New Year on Verte

Christmas 1989 had me arriving to Chamonix for the third time that year, On this trip I had joined forces with Per Bager and Martin Oleksiewicz, and favoured by an excellent weather forecast, we had made many plans for all the trips we could make. But highest on our wishing list was still Aiguille Verte, and right on Christmas morning we left town for the Argentière hut. It was almost as if the mountain did not want to be climbed, for scarcely we had left the cable car station for the hut when an avalanche came tearing down the north side of Verte. The following morning we left early, but not early enough. We had severe problems, firstly with the deep snow up to the start of the climb, secondly to find a way across the bergschrund. Day was dawning when finally we found the right place to cross, so we decided to turn and descend back to the cable car station. An hour later a new avalanche came crashing down the mountain side.

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