Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Encouragement When Stressed

Fils Ravier to Tozal of Mallo: repeats and more repetitions

Tozal of Mallo: first attempts to
Ravier Tozal of Mallo: opening and sketches

First repetition, which turned out to be: roped-Bellefon Despiau

August 1957 Four months after the original route of the French or was opened, two other climbers distinguished Gauls are driven by the same path as his predecessors to make the first occurrence of the way, it's about Bellefon Patrice Raymond and Despiau . Because summer is at its peak, the descent from the gap they do not ski as Ravier and company, but walking while enjoying the spectacle that Ordesa offers from above.

Despite the weight of their bivouac equipment, can be said to go quite light because, thanks to the sketches that have given the aperturistas know that the material charge is not excessive because the road has virtually been equipped with 35 nails all along the road, some fixed ropes, carabiners and even temper in the steps involved. With these projections, Despiau Bellefon and prepare to walk through, selecting some pythons sighted so that they may be needed and start climbing.

After some hesitation on the route to follow as the first long are surprisingly unequipped, to reach the Chimney feature Bellefon can overcome in a clear passage through opposition at that time was still possible to do without slipping irretrievably down as today. A little further up in the most demanding long, which until now was a reasonable suspicion rather than become evident, after 6 long have not found any python and everything seems to indicate that they are making the first repeat as they believed that, whoever has done before, has taken all the material left by his countrymen. The following

long finally have a reason to rejoice: they find the first bolt all the way, but soon after the situation is complicated by just blocking the strings with little clear material, the ropes binding of several previous falls and not entirely convinced of being on the road rather than the references that give some brands of despitonaje, Despiau is forced to risk their lives a very risky maneuver: a dubious digs nail breaks the encordaje and tied a rope to hoist the backpack that had previously attached to the nail, there is a few meters to try to reach a ledge above notes and goes on the adventure, tied with rope to a bad python backpack as only insurance. Finally, if all goes well and you have to climb Bellefon collecting rings because the cords are not run-not to mention a drop without further consequences, finally can meet both with the shock in the body in the bivouac before entering the chimney.

next day, without further delay travel to the top of the chimney where they are in doubt who will have left those walls unequipped. *************


few months ago ...

First repetition: Rabada roped-Montaner-Bescós

May 1957: A month after the Original or via the French were open, three climbers illustrious Aragonese directed from the Prairie Ordesa to perform the first repetition of the road, it's about Rabada Alberto, Rafael and José Antonio Bescós Montaner. For them, the opening of the southern Tozal has dealt a severe blow. They had been wanting to go to make that climb, but let them pass the time and ended up ahead of French climber.

This time, barely able to climb some 80 meters due to weather conditions, but did not leave empty. In just a couple of long, were recovered from the wall with utter disbelief several pins, some carabiners and stirrups. It was necessary to return to that kind of "Ali Baba's cave" from which came the ultra-free French material.

few weeks after the withdrawal, between 20 and 22 June 1957, just before returning to Ordesa, and Rafael Alberto Montaner Rabada open the Seron-Millán with Pepe and Angel Díaz López "Cintero" beginning in this way to terminate old projects hanging in a while. Apparently, experience with Ravier roped in Tozal has earned them not to be suspended indefinitely pending the tracks and to rush to complete projects.

June 1957: Aragon the rope back to the track and go back after the first long, come to the first serious difficulties (the dihedral and chimney feature.) In the words of José Antonio Bescós, " received as manna unique overhangs several lengths of rope, equipped with shiny pins abandoned by our predecessors in clear display of its buoyant economy. Logically, the answer to our self-sufficient and waste scarce resources to size was leaving the way absolutely clean. "

Thus ended the next day the road with more than 70 pins (the carrying and the 35 who recovered) and discovered the return that would put France as a destination for your next climbing. Also explained in that effort by the clean-climbing which Aragon takes 22 hours (5 more than the French) to make that climb.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Schutzenschnur 4187 Remarks

Tozal of Mallo (1957) Ravier

Easter in 1957, a group of five French climbers crosses with skis the gap to reach Ordesa Rolando and, after leaving their tables near the top of Tozal, continue down to the meadow to stay in the old house where they will spend the night Viu. The next day, rising Carriata made to the base of Tozal where they prepare for one of the most important openings that until then had been made in Aragon.

Jean Ravier, Claude Dufourmantelle, Marcel Kahn, Claude Noël Blotti Jaccoux and form the group of climbers who are beating the walls of the imposing south face of Tozal of Mallo. Their presence is ignored from the depths of Ordesa Prairie, where no suspected that there was someone climbing until night falls and the front light betrays its presence at the beginning of a long chimney that carries top.

In the first large follow the route taken by José Santacana in their attempt to make the first, but where it was diverted to the "Plaza Catalunya", the French climbers and continue the direct vertical path that had been proposed to make . After the lies of George A. Gavin and attempts Santacana, the French found another surprise: a 100 meters from the base, the mysterious initials "CI" are engraved on the wall.

After the first long Santacana tours and the first step of commitment is the great crash of the "chimney feature" as it is known since then. Based on pins and leaving fixed rope, artificial able to overcome in a step that has now become quite polished by the passage of the climbers. After that first difficult step, they still have a good section of crashes with the rush to finish the day.

next day, leaving them explore the fire that easily, they overcome to reach the top. In just 17 hours of actual climbing complete the tour, after leaving the track practically equipped with 35 pins of the nearly 100 that placed, carabiners, ropes and an abutment fixed.

probably still be given to the opening of the importance Ravier actually had on the development of climbing in Aragon. Although you can not say q ue local openings previously collected were unimportant, it is fair to say that the year 1957 marks a turning point in the achievements of that generation of climbers from Aragon to check that escalating due to the style and media of the French neighbors, on the one hand, the Aragonese open to the outside within the modest possibilities offered its economy, making its major in the French Pyrenees. On the other hand, begin to design other types of channels characterized by large vertical search, hotlines and difficult paths, giving rise to the great classics of all enjoy today. Deputy

two excellent reviews / sketch of the Mallo Ravier to Tozal learned Onaclimb and Caranorte . First

repetitions Ravier to Tozal of Mallo: read here.