6a / b!
The rock is good, and it’s nice to be serene in the face. The “L” will suffer a little history, especially in big and sick. Then we go out difficulties. The friend then will head to find a magical and short slab IV + worth visiting. The weather starts to change, it is 15h, and I hasten to find the easiest route to the summit on the last 100 meters. Certainly up there he does not live in a thunderstorm. We take advantage of the summit to break reassure everyone at home, and go downhill mode. DECORDE for more fluidity, we will have the flair and 1h to reach the neck of the Balmette. Not so obvious that North Little Difficult edge side. The rain / drizzle picked us at the foot of the North Face. We enjoy so very long journey to take beautiful pictures of the last rays of sun on Belledonne and Chartreuse.
8:40 p.m. car! But today, more than another, we goinfrerons us at Colonel to 22h. It has made the pleasure last until the end! Again thank you friend have to bear this great day despite the nausea and other returns ;-).