Frendo Sur

Lazy days

Two days of lousy weather had sent most climbers into the bars around Chamonix, including me. My intention the next day was to disappear down to the Dauphine massif in search of better weather, butplan 'A' was going to change to plan 'B'. Simon, my partner from the few previous climbs, arrived at the bar with the news of good weather heading towards Chamonix for at least the next two days. Well you don't let two days of good weather slip by without imprinting yet another route from the Mont Blanc range into your min, and having the chance to relate yet another slightly exaggerated yarn over a few beers afterwards.
I have always had a desire to climb the Frendo Spur. Everyone else seems to have done so, and had their epics to tell; so why shouldn't I? After a brief discussion, both Simon and I decided to pack the plum and also have a bivouac, thus making it into a more leisurely excursion. This would also mean missing the usual amount of numerous climbers that start from Chamonix in the morning on the first cable car. We would start in the afternoon the next day and enjoy the day's sunshine, should any of it actually manage to find us on the route. But now it was time for the serious business of downing a few more beers.
Tomorrow arrived and after acquiring a vast quantity of route food we trundled down to the Aiguille Midi cable-car station; blunder number one. We didn't arrive early enough to avoid the queue of tourists and there would be a further two hours delay before our designated cable-car would leave the station for the Plan de l'Aiguille. A slight change of plan was needed, back to the Bar National for lunch. Nearly missed our cable car. At the Plan de l'Aiguille there was the usual hustle and bustle to get into the next cable-car, but for us there was going to be no frenzied rush, our path lay to the Pelerins glacier. Crossing this glacier isn't any problem, just a matter of weaving your way through the few crevasses that make themselves all too obvious and easy to avoid. It took one-and-a-half hours to reach the snowy ramp on the lower rock buttress of the Frendo Spur and from here we both chose to solo as the climb was quite easy, though it needed caution due to the large amount of loose and broken rock. After the snowy ramp we had to traverse leftwards and climb a few shattered slabs. The route can then go almost anywhere weaving in and out of the maze of slabs, walls and ledges. Ascending through this eventually brought us to the series of loose and friable chimneys that lead to the spurs crest. Up to here most of the climb had passed without incident. At only one stage did I have cause for concern as both of us became separated due to choosing different lines of ascent, with the consequence of loosing contact with each other.
The chimney section proved awkward in a few places with small bouldering problems and not wishing to become strawberry jam on the glacier below we roped up, moving together, belaying at the dodgy section. Having gained the crest of the spur, there only remained some easy scrambling to a small col from which the final steep rock to the bivvy site could be scaled. Simon set off up a series of cracks and small chimneys just left of the upper spur, we found the rock now much sounder with good jamming and excellant holds which made this section a real delight after the rather disappointing broken rubble below.
I can't remember how many pitches this section gave but I was extremely pleased when I finally reached the bivouac ledges and I was sure there was still a further three or four to battle with. It was now with great pleasure that I brought Simon up to show him the vast number of bivvy sites available to us. Talk about being spoilt for choice. Nobody else was around, there was enough space for 50-60 climbers and their tents. We hunted around for a while trying to find the most advantageous bivvy and were rewarded by a large boulder with enough room for two beneath it with walls made by previous parties. Refinements were made to the site whilst Simon collected snow for the brew. It wasn't long before the pot was full of steaming tea with both of us in our pits. A few brews later, topped up with rather large cheese and tomato sandwiches, we watched the last of the fading golden light disappear and the lights from below in Chamonix brighten up.
I remember waking up at first light and watching a few clouds drift by. I didn't bother to wake Simon as there wasn't any inclination for me to leave my pit. I preferred to be lazy and have a late start. A few hours later we were brought out of our sleep by voices from below. The early morning climbers were catching us up. A quick brew with a flurry of activity saw us advancing up the ice crest which had been only a few meters away from the bivvy site. The crest offers a grand viewing point overlooking Chamonix and the Aiguille Rouges, it also gave us the pleasure of watching the tourists in the cable-car watching us.
I couldn't believe how long the crest was. From the bivvy site we thought it would take a mere half-hour. I n reality it was much longer, becoming steeper as we gained height, with the final section at 55 degrees and added to that excitement was the ironhard brittle green ice. By this time we were belaying. As I fought my way up I was sending showers of ice shrapnel down. This would occasionally whack into Simon making him curse, then skip and dance down the rest of the ice slope into the void below. The route could now be finished in two ways, either up the rognon or, as a fair few climbers tend to do nowadays, traverse right then ascend the snow and ice which is to the right of the rognon. This offers a quick and easier way to the top but loses the final entertaining sting that the Frendo gives one. Simon set off up an icy gully to gain the rognon and after thrashing away for over half-an-hour he called me up. All I had to do was follow the blood stains on the ice, as his mitts had also just joined the skipping, dancing ice fragments a pitch below. This section became a real pleasure and as I, in turn, thrashed and scraped my way up, it reminded me of the winter climbing in the UK, though when I arrived at Simon's stance he was not as amused as I when we found an easier way further to our left, and higher than our starting point. Still what is done is done. Next came the two parallel cracks which led to the shoulder on the rognon just below the final vertical wall. A guide had said to traverse leftwards but this looked incredibly icy. Having just got back to grips with rock I wasn't going to leave it without a fight. I lunged at the line of pitons in front of me. After a vast amount of energy was expended I retreated. It proved to be a very hard aid section, requiring more than just my super blue tape to assist me. Back to square one. I took the advice of the guidebook to traverse leftwards as it was mostly rock on the first half of the pitch. I set off without crampons . Another booboo. The crack I wanted to go for was full of ice, so the only choice left was to traverse across the ice but first donning my crampons while precariously balanced on a tiny ledge no bigger than a sardine can. Having accomplished this feat I then teetered across the 75o-80o section of ice and rock. Finally I reached the ice couloir which easied in its angle. A few moments later the route had all but for a few meters finished. Simon followed in the same manner; having put his crampons on to start with. He then joined me with a large broad grin on his face. From here we moved together to the Midi Plan ridge to join the many other climbers making their way to the Midi station.

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