Mike’s Alpine Adventure

We had a rushed start to ensure we got a ticket for the Aiguille du Midi lift, but we managed to secure one for 10:30 am—perfect timing!

After picking up B2 boots and crampons for Mike, we headed to the lift. At the top, we were greeted by incredible, otherworldly scenes. I absolutely love it up here! We geared up in the tunnel and descended onto the glacier, drawing a bit of attention from the tourists, some of whom even asked to take photos with us.

Mike began his tentative walk down the well-trodden path onto the glacier. This was his first time ever wearing crampons, so our progress was slow and steady.

We made our way across the glacier towards our objective: the Arête à Laurence. Once we reached the arête, we stopped for lunch with a view before continuing along the rocky, slightly snowy ridge.

Our pace was leisurely, but I was keen for Mike to savor his first Alpine route! We took plenty of photo breaks along the way.

We reached the crux, where I lowered Mike down first and then abseiled down myself. From there, it was only a short walk to the Cosmiques Hut, where we quickly enjoyed a hot chocolate. The rush was because the weather had turned, and we wanted to ensure we caught the lift back down! We set off across the glacier at a brisk pace, with Mike leading the way. As we started the uphill section, I took the lead, short-roping Mike to maintain our pace. We arrived at the lift station with plenty of time, once again attracting the attention of camera-wielding tourists who wanted photos with us. I decided to join in on the fun, handing out the ice axe as a prop—which only encouraged more people to join in!

We took the lift down and met Mum and Doug. We then walked to Cool Cats for a hot dog before heading home. Once back, I ran my usual 9km route around the valley. A superb day, and although he’d never admit it, I think Mike enjoyed himself too! How could he not with views like these!?