In reply to brunoschull:
Very nice piece, thanks for sharing.
Regarding the classic step-cutting, the first ascent of the couloir de Gaube on the Vignemale saw the guide Célestin Passet cut 1300 steps (allegedly) in 1889. Ice axes were relatively rare in the Pyrenees at the time and this made them famous. After that, they were dubbed locally "fleur de Gaube", and the axe used on this route is now exposed in a museum in Lourdes.
I am sure the Alps have seen many of these crazy step-cutting episodes, but this example is quite impressive.