Gwylim taking a break to smile for the camera

Lone climber pictured at the end of a climb, can you spot him?

Taken in mid-April, this is the top of the Vallee Blanche 'the' 14km off-piste route from the Auguille du Midi down to Chamonix. Guillame Mardon is a 'Guide de Haute Montagne' and even though he does this for a living - still grins the whole way ! Photographer - Darren Joint.

Climbed the Cosmiques Ridge on the 25th of March 2005, very very nice snow/mixed conditions. Took us 3 hours, very nice climbing! Although a bit strange to end the climb on the platform, and not on a remote scilent summit! We where all alone on the route, nice!Pic is taken looking back, and you can just make out our tracks in the bottom og the picture.

A New Year's Day climb of the Arete de Cosmiques on Aiguille du Midi. My telepherique ticket was free as I was the first customer of the year, marking the first time anything has ever been given away in Chamonix.

Aiguille du Midi can get a bit crowded during summer season. Camping is officially forbidden but many people still do it. One nasty thing about camping on the glacier is having a dump. Where would you hide in here?

The two south faces of Aiguille du Midi. A very popular spot in Chamonix since it has very easy access and the routes are in rather sporty 5+ to 6c grade range. If the range feels too easy, you may try Ma Dalton, which is a 6 meter roof crack. It goes free at 7b+. The left face is 120m and the right one 200m.

Paul (corday) and I hooked up for a couple days climbing in Chamonix in the beginning of September. We bumped into each other in the maison de montagne looking for partners, futzed around for a few hours packing and shopping, and then caught a late cable car full of elder hostel climber-groupies. When every other climber was shuffling in, we were shuffling out, intending to fire a route on the side of the needle and finish on the cosmique ridge. This picture is Paul hitting one of the top belays on the steep lower route (whose name I can't remember. It was four or five pitches: up a gully below a face, traverse right on ledges, pull a short roof, then straight up for a pitch or two to the cosmique ridge). The dots behind his head are the basecamp tents for the numerous Mont Blanc climbers. As you can see, it's getting late. We climbed the entire ridge at night and slept a peaceful night on the observation deck after retrieving our stashed gear from the visitor center. Cheese and chocolate never tasted so good. Great climb, and a funny picture. And I think Paul is still out there.

Upper left is pitch 4 on Rebuffat's south face route on the Aiguille du Midi. Right, is the "S" crack. Bottom is a view of the Valle Blanche.

This photo was taken on our way to climb the Rebuffat route on the South Face of the Aiguille du Midi. The granite is solid and golden! Ce bon!

This is getting toward the end of the Rebuffat Route on the Aiguille du Midi

Mate, this is probably the best route I've ever done!!! The cosmiques arete in Chamonix ... just brilliant!!! It may be soft but it's just pure fun!!!

Look at those happy faces!!! Shyeah!!! We're stoked!!!

I was told that the Highest 5.13 in the world was on this face. The rock quality was supurb for being so high. Nice granite..

ALpine stylez!