Expedition Reports

Man Spooning – Verb , two men locked in the spoon position during an alpine bivy.  Depending on the participants, usually a function of age and or temperature, man spooning may take several seconds, minutes or even hours to begin. Once both parties have accepted the terms on their situation, man spooning usually continues until it’s time to start climbing.  It is not common to hear the expression “Lets manspoon” this is usually a silent agreement. 

Scroll to the bottom of this story for a video from this and other previous attempts on the Ragni Route

Climbing the Super Couloir on Mt Blanc du Tacul via its classic direct start is a must do climb for many alpinists visiting the Chamonix valley.

Aiguille Sans Nom Direct linking to Gabarrou Silvy

The Eiger North Face is one of the classic alpine routes in the world. Long, steep, committing and a story made famous by books like The White Spider and Clint Eastwoods movie the Eiger Sanction, it is a must do climb for many alpinists. There is much written about the North Face of the Eiger and also some excellent topos available online. I thought however it might be good to share the climbing gear we took with us for a winter ascent.