Charley Radcliffe and I had heard good reports about conditions in the Rebuffat gully on the Tour Ronde and so headed up for some mixed climbing. The walk in was fast and the route looked good at first but as we got right underneath it, we saw that the first ice pitch had completely fallen off, leaving a wet, black streak instead.
I figured that it might be possible to get around it but a pitch of horrible, chossy rock and rotten snow convinced me that we were a week late for the route. Ironically, there is good ice on many routes across the Massif but we managed not to find it!
On the way back to the Helbronner we decided to nip up the Aiguille de Toule so we soloed up the north face and then down the west face, which made for a fun couple of hours.
Charley on the Toule north face.
After such a wet summer, conditions are getting really good up high and this could be a brilliant mixed climbing season. I haven't done much mixed over the past few years but I'm feeling super keen right now so hopefully we'll get a sunny, cold autumn.