In Chamonix with some members of the Huddersfield Phoenix Club and opted for the Rubuffat route. Just as we were packing our sacks into the car to drive to catch the first telepherique Pete Livesey arrived (he'd flown to Geneva and hitched to Cham). We had time to greet him, said we were off to the Midi, not much more. Whilst I was belaying somewhere above the "S" shaped crack I noticed a figure arrive below the face. The person was there for some time, looking down at what was probably a guide book, then studying the face. The figure then disappeared and I thought no more about it until a climber came into view on our route. I didnt twig it was Livesey but as the person moved rapidly up towards us I could just see they were carrying a large sack and had a rope slung across them.
Now we were a three some, and had been making steady progress on an uneventfull ascent up past the s shaped crack, enjoying the views on a great day. Steve Foster had lead a pitch which I followed next and then John Swift set off up as 3rd man. John was a very capable climber moving nicely and well within his grade. Without warning he came onto the rope as a section of rock came away, a thin slice of granite without any cracks or indication it was detached from the main body of rock. We had all used it, as others who had done the pitch would have done. No matter, Steve held him and up he came. While we were preparing to move on up from the nice ledge stance onto the pitch above Livesey appeared "on the gallop" for it was he. "Now then lads what route are you on?" was the greeting, as if he had no idea what route he was on and was just wandering up the face. Gamesmanship as ever!
He moved straight on through with no more ado leaving us looking up at the soles of a pair of big bendy boots. At this time he was some years from making many of his hardest climbs and over the years I have thought to wonder what might have happened if he had overtaken us lower down the route - and had come on that bad section of rock, big sack and rope adding to his own weight?

Great stuff. Many thanks for that snippet of history!

Yes - thanks indeed.

Great stuff, thanks for posting it up.

I bet Pete knew exactly what route he was on. Typical Livesey!!