ClimberMayJune2020

http://www.climber.co.uk may–jun 2020 43

Alpine DreAming – Visiting the Alps for the first time

Happy climbers with the

Madonna statue on the

summit of Gran Paradiso.

Photo: Klemen Gricar

Descending the Trient Glacier

after a successful ascent of

the Petite Fourche. Photo:

Alun Richardson

alun Richardson is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and photographer with 30

years’ experience in mountain ranges all over the world. He has worked

with Jagged Globe for longer than he can remember. Check him out at

http://www.alunrichardson.co.uk

Tom Briggs is an experienced climber and mountaineer with over 30 years’

experience and has been at Jagged Globe for over 20 years.

ALPINE GRADES AND CHOOSING A ROUTE

The overall grade combines altitude
and length, difficulty of approach
and descent, exposure, popularity,
objective dangers, orientation of the
route to the sun and exposure to
weather.

F (facile – easy)

Straightforward, possibly a glacier ap-

proach and very simple scrambling.

PD (peu difficile – somewhat difficult)

Longer and at altitude with snow

slopes up to 45°. The glaciers are more

complex, and the scrambling and

objective hazards are harder.

AD (assez difficile – fairly difficult)

D (difficile – difficult)

TD (très difficile – very difficult)

ED (extremely difficult)

TRAINING IN THE UK

So, what is the best way to prepare for
the Alps if you live in the UK? Scot-
land has some routes that are Alpine
in scale, such as Tower Ridge on Ben
Nevis, the Aonach Eagach Ridge and,
of course, the mountains of the Cuillin
on the Isle of Skye. However, these
are all committing and serious ob-
jectives themselves, so the crags and
mountains of Snowdonia or the Lake
District are a better choice to practise
the skills that you will use in the Alps.
Snowdonia, in particular, has a lot
of rocky ridge scrambling with the
techniques required to move efficient-
ly and safely over this type of terrain
being really important on many Alpine
routes. You can learn how to move
together, shortening and lengthening
the rope and using the features of the
rock, as well as placing protection,
to protect each member of the rope
team.
Covering a lot of ground in a day
is as important as the technical skills
that you can hone, as the sheer scale
of mountaineering in the Alps is a

challenge itself. You need to be fit and

be able to develop systems that allow

you to keep moving onwards and

upwards at a reasonable pace. Spend

the time in the UK to work on your

climbing technique, ropework, cloth-

ing and gear and generally reducing

your ‘faff levels’. Whilst you won’t

get everything right on your first trip

to the Alps, you will definitely benefit

from a UK-based trip where you focus

completely on preparing yourself. You

might consider joining a course in

the UK where you can absorb a lot of

knowledge and expertise in a relative-

ly short space of time.

Finally, don’t neglect any opportu-

nity to practise your climbing skills.

Even bouldering indoors can really

help you in terms of movement, agility

and balance when on a big Alpine

route, climbing in mountain boots.

Most cities now have indoor climbing

walls or dedicated bouldering centres.

These are a great for working on

technique, co-ordination and strength,

as well as being great fun. n