Monday 21 June 2010

From Scotland to France

Cara dropped me off at Edinburgh airport for my flight to Geneva and the start of my Alpine summer guiding season, the evening before we visited this ancient battle sight.
My first ever ice climb in Scotland was Vanishing Gully on Ben Nevis climbed with one of my close friends, Robert Bruce (direct descendant to the man carved in stone above) and also Robert Milne a young American hot shot climber who was truly an inspiring climber. Robert ( Bruce) died a year or less later in Chamonix and his funeral was at his parents estate, by the most fantastic tiny church near Mount Keen. I lamented for weeks and it had a profound effect on me. The other Rob died high on Mount Everest just a few years ago.... it's an interesting life eh.... this need and continued fight for FREEDOM!

Brian on theAig. du Tour this morning; Over the past few days we took the train from Chamonix to Martigny in Switzerland, a taxi to Champex and then the Barya chairlift. We walked up to the Orny hut and did some mountaineering skills on the galcier before retiring for the night. Today we climbed up on the the Trient plateau and climbed the Aig du Tour and walked around to the village of Le Tour in France, a fine traverse from one country to another!

Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn

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