Memories of Arolla
By Alan (L) Jones
I am delighted to hear that the KMC Alpine Meet 2015 is to be at Arolla. This is a magnificent Alpine Centre with a wide range of high peaks of all grades which will provide excellent training opportunities on mixed snow and ice routes for the Himalayan meet later. It was the venue for my second Alpine holiday over 50 years ago when I joined a party from the now-defunct Mountaineering Association. This organisation was headed by Jerry Wright, author of the mountaineering bible of the time which makes quaint reading these days. The party was led by Walter F. Watson who, sadly, disappeared on the Weisshorn a few years later (Alpine J. 1965, p 188).
This was the first year that the road had been constructed up to the village of Arolla and it was possible to take the Post Bus to our hotel, avoiding a trek carrying all our gear for the holiday. The former isolation of the place was still evident by the wearing of national dress as the norm rather than as a tourist attraction. This development was a result of the Grand Dixence hydroelectric scheme which was to harness the water from all the surrounding valleys into the Lac des Dix.
Our trip began with a traverse of the Petite Dent de Veisivi (3184m) by the SE Ridge (rock route), a 9 hour round trip from Arolla which showed me I was going to be pushed on this holiday. I had never done any serious training at that time. However it was followed by a more relaxed technical day on some local outcrops. Our technical ability was tested by a timed ascent of the Dent de Satarma, a spectacular but not particularly difficult sloping needle.
Next day we walked to the Dix Hut from where we climbed three peaks on snow and rock – the traverse of Mont Blanc de Cheilon (3870m) from east to West the first day and the travers of La Serpentine (3795m) and Pigne d’Arolla (3796), the following day, descending via the Vignettes Hut (with its famous toilets overhanging the glacier) back to Arolla. These were both 10-hour days. This was followed by the centrepiece of our trip, which had been promised only if we came up to standard, an ascent of the Dent Blanche (4357m). The ascent to the Rossier Hut in just under 8 hours was a major day out in itself with the Ferpècle glacier being quite challenging when soft late in the day (most parties spend a night at the Bertol Hut on the way to avoid this, I believe). One of our party went down a crevasse, but was rescued by a big tug rather than by the elaborate techniques we had been shown in previous training. The peak itself was climbed by the South Arête, mainly on rock, in excellent conditions taking just over 7 hours for the round trip from the Hut.
Unfortunately I was feeling a little unwell and turned back whilst the rest of the Party climbed Aiguille de la Tsa (3668m). After that our time was more or less up and we were unable to tackle the Aiguilles Rouge (3646m) which we had our eye on. The last day was spent exploring a new route over 5 gendarmes up to point 2755 below the Aiguilles Rouges Glacier which Walter graded Severe. This rounded off what musts be one of my most successful Alpine trips made possible by inspiring leadership and good weather. It included my first 4000m ascent and probably my most difficult alpine route (but this will be no problem to KMC Tigers who will probably choose one of the harder ridges).
