
| Not so sure about the precise date, but its near enough. At least the month and year are right.
Set out on a beautiful clear morning to climb the north-west ridge. Sat on the belay below pitch four two 60+ yr old Italian climbers who lived locally joined me whilst I belayed my companion. With some linguistic difficulties, they managed to communicate that they were worried about the weather. Incredulous I looked at the beautiful blue sky, with just a small cloud above the summit opposite. By the time I was leading pitch 5, the small cloud had swelled and left its peak across the valley heading our way. Retreat followed swiftly in a violent thunder storm, lightning striking the ground below us, with the combination of rain, lightning and thunder dislodging a hail of rock from the west face. The moral? when somebody has spent their entire life living at the foot of a mountain, listen when they tell you it's about to rain......even if the sun is shining. |