Cogne 2008

(Near the top of a steep freestanding pitch in Cogne)


(Simon on the first pitch of cascate lillaz)

Gary, Karl and I spent 1/2 term climbing cascades in the italian alps! The weather was glorious, sunny and warm for the time of year. We managed 5 days and 6 routes.

Cascate Lillaz
Il Patinagio Artistico
Lillaz Gulley
Roadside cascade
A canyon north of epinel
A steep fall we found in the lillaz valley.


(2nd pitch of il Patenagio Artistico)


(Attacking the start of the thin M4 pitch on Lillaz Gully)


(Topping out on pitch 1 of a roadside route)

We started 'Cold Couloir' but unfortunately there were loads of others on the route and we had to back off because we were making slow progress on a very warm day. A big shame because it is the classic route of the valley and we were really wanting to do the route.


(Leading first pitch of Cold Coulouir)

Why is climbing in europe so much better than the climbing in the uk?
a week ice climbing in cogne and i got more done than in a uk season!

2 Scrambles, Woof Cave and Osama

(Scrambling up Cam Crag Ridge in the pouring rain)

It was the Leeds Mountaineering Club weekend meet at K-shoes hut in borrowdale.  The weather forecast for the saturday was awefull! Strong westerlies and constant rain. Stuart and I decided that we would spend the day scrambling on east facing butresses in and around borrowdale.
Stuart informed me that there was a secret bivvy cave somewhere near Cam Crag.
We parked up in Seatoller and walked up Langstrathdale. (Langstrath Beck is a superb GIV paddle, and the beck was definately up on the day of our scramble!)
We made it to Cam Crag and up to the cave.  Where we found to our surprise.. Osama!


(Me and Osama saying Hi)

After a bite to eat we set off up Cam Crag Ridge in the pouring rain.  The Scramble was pretty straightforward grade II with a bit of a sting in the tail.  The nature of the ridge is quite broken so it is possible to pick and choose lines based on your own taste and skill.

After summiting Cam Crag we decended down by Dovesnest Crag and looked at Corvus on Ravens Crag.  As there was a river flowing down the first pitch Stuart and I decided that in the absence of our canoes we wouldn't bother with that route.


(A broken scramble up Intake Ridge)

We headed back over into Langstrathdale via a scramble up Intake Ridge onto Bessy Boots.  We had a steep decent back into Langstrath valley by Trollers Ghyll. Back to the car and to beers in the Scafell Hotel.


(Somewhere around Intake Ridge)