Derek Seddon & Alpinism in the Dauphiné: 1982
By Frank Williams
I first went to the Dauphiné in 1981 on a BMC novices’ course led by John Brailsford, UIA guide and father of the now Sir David Brailsford. We had a great time, strenuous, exciting and with a steep learning curve, enjoying the super camping at Ailefroide. In 1982 Derek, then president of the KMC and I went together by bus!! From Chorlton Street to Victoria then by the “Magic Bus” to Grenoble, we carried about 80lbs each of camping and climbing gear when on foot. By bus also we travelled from Grenoble to Briançon. The latter is, I believe, the highest town in France and was fortified by the great French military engineer, Vauban, as an artillery fort.
Derek and I had done some extensive preparations rock climbing at the dizzy standard of severe and in ensuring we had the right equipment. Derek’s water bottle was an old plastic one which originally contained fabric softener, a fact which explained why knees gave way! In addition Derek’s boots were too bendy for crampons so, since they were large enough, we stiffened them with thick plywood insoles which later came in useful for another purpose. Despite our 160lbs total load we were able to thumb lifts from Briançon to Camping Ailefroide where we pitched our Vango ridge tent under the trees where we would get morning sun and near a ground water spring in which the beer was stored. What a site, so beautiful and friendly. We planned to thumb up to Pré de Madame Carle and take it from there for the alpine routes but first we decided to do the Tête de la Draye as a day trip from the camp site.
The first route we chose was that of Des Agneaux by the ordinary route and up to the summit at 3664 metres, Facile in grade. Up to Pré de Madame Carle, then up to the Glacier Blanc hut where we booked our bed spaces. The following day the weather was perfect with a start at about 5.30 up the Jean Gauthier glacier and Col du Monêtier, where we stopped for a snack amongst a biggish group and cheered by the cries of the alpine choughs gathering for scraps. Then on to Col Tuckett from where we missed out the steep step, down which guides were throwing their clients, by going round to the right where a couloir of jammed rocks took us back to the top of the step. The rocks were easy from there to the summit. We descended by the same route back to the hut, drinks and rest, and a long descent back to the camp site. The routine was for a day’s rest after a route and in this case we were able to enjoy the Festival des Guides on the nearby École d’Escalade on our rest day.
Being of an economic turn of mind, Derek’s view of wine drinking was that it was too expensive and he felt that lemonade was the drink. That is until he discovered that in France lemonade was more expensive than wine, so there was an immediate switch. Incidentally the lemonade rejoiced in the trade name of “Sic”! So our next adventure involved staying at the Ecrins Hut at 3170 metres, and a climb up to the Roche Faurio summit at 3730 metres. This was another facile route with enjoyable glacier travel and a summit with magic views of the upper Glacier Blanc and the Barre des Ecrins. This route is mainly snow on the glacier up to the ridge with easy rocks to the summit. The weather in the Dauphiné seemed always to be superb and one of the most demanding efforts is that of descent after a route. So to go from the Ecrins Hut to the campsite involves a descent of 1688 metres, or 5500 feet approx, very demanding on the knees with a full pack. So we first had a rest and drinks at the hut.
Another memorable route was Ailefroide Orientale at 3848 metres, the easiest and lowest of the three summits of Ailefroide. This route involved going direct from the camp site up the Clapouse valley, at first through woodland, then following the torrent through cliffs to arrive at the Sélé hut at 2710. This hut was the original timber structure, with a tiny kitchen/entrance and two-level alpine bunks at one side with sliding pull-out alpine bunks underneath. It wasn’t very crowded so we bagged our bunks early. The loo was interesting in a timber sentry box with a long drop over the cliff. Care is needed since the up-draught can send your bog paper blowing back over your head! The climb from Ailefroide village is approximately 1200 metres. The start needed to be reasonably early at about 4.00 am the summit being about four and half hours from the hut. Descending back down the Ailefroide glacier had to be done with care on very steep snow with the sun warming things up. An F/PD route, the climb is mostly snow with a rocky traverse round the base of the south-east ridge. On the summit an English rope recognized us and kindly took a photo of Derek and I together on the top.
We could relax at the end of our trip with meals in the Petit Boeuf in the village and with a night’s camp in Briançon, and after an interesting tour round some of fortifications including outlying forts we were ready for the bus to Grenoble.
In ’82 Derek was 58 and I was 50 and one couldn’t ask for, or enjoy being with a better companion, we were a great team. Derek was KMC secretary for ten years and president in the eighties. On the 22nd June he reached his 90th birthday and it is a privilege to know him and to have enjoyed these climbs together.
Frank Williams in celebration of Derek Seddon’s 90th birthday.
