skip to main | skip to sidebar

Fossil Alpinism

A bunch of old guys still enjoying the mountains, and the training they need to do to get off the couch

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Essay: Chamonix and the Urban Bivy


A fantastic little piece, that will resonate with any American or Brit who has ever climbed in Chamonix. Fred Wilkinson hits the nail on the head with his story of mixed climbing, the inevitable SNAFU, with bivouac to follow; know that I have also slept in that bathroom, high atop the Aiguille du Midi. Click on this text to read this evocative article which will bring you back to the days ...

Oh, and always click on the image to enlarge the photograph.
Posted by Hock at 4:49 AM
Newer Post Older Post Home

Books I Am Reading

  • Paths Of Glory
  • Shieldmaiden
  • The Mountaineer’s Companion

Total Pageviews

Popular Posts

  • I am slower than a decade ago, but what a difference retirement makes!
    Imagine if I could have logged this training volume ten years ago! Strava has given me a month to preview its subscription app - excellent ...
  • THE ART OF SUFFERING
    KURTYKA WAS A LEADING PROPONENT OF FAST AND LIGHT IN THE 1970s and 1980s. This is a historically important essay written in 1988. The Art ...
  • IMPORTANT REMINDERS for the backcountry ski season
    
  • UCI World Cup mountain biking coming to Lake Placid
    Today is an official training day, and racing starts tomorrow.
  • Well I landed on the podium
    However, I was 19 minutes slower than when I ran it three years ago. I chalk that up to being slightly longer, the awful weather, and a stop...
  • Total time on snow during the 2024 - 2025 season
    The first graph is my total time Nordic skiing last year, with a Strava paragraph comparing it to the previous season. This next graph is th...
  • Until the snow flies I am back in the saddle
  • Nice sunset over Street and Nye
    We need some more rain, but it sure has been wonderful weather to train in … sunny and cool.  This morning it was 30 degrees and tomorrow mo...

Subscribe To

Posts
Atom
Posts
Comments
Atom
Comments

Blog Archive

  • ►  2025 (300)
    • ►  October (27)
    • ►  September (31)
    • ►  August (36)
    • ►  July (30)
    • ►  June (25)
    • ►  May (27)
    • ►  April (30)
    • ►  March (33)
    • ►  February (30)
    • ►  January (31)
  • ►  2024 (442)
    • ►  December (37)
    • ►  November (32)
    • ►  October (44)
    • ►  September (35)
    • ►  August (35)
    • ►  July (35)
    • ►  June (45)
    • ►  May (34)
    • ►  April (36)
    • ►  March (38)
    • ►  February (40)
    • ►  January (31)
  • ►  2023 (400)
    • ►  December (34)
    • ►  November (34)
    • ►  October (42)
    • ►  September (35)
    • ►  August (33)
    • ►  July (33)
    • ►  June (32)
    • ►  May (33)
    • ►  April (32)
    • ►  March (31)
    • ►  February (31)
    • ►  January (30)
  • ►  2022 (365)
    • ►  December (32)
    • ►  November (30)
    • ►  October (26)
    • ►  September (33)
    • ►  August (29)
    • ►  July (26)
    • ►  June (28)
    • ►  May (30)
    • ►  April (36)
    • ►  March (33)
    • ►  February (27)
    • ►  January (35)
  • ►  2021 (356)
    • ►  December (31)
    • ►  November (30)
    • ►  October (28)
    • ►  September (24)
    • ►  August (28)
    • ►  July (34)
    • ►  June (30)
    • ►  May (36)
    • ►  April (34)
    • ►  March (31)
    • ►  February (24)
    • ►  January (26)
  • ►  2020 (403)
    • ►  December (35)
    • ►  November (37)
    • ►  October (33)
    • ►  September (26)
    • ►  August (29)
    • ►  July (26)
    • ►  June (30)
    • ►  May (42)
    • ►  April (55)
    • ►  March (37)
    • ►  February (26)
    • ►  January (27)
  • ►  2019 (340)
    • ►  December (28)
    • ►  November (32)
    • ►  October (31)
    • ►  September (29)
    • ►  August (24)
    • ►  July (24)
    • ►  June (26)
    • ►  May (25)
    • ►  April (26)
    • ►  March (33)
    • ►  February (34)
    • ►  January (28)
  • ►  2018 (408)
    • ►  December (31)
    • ►  November (32)
    • ►  October (34)
    • ►  September (37)
    • ►  August (36)
    • ►  July (44)
    • ►  June (31)
    • ►  May (29)
    • ►  April (32)
    • ►  March (31)
    • ►  February (31)
    • ►  January (40)
  • ►  2017 (413)
    • ►  December (38)
    • ►  November (40)
    • ►  October (33)
    • ►  September (34)
    • ►  August (46)
    • ►  July (34)
    • ►  June (29)
    • ►  May (29)
    • ►  April (31)
    • ►  March (38)
    • ►  February (29)
    • ►  January (32)
  • ►  2016 (400)
    • ►  December (35)
    • ►  November (37)
    • ►  October (38)
    • ►  September (36)
    • ►  August (38)
    • ►  July (32)
    • ►  June (39)
    • ►  May (27)
    • ►  April (24)
    • ►  March (35)
    • ►  February (31)
    • ►  January (28)
  • ►  2015 (417)
    • ►  December (33)
    • ►  November (28)
    • ►  October (32)
    • ►  September (28)
    • ►  August (38)
    • ►  July (49)
    • ►  June (37)
    • ►  May (28)
    • ►  April (29)
    • ►  March (45)
    • ►  February (30)
    • ►  January (40)
  • ►  2014 (476)
    • ►  December (37)
    • ►  November (34)
    • ►  October (42)
    • ►  September (36)
    • ►  August (39)
    • ►  July (38)
    • ►  June (48)
    • ►  May (34)
    • ►  April (38)
    • ►  March (44)
    • ►  February (41)
    • ►  January (45)
  • ►  2013 (574)
    • ►  December (40)
    • ►  November (46)
    • ►  October (50)
    • ►  September (48)
    • ►  August (53)
    • ►  July (44)
    • ►  June (52)
    • ►  May (48)
    • ►  April (48)
    • ►  March (58)
    • ►  February (42)
    • ►  January (45)
  • ►  2012 (607)
    • ►  December (51)
    • ►  November (42)
    • ►  October (42)
    • ►  September (55)
    • ►  August (59)
    • ►  July (50)
    • ►  June (53)
    • ►  May (57)
    • ►  April (42)
    • ►  March (48)
    • ►  February (59)
    • ►  January (49)
  • ►  2011 (880)
    • ►  December (69)
    • ►  November (53)
    • ►  October (60)
    • ►  September (64)
    • ►  August (84)
    • ►  July (79)
    • ►  June (74)
    • ►  May (73)
    • ►  April (73)
    • ►  March (88)
    • ►  February (79)
    • ►  January (84)
  • ▼  2010 (641)
    • ►  December (64)
    • ►  November (63)
    • ►  October (59)
    • ►  September (59)
    • ►  August (86)
    • ►  July (58)
    • ►  June (67)
    • ►  May (67)
    • ►  April (42)
    • ►  March (26)
    • ►  February (22)
    • ▼  January (28)
      • Nordwand ... the movie
      • Loppet Training
      • Last Training Weekend
      • Interview: Messner the alpine god!
      • Video: Herringbone Technique
      • Alaskan Routes
      • Video: how to make your own skis
      • The Stonemasters
      • Patagonia Solo
      • Fossil Ice Climbing
      • Video: more double poling
      • Video: NCS avalanche forecasting
      • Quote of the Week
      • Video: NCS nordic ski team
      • Blast From The Past
      • NCS Nordic Team Practice
      • Fantastic Skiing
      • Fantastic Ice
      • Essay: Chamonix and the Urban Bivy
      • Quote of the Week
      • Perfect Time for a Visit
      • Black Diamond Lab Tests
      • Interview with Charlie Porter
      • Tour de Ski ... Stage 3
      • Video: Eperon Cosmique
      • White Mountains
      • The W.H. Murray Literary Prize
      • The NCS Traverse of the Gods
  • ►  2009 (472)
    • ►  December (39)
    • ►  November (28)
    • ►  October (33)
    • ►  September (35)
    • ►  August (40)
    • ►  July (43)
    • ►  June (75)
    • ►  May (52)
    • ►  April (32)
    • ►  March (38)
    • ►  February (20)
    • ►  January (37)
  • ►  2008 (440)
    • ►  December (36)
    • ►  November (44)
    • ►  October (51)
    • ►  September (39)
    • ►  August (37)
    • ►  July (29)
    • ►  June (54)
    • ►  May (29)
    • ►  April (21)
    • ►  March (40)
    • ►  February (36)
    • ►  January (24)
  • ►  2007 (92)
    • ►  December (77)
    • ►  November (15)

Important Climbing And Skiing Website Links

  • Sweat Science
  • Wild Snow
  • Adventure Journal
  • Skimo
  • FasterSkier
  • Planet Mountain
  • Nordic Insights

Aiguille de Gliere

Aiguille de Gliere
Hock on the 5.7 "Razor" Pitch

Hock's best. What were your Five biggest and best routes?

  • South Ridge of the Gliere
  • North Ridge of the Grand Teton
  • North Buttress of Middle Cathedral
  • Sentinel Rouge on Mount Blanc
  • Black Dike on Cannon

Hock's handful of could have, would have, wished I had, and still hope to do routes!

  • West Face Tocllaraju
  • North Face of the Matterhorn
  • Black Ice Colouir on the Grand Teton
  • Cassin Ridge on Denali

The Historian

  • Hock
  • Hock
 

Fossil Clubhouse

Fossil Clubhouse
Selden and Gary getting ready to frame the cabin

Cordillera Blanca

Cordillera Blanca
Fossils on Ishinca (18,500')