Having done a good deal of winter climbing in Scotland and rock climbing and mountaineering in Turkey John decided it was time to try a big route in the Western Alps. His choice of line was a good one, the famous classic of the Frendo Spur on the North Face of the Aiguille du Midi, highly visible from the Chamonix high street.

John's choice of dates was even better with the valley quiet again after the late summer 'rentree' and the chill of early autumn adding a nip to the air and dusting of white to the crags. After warming up on the Rebuffat route on the Aiguille du Midi South Face (Eperon des Cosmiques) we packed large packs with proper bivvi gear ready for a long autumn night.

Climbing with such packs was never going to be speedy but with the promise of a stella forecast what was the rush? We ambled up the lower rock section and donned rock boots for the fine steeper upper pitches. The payback for the steady approach was gallons of tea, a decent meal and a comfortable night at the Frendo 5 star bivvi.

After an alpine 'lie-in' and watching our friends on the skyline starting the Midi-Plan traverse we enjoyed fine stiff snow conditions on the famous snow arete that provides such a pleasingly aesthetic third quarter to this line up the North Face. As the snow arete blended into the upper ice-field our rope strategy went from moving together to steady pitching with a mixture of ice screw and rock belays.

With some tough old glacier ice to be climbed it became more of a chore than a pleasure, but a solid North Face mountaineering experience nonetheless. Pleasingly as the 'right of rognon' finish funneled into a narrow groove we were suddenly blessed with squeaky white ice to warm up our grins for the top out on the Midi arete and one of my favourite descents of any alpine mountain....The Midi telepherique beckons a warm welcome and speedy passage to Chamonix....sometimes soft options can be good, even in Alpine climbing!

Short video extract from our ascent of the Frendo Spur

Frendo Spur photo gallery