for crampons and decide against,
because the white stuff here is nice and
compacted. What is required, however,
is concentration because the path is
narrow and exposed. One careless
footstep could result in a tumble down
the mountainside. For that reason,
Dawson gives me an ice axe and we
go through various axe arrest positions
designed to break your fall if you lose
your footing.
By now the peaks rising before us are
covered in a serene blanket of untouched
snow, and we can see the refuge up
ahead where we’ll be spending the
night. The final hour of the day is the
hardest, with my heart rate soaring and
the temperature plummeting. It’s about
minus 8° as we shuffle into Les Mouflons
private refuge. The dorm rooms and
beds are basic but clean and after a day
of walking uphill, any flat comfy surface
feels like luxury.TAKE MY BREATH AWAYOur plan is to set off for the summit at
about 8am. Some groups choose to leave
the refuge pre-dawn but that means you
end up ascending the mountain with
headtorches. You might beat the crowds
but you also miss out on some of the
spectacular views.
As we begin our assault on the
summit the conditions are perfect and
there’s a beautiful soft light hitting themountainside. Today does call for
crampons, but we’ve left most of our
kit at the refuge so we’re travelling light.
It’s not a technical ascent but it still pays
to use an ice axe to steady your progress.
The trick is to hook the axe into the
hillside so you use it as an improvised
walking stick. In fact, so many people
have walked up there before us that
there are almost a series of ice steps
to guide your path.
We’re approaching the end of a
long snow-covered scree slope that
looks like it’s the summit, but when
we get to top of the section there’s
an extra zigzag climb to the top.
Ordinarily that false finish would be
demoralising but you’re rewarded“The trick is to hook the ice axe
into the hillside so you use it
as an improvised walking stick
to steady your progress.”JUNE 2017 MEN’S FITNESS 79