| Grand Combin: North-west face of Combin de Valsorey Trip Report |
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| Grand Combin: North-west face of Combin de Valsorey   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: Valais, Switzerland, Europe Lat/Lon: 45.95000°N / 7.30000°E Date Climbed/Hiked: Aug 9, 1997 | Page By: tor Created/Edited: Apr 2, 2003 / Object ID: 168876 Hits: 1149 Loading... Page Score: 86.05% - 1 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Grand Combin (4314m) -- North-West Face of Combin de Valsorey
D-/D+ -- about 700m from glacier -- 5 to 7 hrs estimated plus 2 hr approach
“Ice to 60 degrees”
8/9 -- 8/10/97 Susan & Tor
The weekend -- it was looking very nice but we weren’t sure that was a good thing. Sitting at home through a rainy weekend was sounding pretty good. Friday night we decided to climb the Grand Combin -- a more remote peak located between Zermatt and Chamonix -- with a 4000 foot hike to the hut and a 4000+ foot climb from the hut. We also argued about the route -- Tor wanted to do the north face of the Valsorey and Susan was opting for something easier -- claiming that she didn’t want to be stressed out for the whole climb again (again when??). We compromised on delaying the decision until we could see the options -- hah!
After waking up and again debated the necessity of this trip -- Tor suggesting not and Susan arguing that the next weekend was going to be easy and the weather (unreliable at best!) was perfect now -- we tied the dogs up, gave them lots of food and water, and left for Bourg St. Pierre around 10am. We stopped on the way to buy food and gas (minor details) and got to Bourg St. Pierre around noon. Managed to drive up a single lane road about 200 meters above town and then started hiking from the Plan du Pey (1827m). Like our previous trips, we hiked in sneakers, shorts, and t-shirts, carrying our boots and gear: underwear (Tor only - Susan hikes in hers!), goretex pants and jackets, pile jackets, down jackets, 1 bivy sack, 1 55m 8.8mm rope, harnesses, 7 ice screws, 1 deadman, a couple of tcu’s and some stoppers, 4 quickdraws, 7 or 8 slings, many free biners, lunch, and 3 liters of water (only 2 of which we would take on the climb but Susan gave Tor an extra liter to carry to the hut so we didn’t have to buy so much -- thanks! - 6CHF or about $4 for 1.5 litres!).
We walked to the split in trails to the Valsorey hut and the Velan hut, had lunch, and then continued to the hut. There was a fun section climbing up a wet gully that had been built with ladders and chains. Got to the Valsorey hut (3030m) after about two and half hours hiking around 3pm and then headed up the rock spur to look at the beginning of the approach climb up to the Col de Meitin (3610m) -- didn’t look trivial with 45 to 50 degree snow.
The hut was relatively small (60 beds) but pretty full -- what was this about a remote mountain? Actually, there only 2 or 3 other climbing parties plus some massive Outward Bound-like group of probably 15 kids plus guides who spent a lot time shouting. They spent their time sharpening ice axes and crampons and discussing crevasses rescue and belay techniques -- we spent our time reading the Times Tribune while bemoaning our fate (probably should have joined them -- we might have learned something!).
The hut warden (an ex-ski bum who had spent a season or two in Ketchup Hidaho) told us that breakfast would be at 3:30 -- 3:30 why so late? We guessed that he and his wife wanted to get some sleep also. Went to bed around 9pm -- most of the others (maybe twenty people in our room) came in around 10pm but, unbelievable, the night was silent although it got pretty warm because somebody shut the window!
We got up early (3:15), moved our packs outside and were the first at breakfast. Got going just before 4am, just in front of two of the other groups (one of 3 and another of 2) and well ahead of the OB-group (thank god). There was no visible moon and we climbed by headlamp. We hiked up the rock spur, put on crampns and climbed low angle snow to a narrow in the coulior where it steepened. Here, we roped up and then climbed to the Col de Meitin, arriving around 5:30. It was just starting to get light and we could see the Glacier de Corbassiere 200m below us -- our route was supposed to start from there. The group of three following us headed up the West ridge -- the other party was a ways behind.
We descended partway down to the glacier and then traversed across the slope towards our route. Our traverse crossed lots of debris from the seracs above but we felt quite safe since it was quite cold and the sun was still far from rising. We headed for some rocks that we thought were the left edge of our intended “route”. In doing so, we had to cross one gully (30m wide) that most of the huge seracs above funneled into -- we did this quickly! Just before arriving at the rocks, Tor realized that (a) we had travsersed well beyond the north face of the Valsorey and were actually on the north face of the Combin and (b) we had been intending to do different routes! When he urged returning to the base of the more interesting route, Susan demurred. After more strident urging, Susan finally agreed on the condition that we place lots of gear (Tor’s arms still hurt).
We survived re-crossing the avalache chute and started up the route. The bottom was 50 degree snow and we simu-climbed (without gear) up towards some rocks on the left-hand side of the face. We set up a belay and then traversed up and right, below the rocks, for a couple of long pitches. Below the rocks, we were mostly climbing on ice which was slower. On the “pitches” Tor would place an ice screw after 30 or 40 meters, at which point Susan would start cleaning the belay. Susan would start climbing and Tor would place another screw before she got to the first and then would hack out a stance and set up a belay before Susan got to the second screw -- throughout the gear was excellent. In this way, our pitches were usually about 100m long.
After two pitches, we were able to get out onto the left side of the main face and into very hard snow. This made the climbing much easier but the gear placement became much tougher. The snow was 20 to 30cm deep and it and a surface layer of poor ice had to be cleaned before we could put in a screw. The climb was straighforward -- up this beautiful 55 to 60 degree face. Around 9am and about 200 meters from the top, we saw the three members of the party behind us that started up the West ridge. They were on a saddle, above the right edge of the face and about 100m above us. The sun had just lit it and they had stopped to rest and waved to us. It was beautiful seeing them traverse across the saddle, brilliant clothing in the sun with sky behind and steep snow or ice below -- should have taken a picture but couldn’t.
We discussed traversing across to the right-hand exit of continuing up the steeper coulior on the left. Susan opted for the later while Tor liked to idea of the sun. Continued up -- although steeper, the climbing got easier because the snow softened a little and we could kick small steps. Got to the top around 10:30am (about 6 hours from the hut) and the wind was really strong. Susan headed down and around a ridge which was a little more sheltered. We put the gear away and headed down to the saddle between the Valsorey (4184m) and the Combin (4314m). The climb up the Combin easy plodding -- we got up around 11:15 and headed down at 11:30. Going up, we met a climber from Poland who had solod the west ridge -- he asked us about trains back to Neuchtel -- we offered him a ride to Lausanne but he was going to be down well before us.
Going down we met the other party of two who had started with us -- they had climbed to north face of the Combin. We also saw nine members of the OB-like group on the saddle between the Valsorey and the Combin resting before the final climb. They had also climbed the north face of the Combin and another five who had climbed the west ridge. We also spoke with the party of three that we had seen on the west ridge from the face -- they said that the west ridge was in great shape -- no snow.
We descended the north face of the Grand Combin. The route was quite easy but it weaved through the serac band and was really pretty. We had to climb 200m from the glacier back up to the Col de Meitin -- that was tough. Got to the top around 1:30pm and started down the 600m to the hut. The snow on this south face was mush. A miserable descent with Tor’s crampons balling up every other step and the snow too soft to really get an axe in -- memories of the Marroon Bells! We arrived to the hut around 2:45pm, changed to sneakers and shorts, and got a huge pot of tea. Started down for the car around 3:30pm and got down at 6pm -- why does it take us as long to hike up as it does to descend??
It was a 4500 foot climb and 8000+ foot descent. Susan drove back while Tor moaned about his shoulders, knees, and feet because his pack was too heavy and his arms because he had to put in too many ice screws. Susan reminded him that his pack is old and never intended for mountaineering - and she’d be happy to buy him a new one if he would just shut-up and agree to go shopping! Got back to Gex and after trying to drive the car onto the sidewalk, we got two piazzas from the piazza van (which was very busy), got home, freed and fed the dogs, ate, showered, and slept. Took Monday off to recover!
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Pennine Alps
