UKC

I'm off to cogne in a week for some ice but I fancy a little mountaineering as well. I'd hazard that Gran Paradiso in February is probably too tall an objective for a alpine beginner but can anyone suggest anything that involves maybe a minor peak close by that can get me out for a day, a little glacier travel and snow. Failing a peak for recommendation even a hut with a view and good hiking.

In reply to Milesy:

Can you ski?

In reply to Doug:

To an extent. By no means an expert and it's been a few years but I've toured / skinned up cairngorm to macdui etc before, and done some downhill at Nevis range

In reply to Milesy:
It will be snowy down to valley level so you will need skis or snowshoes to get anywhere. GP is possible in snow shoes. The Vittorio Sella ut is worth a visit, if it is open by then (2-3hrs snow shoeing or skiing from Valnontey).

In reply to Milesy:

Normal practise in the Alps at this time of year is to use skis to get to summits, with most (but not all) snowshoers sticking to the lower ground. And the higher peaks in that area are usually done with a night in a hut so 2 days not one.

In reply to MG:

Cierforan might be a nice goal. Just accross from Refugio Vittorio Emmanuelle ( http://www.rifugiovittorioemanuele.com/ ), from which GP can also be climbed.

Not too hard glacier to cross.

Oh, and there is also a cosy winter room...

In reply to HeMa:

Yes, but definitely a climb. La tresenta, perhaps if just on skis or snowshoes?

In reply to Milesy:
Don't underestimate how tiring water ice climbing every day is or indeed doing higher altitude gubbins. My guess is you'll need a rest day or two of some description even if that's just piste skiing, especially the more you push your self. Also try and make sure you don't over do the first day or two on your calves as long ice routes can take there toll and they can take a good while to come back from that. Make sure you do a lot of calf exercises pre trip.

Also bare in mind you only get acclimatised by going close to the level that you intend to push to and the water ice is quite low down in cogne. My guess is that you will feel anything above 3000 metres more than you think with no acclimatisation and above 3500 quite a bit. I personally wouldn't consider going much above this mountaineering without acclimatisation and I acclimatise pretty well. This could all factor in to how tiring you find a day also and how much recovery time you need.

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Thanks yeah I don't want to create a tall order for myself. I've been as high as 3600m before straight from sea level and the last 500m were a few steps and rest sort of thing. Was on a dry mountain though. I was much fitter then than I was now as well.

In reply to Milesy:
yeah and I bet you weren't feeling full of beans the next day after that either. You probably need to factor all that in to an already physically demanding trip. Personally for a week in cogne any days I wasn't ice climbing I'd be doing f all or going piste skiing and taking it easy.

In reply to CurlyStevo:

I was fine next day actually, but I was fit as a fiddle then haha.

Ice climbing looks pretty tough. Everything seems Scottish 4 and up for multi pitches. I've not even made it to the Glasgow ice wall this year yet as it's been in shit nick.

I just want want to get high enough for an alpine vista. My problem is always staring up wishing I was up the top haha

In reply to Milesy:
Skiing makes for a nice rest day and you get some awesome views from the higher lifts. If you fancy some skiing - I've been to Pila close to Cogne which was OK and does have a higher lift with some good views. Cervinia (when we stayed up that way) was a lot better but is a bit of a trip from Cogne - it does have some really high lifts though and great views of the matterhorn.

Regarding grade there are quite a few WI2's so that's about Scottish 3 although as ever with ice nothing is certain grade wise and I've done WI3 with hard Scottish tech 5 climbing on it. Watch out for the averlanche danger. One side of the valleys tends to be worse than the other.

The ice in general is more brittle but its also generally more homogenous and thicker than uk ice. Overall it does tend to make the climbing a little more predictable so easier to grade push. Cascade de lillaz is a must do and there isn't often anything harder than tough Scottish IV on it. Super short walk in too. Leave out from the car park 20 mins before dawn and get to be first on the route

Our mistake was thinking a long WI3 would be easy on the first day and it wasn't. The grading was out by atleast a + and the measured length was in vertical metres we think as the route was much longer. The route took much longer than it should and all that easy ground on water ice is very hard on the calves and we were both knackered and very sore the next day.

Enjoy the trip it should be fun

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Thank you. I'll ask when I'm out of course but is there any avalanche service out there for information?

In reply to Milesy:


http://appweb.regione.vda.it/dbweb/bollnivometeo/bollnivometeo.nsf/vista_e/...

In reply to Milesy:

If you're not an experienced off piste/touring skier, attempting any serious peak in February from Cogne will be miserable, dangerous or (most likely) both. There is plenty to keep you busy climbing there and you could use non-ice days to get some experience at wilder skiing with an instructor, to better set you up for another time.

In reply to David Rose:

Thanks folks. Make an attempt to get up Punta di Arpisson 3300m today via Tsaplana 2681m but turned back at 2350m as I wasn't having fun on loose powdered up crags as I got into the ridge from Gimillan. The chamois made easy effort as it charged off giving me the finger.

Will give it another go in a few days before heading home. There appears to be lines that keep me off open snow slopes.

In reply to Milesy:

be careful out there

http://appweb.regione.vda.it/dbweb/bollnivometeo/bollnivometeo.nsf/vista_e/...

In reply to Milesy:

have you done any good ice routes?

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Yeah being careful. I'm always super pessimistic about snow conditions anyway.

First day was supposed to be an be an easy warm up on Sunday after a few hours sleep and a "play day" quote my friends. It was a 3+ and more like a Scottish winter day, grade 1 approach, snowing all day. Wasn't an enjoyable into back after a few years. Went to cascades yesterday for which was good just to get the technique and rope work sorted. Heavy snow tomorrow so skiing I think.