Sunday 4: the sun sets on my third day of travelling. Looking north down Val d'Herens from Les Haudères
Monday 5: Cab. des Vignettes. On the path from the campsite to Arolla; I still don't know how Alex managed with a 25L rucksack!
At the bottom of Glacier de Piece en route to Col des Vignettes (start of the Vuibé Ridge behind)
Tuesday 6: Mont Dolin & Cab. des Aiguilles Rouges. Remointse de Pra Gra (~2500m), with Pigne d'Arolla behind
View east from La Forcla across Val d'Arolla: Dent de Tsalion, Aig. de la Tsa, Douves Blanches
The ridge from La Forcla to Mont Dolin
Loose scrambling
Sculptures on the summit. Val d'Arolla & Tsa range beyond
View SE from the summit: Mont Collon & Pigne d'Arolla, with the rocky Louettes Econdoue in centre
Simon, Matthew, Doug, Bethan & Joe on Mont Dolin summit (2974m)
Lac Bleu
Wednesday 7: Cab. des Vignettes. View south from Pointe des Vignettes (3194m): Glacier du Mont Collon and Glacier d'Otemma surrounding Petit Mont Collon, La Singla, Bec de la Sasse & Aouille Tseuque
View SE: Mont Collon and L'Evêque
View NE: Dent de Perroc(?), Aig. de la Tsa & Douves Blanche, with the Vuibé Ridge in foreground
View N: Glacier de Piece, Aiguilles Rouges, Mont de l'Etoile
Thursday 8: Petit Mont Collon. 5.45am at Col des Vignettes, looking north to Aiguilles Rouges
En route from Col de Charmotane to Glacier d'Otemma, with La Singla, Bec de la Sasse & Aouille Tseuque beyond
Partway up the south face of Petit Mont Collon - one of many 'interesting' stances...
11am: Bethan's belay! Looking SW down Glacier d'Otemma
4pm: first abseil
8.30pm: back on the glacier. Col de Charmotane, with Dent de Perroc, Aig. de la Tsa & Douves Blanches beyond. We got back to the hut about 10...
Friday 9: L'Evêque. The target, as seen from Col de Charmotane
"You piss, I'll take the photo" - south end of Bouquetins, Tête Blanche, Matterhorn & Dent d'Herens
Matthew and Doug in front of unnamed Pt 3654
Dave at the summit (3716m). View south - rocky Pointes d'Oren(?) on right
Doug, Joe and Matthew on the summit
Descent - looking east to Bouquetins, Tête Blanche, Matterhorn & Dent d'Herens
After a brief foray into Italy, we finally reached Haut Glacier d'Arolla
At the bottom of Haut Glacier d'Arolla. Skyline: end of Bouquetins, Mont Brulé, Pointe Marcel Kurz
Saturday 10: a much-needed rest day!
Sunday 11: Simon, Joe and Bethan climbing near Pramousse
Dave is a conscientious belayer...
Bethan tied off
Monday 12: Cab. de Bertol. Track towards the Bas Glacier d'Arolla; Mont Collon at the valley head
Final ascent to the hut
Looking west to Pointe des Vignettes & Pigne d'Arolla
Ladders to Col de Bertol
Cab de Bertol & Pointe de Bertol (3499m)
Tuesday 13: Aiguille de la Tsa. Looking NE to Grand Cornier & Dent Blanche as we leave the hut
No mistaking the Matterhorn
Joe belaying on the Tsa
Bethan
James at the summit (3668m) - Dent Blanche beyond
Joe on the final move
Aig. de la Tsa (and Dent de Tsalion to the left) from the road back to campsite
Thursday 15: Pointe Marcel Kurz. Morning alpenglow on Mont Collon, from the Refuge des Bouquetins
View SW from Refuge des Bouquetins: Pointe Marcel Kurz, Col Collon, Pointes d'Oren & L'Evêque
Pointe Marcel Kurz summit (3498m) - looking very Scottish...
...until you look the other way! Mont Collon on the left, with La Vierge in the foregound; Haut Glacier d'Arolla; Douves Blanches, Dents de Bertol & Bouquetins
Friday 16: rest day. Dave looking silly #1
Saturday 17: back to Cab. de Bertol. We found a dog tied up just below the hut
Sunday 18: Tête Blanche. After a late breakfast, there was a lot of enforced faffing due to the large number of parties heading up the same peak. Hence, Dave looking silly #2
View SE from the hut window: Matterhorn, Tête Blanche, Dent d'Herens, Dents de Bertol
View N down Glacier de Mont Miné
Despite waiting until everyone was out of sight before setting off, we still had to stop and practise making ice axe belays to avoid catching them up!
Unnamed Pt 3671m at the head of the upper Glacier de Mont Miné. Col des Bouquetins off to the right
Tête Blanche summit (3707m). The view E towards Zermatt is dominated by the Matterhorn, with the Alphubel, Täschhorn & Dom to its left, and the Ober Gabelhorn(?) further over
Ridge behind ridge to the NE: Wandfluehorn (foreground), Dent Blanche; Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Ober Gabelhorn; Dom, Täschhorn, Alphubel
Summit panorama: Dent Blanche, Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Ober Gabelhorn, Dom, Täschhorn, Alphubel, Matterhorn, Dent d'Herens, Tete de Valpelline
Mont Collon & Pigne d'Arolla from the footpath between the village and campsite
Back at the campsite: Dave looking silly #3
