A N d INTO THE MOUNTAINS I GO TO LOSE M y MIN d AN d FIN d M y SOUL

J OHN M UIR

nature and specifically mountains have always attracted mankind. We all see pictures of these places and many of us long to go. However, actually doing the work to get to these places’ cuts many out of the crowd. Climbing and being out in the mountains can be hard work and challenging, due to risky factors such as altitude and weather conditions. But being out there and to experience nature firsthand, improves our general mood, reduces feelings of stress and can improve our confidence, patience and agility, to name a few. Last but not least, it is also about being out with likeminded people, comradery and having fun.

I joined Martin on ten out of eighteen trips that he made to realize this book. Prior to and during these trips, there was always room for debate, mutual respect for personal influences such as risk appetite, skills, fitness and the mood of the day.

Taken into account all of the above led to a 100% hit-rate for all of our trips and most important: a new found friendship.

Yves Mooren Eindhoven, november 2022

Below me I hear the sound of carabiners and down below a group of four with a guide climb up the mountain.

Altitude: 2,086 meters.

Situated in the Vercors in France.

First ascent in 1492 by Antoine de Ville and party.

The most characteristic mountain in the french Vercors is undoubtedly the 2,086 meters high Mont Aiguille. The first ascent of this mountain in 1492 is often referred to as the cradle of mountaineering. It was the first time in history that a mountain of such difficulty had been scaled. Besides that, the ascent had not been undertaken for scientific or strategic reasons, it was merely done for fame and prestige.

In the year 1492, King Charles VIII of france was on his way to Italy when he passed the ‘Mont Inaccessible’. The king became fascinated by the mountain and ordered his military engineer Antoine de Ville to ascent the unclimbable mountain. Antoine de Ville soon had gathered a motley crew of friends, a few servants and a carpenter. They climbed the mountain and ended up staying at the summit for six days. from the top he wrote a letter to the president of Grenoble stating that during the ascent they had been confronted by the most horrifying and terrifying passage anyone could have ever seen.

It’s unclear exactly where their route went up the mountain, but the ascent must have been similar to the siege of an enemy castle. for example, wooden ladders and bridges were built on site to overcome the steepest and most unapproachable parts of the mountain.

A second recorded ascent of the Mont Aiguille only occurred 342 years after its first ascent. In 1834, local shepherd Jean-Pierre-César Liotard climbed to the summit via a more logical route. He climbed the mountain without the aid of ropes or wooden ladders and climbed the difficult passages barefooted to get a better grip on the limestone rock. Lyotard’s ascent fits in better with the imagination of modern climbing and his route has since been regarded as the normal route to the summit of Mont Aiguille.

Almost fifty years after the climb had been done by Liotard, the french Alpine Club decided to accommodate some of the difficult passages on this route with chains. These chains were later replaced by steel cables that are now used by climbers for support and to secure themselves on the once so perfectly natural line.

No rush.

I travelled to the Mont Aiguille on my own with the intention of climbing the normal route. At first light, going up the well-worn path towards Mont Aiguille, I marvel at the beautiful beech forest through which I walk. Although these trees were not there when Antoine de Ville was here on his mission, these old mist-shrouded beech trees create a medieval atmosphere. The approach turns out to be straightforward and after a brisk walk of seventy-five minutes I reach the foot of the mountain.

At the beginning of the route I meet four climbers and almost simultaneously we start preparing for the ascent. I can tell from the excess amount of climbing equipment that these are not very experienced climbers. When they ask me if I want to start first and get ahead of them, I thank them for the offer, but tell them I’d rather wait. I’ve already decided to take my time and not rush in any way. I put on my helmet, get my stove out of my backpack and make a cup of instant coffee.

When my coffee is almost finished, I see that the other climbers are not yet ready to start on the route. With an uneasy feeling I go back to their proposal to let me continue. I put the stove in my backpack, put on my harness, tie my climbing shoes and start climbing. At first I have to get used to climbing solo, but soon I feel calm and my climbing movements become smooth.

After two pitches of climbing and some scrambling, the four climbers below me are out of sight. I soon reach the first part where a steel cable leads the way upwards. I eagerly attach my carabiner with shock absorber to the cable and continue climbing. Clouds gather and the wall is completely swallowed. Sometimes the visibility is so bad I can’t see where the steel cable is attached to the rock above or below me.

About halfway through the route I arrive at a comfortable ledge and start enjoying the beautiful place I’m in. I decide to wait here so that I can photograph the other four climbers climbing up in this beautiful setting. It’s a bit cold so I put on all my clothes and start making another cup of coffee. Three cups of coffee and some biscuits with sausage later, there is still no sign of the others. I feel cold and restless and decide to climb on. The next part traverses to the left and is secured with a thick steel cable. Then I stand at the bottom of a gully that is more than a hundred meters high and rises steeply above me. I know this is the last obstacle of the route and I am in awe of the young shepherd who most likely started this last stretch on his bare feet. Higher up I encounter steel cables again and I climb safely through the steep parts of the gully. As soon as I come out of the gully I am at the top, clouds dance gracefully through the sky and the sun radiates its warm rays over the summit plateau.

Chamois and ibex.

Wandering over the huge summit plateau, I suddenly come face to face with a herd of chamois and ibex. They look at me wide-eyed and remain somewhat shy from a safe distance. As an ibex poses for me and the clouds slowly break open around us, I am reminded of the letter from Antoine de Ville who wrote to the President of Grenoble after reaching the top in 1492: “The top is covered with a beautiful meadow and we have found a beautiful herd of chamois that will probably never leave here.” While I can’t imagine how many generations of chamois have lived here, I’m glad to find out that they are still around.

Same way back.

When I reach the highest point at the end of the rolling meadow, the clouds open around me and I am treated to beautiful views. The usual way to go back down is via a route which has two abseil descents. But because I didn’t want to climb up on my own with 120 meters of rope on my back, I didn’t take a rope and have no choice but to climb down the route I ascended. The descent of the gully goes without problems and as soon as I drink coffee on the same spot as during the ascent, I suddenly hear voices below me and the unmistakable sound of climbing equipment. Although swirling clouds make visibility too poor to take high-contrast photos, I grab my camera and photograph the four climbers as they climb towards me. I offer them coffee and tell them it’s sunny on the summit and that there are chamois. Once they disappear out of view, I descent further down to the base of the wall, hide my climbing gear in the bushes and walk back down to the valley floor to make a simple but nutritious meal.

It is friday and the weather forecast for the weekend is good. In the evening more cars and campers arrive and everyone is busy organizing climbing gear. At dusk I can see the silhouette of Mont Aiguille, clouds cling to its flanks and wispy shreds rise from the summit. The sky is clear and the stars appear in large numbers. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day. I fill my backpack with fresh water and a new supply of instant coffee and with the alarm clock at four thirty I crawl into my sleeping bag.

The next morning it is cloudy and the mountain is barely visible. As soon as I start the approach towards the mountain, it clearly feels different from yesterday. There is a kind of tension in the air and at this early hour many people are already on their way. I talk to different groups; some are friends, others are out with a guide and some people are just not that talkative. As I reach the base of the mountain, I find several party’s getting ready for the ascent. One party is already on its way and almost reaches the first part with steel cables. I get ready in three minutes, put my camera within reach and start climbing.

Coffee anyone?

I meet the climbing party just as they are starting on the lower part of the cables. They are three elderly climbers and they tell me they started the route at a quarter to five this morning. I pass them and take pictures as they climb. While they figure out how to tackle the next part of the route, I start making coffee on a plateau at the end of the steel cables. The three men decline my offer for coffee, thinking they need all the time they can get to go up and down the mountain and be ready before it gets dark. I say goodbye and wish them luck with the climb. Below me I hear the sound of carabiners and a group of four with a guide climb up the mountain and I start taking pictures. The guide is interested in my coffee and I promise him that a cup will be waiting for him just before the next traverse.

I am on the mountain all day and all the people I meet are friendly and tolerant. Even though some climbers accidentally kick rocks at strangers below them, they soon find themselves laughing and solidarity proves to be an important component on this mountain. My experience on the summit is completely different from the day before. There is no trace of the chamois, they must be hiding in the upper flanks of the northwest wall. The current situation at the top reminds me of that in a park in Paris. Everywhere people picnic in pairs or groups. There are baguettes, delicious cheese, salads, coffee and of course bottles of wine. The sun shines brightly through the clouds around us and it is wonderfully warm. Sometimes a gap appears in the clouds and everyone enthusiastically starts pointing at the landscape that has come into view.

Inspired by Antoine de Ville.

More and more people climb up with a sleeping mattress tied to their backpack. They clearly intend to stay on the summit tonight. Inspired by Antoine de Ville, this thought had also crossed my mind and now that I have tasted the warm and friendly atmosphere on this mountain, this thought had turned into a wish. I solemnly promise myself that I will come back in the near future with some friends to spend a night on one of the most emblematic meadows of the Alps. When I descent the last meters to the base of the wall at a quarter to four, at least thirty climbers are queuing up to start the ascent. It will be a busy night at fort Aiguille.