UKC

Looking at climbing the walker spur mid September. It will be the hardest route I'll have ever done. Just want some info/advise/beta/topos/kit list etc. also descent route??

Cheers Joe.

In reply to hoppojoe7:

Buy an AC guidebook and French Map.

I have always crossed to the Point Whymper and descended the South ridge. Lots of good bivvy sites thereabouts.
Easier to see/ find and less dependant on good snow conditions, and one less serac to worry about.

In reply to hoppojoe7:

andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/north_wall_kit_list_summer

This kit list is quite good. He forgot to mention some money for a beer and pizza when you get down.

In reply to hoppojoe7:
I am sorry to sound sour, but suggest you get a bit more experience under your belt. If you havent read up everything you can and got it sussed through proper research you shouldn't be going on it. Rick is kind, but I believed if you think through what he has said you will get the same message.

In reply to jcw:

just trying to get as much info as poss over the next month. Ukc forum is a great way to get key info fast. Hence the post. I've read andys page. But in a tread uv seen he's said he's not actually done the spur route just heard and advised on gear. (Which is great detail to be fair! Very good read) also Seen a few people have said you only need the one axe for example?!

In reply to hoppojoe7:
So under what conditions might you wNt two axes? What particular part of the Walker were you especially thinking of?

In reply to jcw:

I think you could just assume the OP is competent and answer the questions. Lots of folk have done the Walker in their first alpine season (not me, mind).

Why grill him about experience?

In reply to jcw:

looking at the topo, various photos and some threads it looks like the 1 axe will suffice. However seen a couple bits of info online and on a video or two, alpinist are carrying 2 axes.

I'm a weight fanatic lol.

In reply to hoppojoe7:

Like almost everything else in the Alps the Walker spur is currently very dry. 1 axe will be more than enough.

There's a warning on the Leschaux hut page about increasing rockfall danger.
https://www.facebook.com/leschaux.refuge?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

In reply to jcw:


A classic up my own ar*se UKC reply!!!

In reply to Doghouse:
When I did the Walker, I think it was in the 1980's, we did it all in big boots and it felt quite tough in places. I recall thinking some pitches were at least HVS 5b. It also felt somewhat like a mixed route as there was a lot of snow in places and some of the cracks were iced up. Even so we only carried one axe each. To the best of my knowledge most people have, for many years now, climbed the route mostly in rock shoes which would make it an easier proposition if conditions allow. Don't underestimate it, it's a long way out and a long way back. Back in the day it was considered as big an undertaking as the North Face of the Eiger only safer. I would not recommend it as a first alpine route. It's as well to think about what you would do if conditions deteriorated. Like the North Face of the Eiger if you catch it in good conditions you will wonder what all the fuss was about if however you get caught in a storm it might well put you off alpine climbing for the rest of your life.

I see that you have done the Frendo. If you took in the Rognon I would say the Frendo was slightly easier, technically, than the Walker but it is of course much easier access. If you skirted the Rognon as most parties seem to do these days then the Frendo is considerably easier.

Al

In reply to GridNorth:

We did it back in the day in big boots, decent via the Hirondelles etc - although 2 axes, I prefer knowing I'm covered in all eventualities than saving a little bit of weight - and had great weather and conditions, but it's still a long route, and as you say, if the weather turns, it's a major undertaking.

Not sure about the state of the rock these days, but there was always the odd bit of rockfall to be wary of even back in the late 70's early 80's.

In reply to GridNorth:

Really? I wasn't aware that that was common practice. When I did it last year the Rognon was quite busy, one party was on the steep ice on the left hand side so we found a mixed route up just to the right of them with some great Scottish-style climbing.

In reply to planetmarshall:

Well I do not have any real evidence but it was an impression I got over many years. Climbing the Rognon direct was much harder than anything else on the route and many people were saying that by avoiding it the route was more homogeneous. I seem to recall thinking that there was nothing harder than VS on the lower pitches but there was a well pegged traverse on the Rognon that I would give E1,5b. Indeed several years after my first ascent I repeated it going left at the top and thought it was a much easier route and it took us significantly less time. The first time I bivied the second time I was up in the day.

Al

In reply to GridNorth:

Has the south side to Boccalate Hut opened up again does anyone know since serac cleave last September?

Thanks

In reply to sollyf:

I walked past. the hut is open but not guarded. Call or mail courmayear guides or tourist info?

In reply to alasdair19:

Will do. Thanks

In reply to alasdair19:

...how far up did you go?
Were other parties kicking about?

Thanks

In reply to jcw:

Well I did the Walker as my second ever alpine route. I think Rick's companion when he did it was on his first alpine season as well. Pete Gomersall did it as his first (and possibly only) alpine climb!

Looking at Andy K's gear list I definitely agree with this: 3 PIECE KARIMATT STORED IN A SLEEVE IN SACK

To the OP: if you do the climb in rock boots (probably more than ideal in modern conditions) then you'll also need some form of boots/crampons for the descent as whichever one you chose is going to be mainly snow and possibly a bit of ice.

In reply to hoppojoe7:

Jesus....

Go for it dude and have fun!

In reply to lowersharpnose:


Surely the point is that people who did it straight off didn't need to ask such basic questions?

The thing with posts like the OP's is that he clearly hasn't done any of the groundwork, hence such a broad question. If he had read the guide, looked at a map, read some blog posts about it and then come to the forum looking for some specific beta, that would be a different kettle of fish entirely...

In reply to hoppojoe7:

The Walker has been climbed a fair bit this summer in very dry condition (ie. rockshoes all the way), but rockfall was an increasing danger as temps increased in July, and there was at least one accident due to this. The Jorasses is looking much whiter at the moment after thunderstorms in the more recent cooler temps.

In a good year (like last year), September is the start of 'Jorasses season' when all the non-rock routes (ie. everything except the Walker) see a lot of action. Next month could still-dry conditions on the Walker, in which case it will be in 'easy' nick, ie. about 40 pitches of climbing up to E1, but still with possible rockfall danger. Or it could be snowy/icy, which will make it safer, but with much harder climbing. The latter is more likely. I would suggest that the Walker these days is best done mid-summer in a dry year, and the other routes on the face are a much better option when the face has early autumn neve (like the Croz, which is a better route IMO).

In standard (dry) conditions, take plenty of quickdraws, maybe 12. The Walker is festooned with pegs. Take a few cams and wires in addition, but don't overdo it. Definitely a one-axe route in dry nick, definitely two technical tools if it's looking white next month.

In reply to hoppojoe7:

I am keen to climb in Cham. I am three hours away and would like to climb the Walker Spur as part of the guide scheme. My email is rlade72@hotmail.com I have just posted on UKC for a partner. Rich