Mt. Matier 2783m

July 1st & 2nd 2018

We found wintery conditions on Mt Matier this weekend. It was lightly raining when we left the hut. The firn snow was soft and did not require crampons to climb the anniversary glacier. At 2300m the recent snow (10-15cm) was wet and isothermic.

We took a small break at the saddle before our attempt to climb the standard route up the mountain. The snow quickly changed to a breakable ice crust above 2500m. The rocks were rimed and ice covered. We were confronted with strong wind gusts, graupel snow drifts and whiteout conditions.

We made the difficult decision to turn around 100m from the summit and headed down to our base for hot tea, food and a short nap before our exit back to the car park.

These two amazing women truly demonstrated personal strength, strong fitness, mountain readiness and the will to climb in the mountains in all conditions. We learnt many valuable lessons. Arguably the essence of a true adventure.

What did you get up to this July Long Weekend?

Guillaume