Aiguille du Midi, South Face, Eperon des Cosmiques

This is the topo of the main route. The start is off the topo. It starts up a very loose couloir on the LHS. It finishes on the Cosmiques Arete, with 2 thirds of the route to go, to the top Midi station.

Alison Culshaw on the approach, looking to the route.

The ititial climb up to the first belay, in the awful loose couloir - I couldn't wait to get out of it...

This is the third pitch now - facing the overhang. I tried to be all British about the overhang and tried to free it - but with the heavy bag, being at 3,700m, and not acclimatised - all VALID excuses ;) (okay, I'm weak!) - I failed, and resorted to Alpine tactics, and ended up doing it as a A0 pitch :(

Watch me here...

There's always time to take photos, even when trying to free an overhang !

Alison taskes on the next pitch

The next..

The last difficult pitch

Alison posing ....

Alison forgetting to pose..

The Brevent Cliff, over the Valley - the spot of my last climb :)

Yesterday I was in Swansea, today I woke up in Chamonix in Alison Culshaw's house with 2 Guide Aspirants - James Thacker, and Mark Walker... They have their Alpine test next week !! Good luck to them both. Mark is on the approach to the Matterhorn today... James is drinking tea with Alison !!