Watch Frost Guiding on BBC TV
At last, you can watch the BBC / Frost Guiding team in the Patrouille des Glaciers.
Here are the dates for the Blue Peter shows (17.25 on Thursday afternoons) which will cover the epic challenge for Lindsey Russell, Graham Bell and Graham Frost as the 2 Graham's turn Lindsey from a recreational skier with no touring experience into an endurance athlete in just 5 months!
- 20 November (click here for link to bbc iplayer)
- 27 November (click here for link to bbc iplayer)
- 4 December (click here for link to bbc iplayer)
- 11 December (click here for link to bbc iplayer)
There will also be a 30 minute special on New Years Day at 17.25 on CBBC.
Pigne d'Arolla North Face
The North Face of the Pigne d'Arolla is a valley classic but rarely in condition, especially in summer. This year however it's been white all summer - the first time I've seen it stay snowy in 8 years living here - so conditions were probably going to be pretty good.
The path up from Arolla is still almost snow-free, but at glacier level there's plenty of snow and the first gully is well filled in.
Next comes a long section of "mixed" scrambling that leads up to the face itself. (Mixed rubble and snow that is) This was easy until my crampon broke...
Luckily, there were some spare straps hidden in the bottom of the rucksack, and after a nervous few moments standing on one leg I got the crampon lashed together. Phew.
The upper face is in good condition with good snow and some ice.
You could climb direct on snow but I traversed onto the rocks in case the crampon repair didn't last.
