Time for a new blog...

Winter sunset over Fort William after a big day on the Ben

I started this blog on the 21st December 2009 to share my adventures as a mountain instructor and expedition guide. Nearly 600 posts later and with almost 100,000 views I've managed to upload 1GB worth of photos and writing which has taken me up to my Blogspot limit. So it's now time for a new blog.....

www.mountainzblog.blogspot.co.uk

I'll still keep this blog online as I hope it's a useful resource but please update your browser if you would like to continue to follow me.

Friday night film - Liverpool Land, Greenland 2

Liverpool Land Traverse 2012 Pt 2 from Alan Halewood on Vimeo.

Friday night film - Liverpool Land, Greenland 1

Liverpool Land Traverse 2012 Pt 1 from Alan Halewood on Vimeo.

Skiing the Aig de Polset

 

Early morning light at the start of the skin up the Aig de Polset

 

Simple pleasures - sun, snow and a good skinning track!

Still on the way up with Mont Blanc in the background 

 

 Steep summit slopes and the arrival of the bad weather

 

 

Approaching the summit

 Final few meters and looking forward to a loooong descent back to Meribel

Crossing the Col d'Aussois

Great snow conditions after yesterdays storm

 Arriving at the Col d'Aussois

The second climb of the day to Les Planettes

The final climb to the hut in the sunshine

Arriving at the Refuge Peclet Polset

A long day over the Vanoise Ice Cap

 

Leaving the unmanned Refuge de l'Arpont

 A long days climb up the Glacier de la Mahure

 

Traversing below La Dent Parrachee

 

More skinning!

Approaching the Col de Labby

Crossing the Vanosie Ice Cap

 Climbing away from the Refuge du Col de la Vanoise

 The climb back up onto the Glaciers de la Vanoise

 

Our route to the west of Mont Pelve

 

 The climb up from the Glacier du Pelve

 

 Making tracks in perfect conditions

 Climbing towards the Dome de Chasseforet

 

 Mont Blanc above the clouds

 

Approaching the west ridge of the Dome de Chasseforet

Steve enjoying a hot day on the plateau

 

Skinning tracks across the Vanoise Ice Cap

Friday night film - Ueli Steck

Vanoise High Level Traverse

Skinning into the Refuge du Col de la Vanoise

Afternoon avalanches off the Aiguille de la Vanoise

Bourne Glacier Tour

A stunning day spent ascending and descending the Bourne Glacier

Lacs Merlet Tour

A hot afternoon climbing the Petit Mont Blanc (2680m)

After a day on the piste at Meribel to get the rust out of our skiing we headed off on our first tour around the Aiguille du Fruit. A descending traverse from the uplift brought us below the Roc Merlot and a good descent to the Refuge des Lacs Merlet. After dropping off our bags we skinned up the Petite Mont Blanc (2680m) in the sunshine. Conditions on the descent were a wee bit tricky with a breakable crust and a very heavy snowpack. The following day gave us a great skin up to the Col de Chanrouge and the long descent back to Meribel.

Tricky conditions on the descent from Petite Mont Blanc

The climb up onto the Col de Chanrouge

Touring around the Aiguille du Fruit

Escaping the sun for some ski touring!

The final day of the Haute Route from 2010

Having finished another Scottish winter season I'm heading off to the Alps for some ski touring in the Vanoise. Hoping for the same high pressure conditions we currently have in the Lakes!

The Chris Walker Trust

Two years on and he's still very much missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know him but in his memory the Chris Walker Trust is now up and running giving out it's first grants for expeditions and ski mountaineering courses.

Blencathra Ski Touring