Gui Lab
Photography
"Rendez-vous" at 3 750 mètres
Translated by Keira
Friday 8 July, 5 pm. I am excited to come back home to take my bag. For two weeks, I waited eagerly for the coming weekend. I am very excited to return high in the mountain tops. It will be my first alpinism journey. Normally we would be at the summit 2 days after around 8 or 9 am.
By a happy coincidence, this Sunday is also the day of Final euro cup 2016. France will try to beat Portugal and win this competition for the third time. I did not forget to bring the French flag!
We are leaving Grenoble with two of my friends Alex and Simon. We meet other expeditioners at Pontis, in the Aline’s family home. I will share this alpinism journey with Sophie, Amélie, Aline, Yohan, Pierre, Simon, Alex and two mountains guides. Big French Team. After three hours of driving, we meet at a restaurant near Pontis. This evening was very pleasant and everybody is excited for tomorrow.
One part of my equipment lended by one of my colleague
After few hours of sleep, I prepare my alpinism gear. We are driving in the direction of Vallouise, towards a renting store for alpine equipment. We arrived at the store and rented ice cleats and shoes. We already have other equipment such as ice axe, helmet, harness and technical clothes.
The journey from the renting store towards the car park gives us a great exhilaration. Cascades gush from impressive high mountains. I try to take a photograph to capture the beauty. But the car’s vibration makes it difficult. Some pictures turned out quite well (thanks to Canon and it sport function).
Cascade and small part of Écrins National Park / Photos: Guillaume Labergerie
Arrived at the car park. We check our bags one last time to ensure we haven’t forgotten anything. After that, we start with 2 and half hours hiking, the first step of our journey.
​
Landscape is already beautiful on this first part. I find many similarities here with another trek I did last year in New Zealand: Cascade Saddle. Mountains are very craggy. I like the deep grey color of the rock. We do feel high in the mountains. After talking with Pierre and Aline, I walk ahead of everyone so I can take photographs. Every ten meters the perspective changes and offers me a new view of the landscape to immortalize. After going higher, we arrive near one river. There, we discover the “glacier Blanc” that we will climb this afternoon and during the next night after a short night in the hut.
The only small problem – for now – are the shoes I rented this morning. Blisters are already beginning to form on my heels. Come on, we try to not think about it and we walk!
​
A few hours pass by and we arrive at the hut where we meet our two guides to have lunch. After eating we leave from the hunt and head towards “glacier Bland”. We climb 300 meters higher and stop just in front of the glacier. It is beautiful.
Glacier blanc / Photos: Guillaume Labergerie
The second and the best part of our journey can finally commence. The guides demonstrate how we should walk in our ice shoes and they encourage us to use our ice axes. After twenty minutes of training, we rope ourselves to one another and split into two groups. One rope is shared between Aline, Pierre, Johan, first guide and myself. The second rope with the other guide, Alex, Amélie, Sophie and Simon.
The landscapes are wonderful, the ice of the glacier is cracked at different points and we can see some crevasses. Roche Faurio is a famous ascent by it ease? in the alpinism world. Even if the 0 danger doesn’t exist, we didn’t take it a lot.?
We catch sight of Ecrins Hut where we will stay during the night. It appeared to be close, but that was deceiving. Indeed, we need at least an hour and a half to reach it.
Everything was good until now. However, each step is becomes more and more difficult as the altitude makes it hard to breathe. As we commenced towards 3000 meter of altitude, a strong headache invaded me. I already know the feeling of altitude sickness. But it has never been so strong. This is taking me to a huge surprise. This is the first time I have hiked this high at such a quick pace. I try to breathe slowly and calmly, but each step is more difficult than the previous.
This is the mountain sickness. I never thought I would have it after living in New Zealand’s mountain ranges for more than 3 months. However, I researched after this journey and I discovered – with relief – mountain sickness can happen to everyone. The fact is we hiked up that 3000 meters so quickly, my week has exhausted me and we only slept 5 hours last night. Each of these reasons explain my mountain sickness.
The hut is only 100m of altitude further. It is really close now. I am feeling weak but excited to arrive in the hut. I would like to lie down and relax, but I don’t have choice and I have to walk again. After a great effort, I finally arrive to the hut (far) behind my friends. My first night in a French hut will be here, at 3 000 meters of altitude.
My first impression of this hut is that it’s enormous. Around 100 people can sleep here. Compared with the small New-Zealander huts I know, I am disappointed because it loses its mountain charm.
I arrive to the hut (far) behind my friend. ?
A cook prepares dinner. Of course, food is great but I personally prefer to cook my own food when I am in the mountains. Maybe, I am too difficult, but I prefer to be in small hut with firewood and a camping stove rather than stay a night in enormous hut with all at disposition? and a excessive price around 70 € the night.
Slept at 9 pm, we wake up at 3am to have breakfast and organize ourselves. One and half hour after, we begin to retreat down the 100 meter which was so difficult yesterday. You can imagine, it is so easy to go down. Everybody is here and we put ice cleats on as the only light comes from the moon and headlamps glow. After that we start to walk in the direction of Roche Faurio. We still are wrapping with associate as the day before.
Alex and his headlamps/ photo : Guillaume Labergerie
After walking one or two hours on flat, we start to go up the last part of our journey. A 1 000-meter slope separates us from the summit.
First light arrives and gives to the sky a pale pink and blue color. I always watch the sunrise, but this one is even more peculiar than usual because we are in the naked environment without civilization. Moreover, it is so important to make an effort every day to appreciate the unbelievable views more. With my Canon 450D camera, I took a lot of pictures to immortalize this day. With every step, the panorama becomes more sensational and colors are more and more beautiful. We start to see the sun’s rays rise over the summit. Here it comes. The sun makes its arrival. Clouds are carried in the sky and offer me a picture than I am very proud: the sun is like a flame. It’s as if the snow-capped mountain takes fire. A big contradiction.
Firemontain / Photo: Guillaume Labergerie
We continue to walk and we arrive 50 meters from the summit where we take a break. The mountain guide informs us about the next part of the climb which is an obligation to complete to reach the summit and it’s at 3750 m of altitude. I must admit I had apprehension to walk up the narrow, craggy rock to reach the top. I was so close from the summit that I can’t give up now. I must complete the climb.
We start to climb the last rock. One moment nothing but sky and a long drop down is to my left; the next moment, it is at my right. Surprise! It is at the both sides… I have the feeling of vertigo, a sensation of small dizziness consumes me, but I continue to climb. This last part doesn’t take a lot of time and we arrive quickly at the top. Some clouds linger but it’s not a big deal. We open our eyes wide and we can see all of Ecrins National Park. It is so beautiful. I love to be in the mountains.
Roche Faurio's ascent / Photos: Guillaume Labergerie
After few minutes spent at Roche Faurio top, we head back down towards the parking area. I can still feel my blisters. It’s painful and I try to ignore it. The journey down the mountain was much quicker. We arrive at the car and we share a well-deserved beer there.
Roche Faurio Ascent in the Ecrins National Park is one of easiest alpinism itinerary. Anybody can do it and I would advise it to anyone who wants to start experiencing alpinism.
This final weekend of July was perfect until now, but, unfortunately there becomes a tragedy as the French are defeated during the Euro final…
Guillaume Labergerie
