UKC

Frendo Spur (D+ 4)

Hi,

Obviously, conditions are ever changeable when it comes to alpine climbing but does anyone have any experience of climbing the Frendo Spur in September / October time?

Is it feasible or are conditions at this time of year not conducive to an ascent?

Thanks for your help!

I did it in 2007.

You want the icy bit to be in good condition and the rock to be dry / snow free.

September / October could be ok, but depends how hot the summer is and whether or not it snows down at the mid levels.

Obviously it’s easiest to climb when it’s snow free. The arête may be just that; hard ice, but it’s not steep and with modern tools not a problem. Also screws would go in. As an aside the route should finish up the gendarme which is the crux of the whole route, but nowadays people seem to wimp out and turn it on the ice left or right.

I think you've just identified 9 people who went L or R, Phil!

The Frendo spur seems to be beloved of British alpinists.  Maybe it's the word 'spur'? Global warming hasn't done this route any favours.  As Steveej quite correctly said above "you want the icy bit to be in good condition and the rock to be dry / snow free".  In recent years the window for this has either been non existent or very short.  If you look up at it now (after a pretty low snow winter and record breaking temps recently) its already grey ice at the top.  I would regard it now as a route to be done in very specific conditions.  Maybe go and find another spur to climb.

I've climbed it twice.  First time via the rognon above the arete and the second time by going round to the left. It is significantly easier if you avoid the rognon. Indeed I would not argue with anyone who considered it to be TD if the rognon is climbed as it has a couple of pitches of HVS/E1. 

With regard to the OP I did it in August the first time and the end of September the second time but both of these were a very long time ago and conditions may have changed. On the first ascent the ridge was a case of 3 steps forward and 2 steps back as the snow was soft (In retrospect it was probably out of condition but we knew no better)but the top of the ridge flattened out into  very hard ice and may well have been Grade 4. It slowed us down so much we had an unplanned bivi.  The second time was perfect neve all the way and we were up and down by late afternoon.

I keep looking at the Tournier Spur a bit further across from the Frendo. Strangely tempting but doesn't seem to get many ascents, perhaps because of the Frendo's popularity or perhaps warming hasn't done the route any favours either. Given there's a pitch to surmount the serac, it could be the crux of the whole route now and very steep/tricky/dangerous?

I dont know anything about the Tournier spur at all.  Never done it.  Further right the route on that face that does seem to be popular/fashionable recently as a winter/spring/snowy thing is the Carly-Chassagne.  

Going back to the OP: the Migot spur does often come into condition these days after a mid September/October snow fall but the hut will be closed and access needs thinking about.  A lot of people seem to get lost on the descent.