A beautiful work dedicated to mountain addicts and to amateurs who like to travel far from home!
Climbing Antarctica is a unique experience. It is a dream that only few mountaineers have had the privilege to fulfill and that you can now skim, thanks to this very nice book, richly illustrated and remarkably documented.
Damien Gildea will let you get be dragged into the rich history of Antarctica mountaineering adventure, from the first explorations in the 19th century until the achievements of today extreme climbers. He will lead you at the very heart of the most impressive and remote mountains of the South Pole...
Discovering the incredible Antarctica Mountains, emerging from the white hugeness, will let more than one reader speechless. It is hard to figure out that we are still on Earth !
In this volume you can find all the information about South Georgia.
This book is an absolute must-have for all climbers and travellers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Damien Gidea is a polar mountaineer and explorer. He successfully led seven expeditions in the highest Antarctica Mountains, from 2001 to 2008. He is the author of the book entitled Antarctic Mountaineering Chronology, published in 1998, and of detailed topographical maps of the Livingston Island (2004) and Vinson Mountain (2006). His articles and photographs were published in many periodicals around the world, as the American Alpine Journal or the American magazine called Alpinist. He also led a skiing expedition to the South Pole and took part in several expeditions in the Himalayas, in Karakorum and in the Andes. When he is not exploring, Damien Gildea lives in Australia.
EXCERPT
Stormy, rugged, windswept, formidable; all words usually associated with the island of South Georgia, and it rarely fails to live up to such descriptions. Around 170 km long, 30 km wide, overwhelmingly mountainous and heavily glaciated, the island actually has two ranges. The higher Allardyce Range runs down the centre of the island, and the lower, rockier Salvesen Range is in the southeast of the island, the two separated by Ross Pass.
The BAS 1:200,000 topographical map shows ten peaks over 2000 m, with all but one of them in the eastern part of the island, but more modern surveying may prove some of these to be lower. However, for such a small island, in such a remote location, with such terrible weather, it has contributed a substantial amount of climbing action towards the history of mountaineering in Antarctica.
A beautiful work dedicated to mountain addicts and to amateurs who like to travel far from home!
Climbing Antarctica is a unique experience. It is a dream that only few mountaineers have had the privilege to fulfill and that you can now skim, thanks to this very nice book, richly illustrated and remarkably documented.
Damien Gildea will let you get be dragged into the rich history of Antarctica mountaineering adventure, from the first explorations in the 19th century until the achievements of today extreme climbers. He will lead you at the very heart of the most impressive and remote mountains of the South Pole...
Discovering the incredible Antarctica Mountains, emerging from the white hugeness, will let more than one reader speechless. It is hard to figure out that we are still on Earth !
In this volume you can find all the information about the Transantarctic Mountains.
This book is an absolute must-have for all climbers and travellers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Damien Gidea is a polar mountaineer and explorer. He successfully led seven expeditions in the highest Antarctica Mountains, from 2001 to 2008. He is the author of the book entitled Antarctic Mountaineering Chronology, published in 1998, and of detailed topographical maps of the Livingston Island (2004) and Vinson Mountain (2006). His articles and photographs were published in many periodicals around the world, as the American Alpine Journal or the American magazine called Alpinist. He also led a skiing expedition to the South Pole and took part in several expeditions in the Himalayas, in Karakorum and in the Andes. When he is not exploring, Damien Gildea lives in Australia.
EXCERPT
The Transantarctic Mountains stretch over 3500 km across the continent and divide it into East and West Antarctica. Consisting of many smaller ranges and mountains, the Transantarctics contain some of Antarctica's highest mountains and potentially some of its most difficult climbing. Vinson's stream of Seven Summits climbers provide the financial base for the logistical operation into the Sentinel Range. Without such a desirable commodity, however, the Transantarctics have no such customers and hence no established operation. It can be done, but it costs.
Nonetheless, the Transantarctics are certainly not `unexplored', as government scientists and their support personnel from the New Zealand and US programs based at Ross Island have been working in many locations along the range for decades. A number of these scientific parties have travelled to, and within, the range by helicopter, enabling access to very remote locations and often the helicopters have been used to land high on the mountains themselves. Before the advent of helicopters, teams travelled into the nearby ranges by dogsled. As elsewhere on the continent, such work occasionally involves climbing and a number of peaks in the range have been ascended in the course of surveying, geological studies and other scientific work. In addition, the aircrew working in support of the science programs have reportedly made a number of ascents, but owing to the authorities' attitude to such activity details of these climbs are scarce.
A beautiful work dedicated to mountain addicts and to amateurs who like to travel far from home!
Climbing Antarctica is a unique experience. It is a dream that only few mountaineers have had the privilege to fulfill and that you can now skim, thanks to this very nice book, richly illustrated and remarkably documented.
Damien Gildea will let you get be dragged into the rich history of Antarctica mountaineering adventure, from the first explorations in the 19th century until the achievements of today extreme climbers. He will lead you at the very heart of the most impressive and remote mountains of the South Pole...
Discovering the incredible Antarctica Mountains, emerging from the white hugeness, will let more than one reader speechless. It is hard to figure out that we are still on Earth !
In this volume you can find all the information about the Queen Maud Land.
This book is an absolute must-have for all climbers and travellers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Damien Gidea is a polar mountaineer and explorer. He successfully led seven expeditions in the highest Antarctica Mountains, from 2001 to 2008. He is the author of the book entitled Antarctic Mountaineering Chronology, published in 1998, and of detailed topographical maps of the Livingston Island (2004) and Vinson Mountain (2006). His articles and photographs were published in many periodicals around the world, as the American Alpine Journal or the American magazine called Alpinist. He also led a skiing expedition to the South Pole and took part in several expeditions in the Himalayas, in Karakorum and in the Andes. When he is not exploring, Damien Gildea lives in Australia.
EXCERPT
If there is one part of Antarctica that has fired the imaginations of climbers around the world in recent years it is Dronning Maud Land, now more popularly known by the English translation of Queen Maud Land. While many consider Antarctica a flat land of snow and ice, Queen Maud Land offers steep rock spires jutting out of the horizontal ice, all sharp summits, blank faces and ridges at crazy angles. They are not as high as the Sentinel Range, nor as deeply hidden as the central Transantarctics, but they are real climbing - narrow, steep, technical and cold.
The Orvinfjella is the most famous and popular area, consisting of the smaller ranges of Fenriskjeften (`wolf's jaw') Massif, the Holtedahlfjella and Conradfjella. East of here is the Wohlthat massif where less climbing has been done. Much further east are the Sør Rondane and Queen Fabiola Mountains (also called the Yamato Mountains), which are high and steep, but not to the same degree as the spires of the Orvinfjella.
Discover the skiing downhills of the Aiguilles rouges Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Aiguilles rouges massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about the Aiguilles rouges.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
The Aiguilles Rouges chain could have suffered from being so close to its illustrious neighbour, the Mont Blanc Massif, but in fact the huge variety of routes on offer here means that the two ranges complement each other. From easy tours to narrow couloirs, from routes with easy access from ski lifts to numerous possible traverses, the Aiguilles Rouges is an integral part of the Mont Blanc region. Thanks to this ease of access and the great circuits that can be done in this area, this is also the starting point for trips heading north: to Sixt, Flaine and Les Portes du Soleil; or to the east and Switzerland: to the high limestone Alps via the Col de la Tour Salière and the Barberine cols; not forgetting, of course, the great routes on the Bel Oiseau, the Dent de Fenestral or Fontanabran between Finhaut and Les Marécottes. Moreover, this chain of crystalline rock (gneiss) also offers superb views of the whole of the Mont Blanc Massif, which are both breathtakingly beautiful and, more importantly, are a great opportunity for getting a look at routes for the future. The other advantage the Aiguilles Rouges has is that you can easily choose the best side of the chain to ski on, as the ski lifts and the pistes are all on the south side and the best descents are to be had on the `wild' north side where the snow stays in excellent condition for a long time. The secondary ranges of the Perrons and Luisin-Emaney don't have ski lifts and usually get skied at the beginning of the season, for road access to the Emosson Dam, as the snow cover is general better here (the area is near the very wet valleys of Haut Faucigny).
Discover the skiing downhills of the Chamonix Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Chamonix massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about Chamonix.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
We now come to the Chamonix Aiguilles and the final section of the Mont Blanc Massif. You can't miss the Chamonix `Needles' as you arrive in this, the capital of mountaineering. Above and behind them, forming the heart of the Massif, sit Mont Blanc and its surrounding peaks (the Tacul, Maudit and Goûter), which have made the valley famous.
There are two different approaches to skiing in this area:
- classic ski-touring, with its 1 to 2-day climbs and long descents that require mountaineering skills and experience as this is a high mountain environment crossing glaciated terrain;
- the `new wave' of freeriders. Using the cable-cars means you can shorten or completely avoid long climbs up to some of the routes in this area, and the approach to the valley's `mythic' descents, such as the north face of the Aiguille du Midi, can be relatively quick and easy. In fact, from the start of winter a veritable festival of freerider descents is played out before our eyes. Just after a large fall of snow, the slopes on the Glacier Rond, the Cosmiques Couloir and many other routes become almost `snow parks', which would have been inconceivable 30 years ago...
Discover the skiing downhills of the Tour Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Tour massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about Le Tour.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud made a mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. He was a high mountain guide in 1973, and was one the first who skied extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides training in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
The Le Tour ski station is served by the Charamillon-col de Balme lift systems. The skiing here is accessible, `user-friendly' and good for all the family. For the more committed off-piste skier, there is also the descent to
Les Jeurs in Switzerland on the north face, above Vallorcine. However, as with any area at the head of a valley, Le Tour is subject to frequent changes in the air currents and you should be aware of what they are doing if you are planning to ski the routes here. In fact, although Le Tour has an image as an area for relatively easy `moyenne montagne' skiing, you should not underestimate the ever-present risks. The accumulation of snow that occurs as a direct result of these specific conditions is responsible, each year, for a number of accidents and avalanches. The high mountains that overlook this mixture of forests and pastures form the eastern extremity of the Mont Blanc Massif and it has been quite calm here since the snout of the glacier avalanched.
Discover the skiing downhills of the Swiss Val Ferret Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Swiss Val Ferret massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about the Swiss Val Ferret.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud made a mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. He was a high mountain guide in 1973, and was one the first who skied extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides training in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
Swiss Val Ferret offers a very special collection of ski descents and tours. The numerous heli-drops of skiers in the winter have little affect on the ski-tourers in the area as the classic tours, such as the Three Cols, and the start of the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route don't really get skied until the spring.
There are three big huts that are convenient for early morning starts. A fourth hut (smaller and in a wonderful location) is also used by skiers, although it was built with summer climbers and mountaineers in mind and is similar to the La Maye Bivouac on Mont Dolent.
Discover the skiing downhills of the Courtmayeur Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Courtmayeur massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about Courmayeur.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
The Italian part of the Mont Blanc Massif (Val Ferret and Val Veni) is home to some of the most imposing 4000m peaks in the Alps. While the Aiguille des Glaciers, Tre la Tête peaks and the Miage on the west face are great for skiing, few of the descents around Mont Blanc itself are regularly skied. Thanks to the relative ease of access to the Col du Géant there are numerous possible routes ranging from the Vallée Blanche to the magnificent, steep faces and couloirs nearby. To the east, on the Grandes Jorasses and on Mont Gruetta, there are a couple of major descents that are often skied. Finally, there is the Mont Dolent sector which forms the border with Switzerland and has a number of routes. Its altitude meant that the Col du Géant sector was a summer ski area until 1988.
Discover the skiing downhills of Contamines-Val Montjoie Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Contamines-Val Montjoie massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about the Contamines-Val Montjoie.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
There are several reasons why I chose to start the book on this side of Mont Blanc. This part of the Massif generally gets snow early in the season and you get a real sense of its majesty and grandeur from this, its west side. I hope that the skiers and boarders who read this book will understand and agree with this choice. If not, well, it will give them something to talk about during the long winter evenings in the numerous mountain huts around the Mont Blanc Massif!
All the skiing downhills of the Aiguilles Rouges and Mont Blanc mountains are gathered in this unique book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Mont Blanc massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. He gives us here the first comprehensive rundown of the Mont Blanc and Aiguilles Rouges skiing downhills. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
PRESS REVIEW
- « In its own genre, this is a bible » - Alpinisme & Randonnée
- « More than a rundown guide, the latest Anselme Baud's work is a real nice book, easy-reading, full of information and suggestions » - Vertical
- « Did Anselme Baud just write the skiing Bible of the Mont Blanc and Aiguilles Rouges mountains ? » - Montagnes Magazine
- « This is the skiing rundown that missed on our bookshelves » - Bulletin des guides
- « A gold nugget. A complete and documented how-to-book. Don't leave it away : this is a friend advice » - Ski Français
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
From the amateur looking for the most beautiful powder snow to the mountaineer who is keen on extreme skiing, ski fans will find in this book all the useful information to fulfill their dreams of perfect lines and immaculate marks!
EXCERPT
INTRODUCTION
MONT BLANC
Unique and majestic, basking in glorious light or vexed by troublesome storms, Mont Blanc is the king of Europe. It presides in stately fashion over its glaciers, deep valleys, and delicately crenellated granite ridges. Its summit has always been prized ; its deadly rages terrifying some and fascinating others.
The first to tread on its snowy dome were the Chamoniards Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat on 8th August 1786. Since that time the mountain has enjoyed no respite : first came the caravans of hopeful conquerors, then there were the intrepid unguided parties, those in eager pursuit of discovery, and adventurers of all kinds. Latterly, with the aid of advances in technology, we have witnessed, or indeed participated in, some more irreverent assaults on the mountain's dignity : Jansen's laboratory (financed by Eiffel), a banquet sponsored by a leading brand of champagne, a car on the summit that subsequently remained stranded in a snowdrift on the Petits Mulets Ridge (4690m) for several months, to name but a few...
A beautiful work dedicated to mountain addicts and to amateurs who like to travel far from home!
Climbing Antarctica is a unique experience. It is a dream that only few mountaineers have had the privilege to fulfill and that you can now skim, thanks to this very nice book, richly illustrated and remarkably documented.
Damien Gildea will let you get be dragged into the rich history of Antarctica mountaineering adventure, from the first explorations in the 19th century until the achievements of today extreme climbers. He will lead you at the very heart of the most impressive and remote mountains of the South Pole...
Discovering the incredible Antarctica Mountains, emerging from the white hugeness, will let more than one reader speechless. It is hard to figure out that we are still on Earth !
In this volume you can find all the information about the Antarctic Peninsula.
This book is an absolute must-have for all climbers and travellers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Damien Gidea is a polar mountaineer and explorer. He successfully led seven expeditions in the highest Antarctica Mountains, from 2001 to 2008. He is the author of the book entitled Antarctic Mountaineering Chronology, published in 1998, and of detailed topographical maps of the Livingston Island (2004) and Vinson Mountain (2006). His articles and photographs were published in many periodicals around the world, as the American Alpine Journal or the American magazine called Alpinist. He also led a skiing expedition to the South Pole and took part in several expeditions in the Himalayas, in Karakorum and in the Andes. When he is not exploring, Damien Gildea lives in Australia.
EXCERPT
This is the most popular and accessible part of Antarctica, and arguably the most beautiful. To many people the Antarctic Peninsula, with its icebergs, penguins, seals, whales, snowy peaks, and glaciers dropping into the sea, is Antarctica. No longer unexplored, the Peninsula now draws tourists and other adventurers due to its great natural beauty, a melding of mountains and sea, of rock and ice, of twilight, colour and warmth, far from the vast monochrome inland.
The early years of exploration in the Peninsula region mainly consisted of commercial trips by sealers and whalers, with geographical discovery a secondary aim. The first party to visit the Antarctic for purely geographical exploration was Adrien de Gerlache's 1897-99 Belgica expedition. Their ship became trapped in pack ice and they were thus the first people to spend a winter in Antarctica. The expedition not only included a young Roald Amundsen, who would later return south for the Pole and greater glory, but also Frederick Cook who was the ship's doctor. Cook, part of a long and continuing tradition of dishonest polar adventurers, would gain notoriety for making fraudulent claims to have reached both the North Pole first and to have made the first ascent of Alaska's Mount McKinley. Cook would also later spend time in a US prison, where Amundsen was a famous visitor.
A beautiful work dedicated to mountain addicts and to amateurs who like to travel far from home!
Climbing Antarctica is a unique experience. It is a dream that only few mountaineers have had the privilege to fulfill and that you can now skim, thanks to this very nice book, richly illustrated and remarkably documented.
Damien Gildea will let you get be dragged into the rich history of Antarctica mountaineering adventure, from the first explorations in the 19th century until the achievements of today extreme climbers. He will lead you at the very heart of the most impressive and remote mountains of the South Pole...
Discovering the incredible Antarctica Mountains, emerging from the white hugeness, will let more than one reader speechless. It is hard to figure out that we are still on Earth !
In this volume you can find all the information about the Ellsworth Mountains.
This book is an absolute must-have for all climbers and travellers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Damien Gidea is a polar mountaineer and explorer. He successfully led seven expeditions in the highest Antarctica Mountains, from 2001 to 2008. He is the author of the book entitled Antarctic Mountaineering Chronology, published in 1998, and of detailed topographical maps of the Livingston Island (2004) and Vinson Mountain (2006). His articles and photographs were published in many periodicals around the world, as the American Alpine Journal or the American magazine called Alpinist. He also led a skiing expedition to the South Pole and took part in several expeditions in the Himalayas, in Karakorum and in the Andes. When he is not exploring, Damien Gildea lives in Australia.
EXCERPT
The Ellsworth Mountains are comprised of two main ranges: the high Sentinel Range in the north and the lower Heritage Range in the south, with the two separated by the Minnesota Glacier that runs from west to east.
Sentinel range
The Sentinels stretch for almost 200 km like a long, jagged spine, with numerous rocky ridge shooting out to the side and sweeping down to the ice, unusually uniform in their appearance and spacing. In between these ridges lie many couloirs and big, mixed faces, some rising over 2000 m above the flat ice stretching out east and west.
For the first time the peaks and ranges of the world's wildest continent in one place for all to see!
This beautiful work is dedicated to mountain addicts and to amateurs who like to travel far from home, avid for discovering our planet's rare regions, which are still little known.
Climbing Antarctica is a unique experience. It is a dream that only few mountaineers have had the privilege to fulfill and that you can now skim, thanks to this very nice book, richly illustrated and remarkably documented.
Damien Gildea will let you get be dragged into the rich history of Antarctica mountaineering adventure, from the first explorations in the 19th century until the achievements of today extreme climbers. He will lead you at the very heart of the most impressive and remote mountains of the South Pole...
Discovering the incredible Antarctica Mountains, emerging from the white hugeness, will let more than one reader speechless. It is hard to figure out that we are still on Earth!
This book is an absolute must-have for all climbers and travellers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Damien Gidea is a polar mountaineer and explorer. He successfully led seven expeditions in the highest Antarctica Mountains, from 2001 to 2008. He is the author of the book entitled Antarctic Mountaineering Chronology, published in 1998, and of detailed topographical maps of the Livingston Island (2004) and Vinson Mountain (2006). His articles and photographs were published in many periodicals around the world, as the American Alpine Journal or the American magazine called Alpinist. He also led a skiing expedition to the South Pole and took part in several expeditions in the Himalayas, in Karakorum and in the Andes. When he is not exploring, Damien Gildea lives in Australia.
EXCERPT
Introduction
Climbing in Antarctica is a special experience that never fails to affect those fortunate enough to do it. For most of Antarctica's human history this experience was restricted to those who worked as part of national government Antarctic programs, requiring great financial and logistical efforts. Visitors - and in Antarctica we are all visitors - were a small cog in a vast scientific and political machine. The scope and quality of work done by these programs has been incredible and continues to be so, providing us with critical insights into not only Antarctica but also our world as a whole. However, in purely mountaineering terms, the activity of such operations was understandably limited. Mountaineering merely enabled scientific work, with recreational climbing discouraged and usually unrecorded. In the following pages I?hope to preserve at least some of those ascents, as often they have proven to be more significant to those involved than the official scientific record may indicate, and they are part of the rich human history of Antarctica that should be recorded for all to enjoy.
Discover the skiing downhills of the Argentières Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Argentières massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about the Argentières.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
The Argentière Basin is quite unique in the French Alps. From piste skiing to off-piste descents and ski-mountaineering tours, there is a fantastic selection of routes for all levels of skier on offer in this area. Freeriders and ski-tourers can take their pick of superb off-piste routes (Pas de Chèvre, Argentière Glacier...), the great couloirs (Chapeau, Poubelles...) and classic tours (Col du Chardonnet, Col du Passon...) and the big `extreme' slopes (Courtes, Verte...). The Grands Montets is the starting point for the classic Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route and it also allows access to Switzerland, via the Col du Chardonnet. This means that some of the tours can be done in a day or you can do them in two stages by staying at the Argentière Hut. Unfortunately, the popularity of the Grands Montets ski station sometimes distracts a little from the splendour of the surrounding landscape as the crowds of visitors to the slopes sometimes show a certain lack of respect for the environment that welcomes them. Nevertheless, with a little bit of effort you can still find peace and quiet and, more importantly, slopes of untracked snow here.
Discover the skiing downhills of the Talèfre-Leschaux Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Talèfre-Leschaux massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about Talèfre-Leschaux.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
We are now on the south side of the huge and austere rocky walls that make up the north faces of the Aiguille Verte, the Droites and the Courtes. We leave behind us the vertiginous ice slopes that fall straight down to the Argentière Glacier. But don't for a minute think that things are going to be easier on this side, because that certainly isn't the case! Whichever side you are on, the slopes here are just steep. Neverthless, the history of extreme skiing has made light work of these south and west faces. Whether it's the Charpoua cirque, where Jean-Marc Boivin and others pioneered routes, or the south faces of the Droites and the Courtes, nothing is as it seems. These routes are consistently exposed, and so to the risks of the routes themselves you should add those that their orientation brings (rock fall, avalanches...). Although accessing these routes was made a little bit easier by the construction of the Aiguille du Midi cable-car and the Montenvers railway, few of them can be done in a day. Moreover, some of these areas, such as the Courtes Glacier, are very broken up and crevassed which makes accessing them quite a hit and miss affair... The Talèfre Glacier has receded so far since 2000 that you can now avoid the dangerous and tiresome trudge up the Leschaux Glacier moraine. This convenient gap in the glacier means that, on the climb up, you can easily get to the foot of the Pierre à Béranger via the west face of the old line of moraine. The descent, down the right bank, is even easier still. Don't let this picture of ease and comfort fool you, the skiing is hard here and these are `real' mountains! To ski here you have to be an experienced mountaineer as well as skier. All that said, this area has great routes to ski, to dream about and to remember for a long time to come...
Discover the skiing downhills of the Géant Mountain in this very detailed and documented book, written by one of the most talented skiers of his generation.
Located at the very heart of the highest mountains of Europe, the majestic Géant massif stands as a reference among the most sacred skiing places in the world. When winter comes, this snow-addict heaven offers a unique range of dream slopes, from the easiest to the most breathtakingly high ones.
Anselme Baud is an extreme skiing leading head and one of the best experts of this mountain. From classic skiing hikes to mountaineering competitions, this guide book presents a precise description of all the biggest slopes this mythic area could offer.
In this volume you can find all the information about the Géant.
Thanks to his charming accounts and instructive advice, Anselme Baud shares with us his precious and wide experience as a high mountain guide and an exceptional skier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Morzine in 1948, Anselme Baud left his mark on the Alps skiing steep slopes history. As a high mountain guide in 1973, he was one the first to ski on extreme downhills in the Alps, the Andes, in Antarctica or in the Himalayas. As an ENSA professor, he supervised during several years the mountain guides trainings in Bolivia and Nepal.
EXCERPT
The Vallée Blanche forms the backbone of this area and it can be accessed quickly from the Aiguille du Midi, the starting point for routes on the Géant Glacier, the Tacul and the Périades. Unlike the routes in the previous chapter, most of the tours here can be done in a day and the height gains are not excessive (maximum of 900m). Also, in this part of the Massif there is a broad range of routes, and you will find steep slopes and classic tours next door to each other. For all these reasons, this is a very popular area. There are lots of people on the easy routes by the Aiguilles Marbrées and the Col d'Entrèves, while the Brèche Puiseux area is less popular, but also more and more amateur extreme skiers are trying routes on the Tour Ronde and the big couloirs on the Tacul (Diable, Gervasutti, Jager). However, these figures pale into insignificance compared with the hordes of skiers and boarders who can be found on the world-famous Vallée Blanche from the beginning of the winter right through to the end of May. Indeed, you feel the contrast most strikingly once, with skins on your skis, you start climbing up towards the less accessible routes...
Destiné aux randonneurs et, de manière générale, à tous les amateurs de ces montagnes lointaines, la collection « Les Andes, guide de trekking » reprend les plus beaux itinéraires de trekking des Andes et de Patagonie, ainsi que les voies d'ascension des principaux «sommets de trekking» faciles de la Cordillère. Au total, plus de 35 itinéraires décrits en détail, avec de multiples variantes.
Les milliers d'informations précises contenues dans cette collection aideront tous ceux qui désirent approcher la montagne en Amérique du Sud dans la préparation et l'organisation de leur voyage. Elles permettront également à tous ceux qui souhaitent voyager dans les Andes en dehors des sentiers battus de découvrir des régions reculées dont aucun autre guide ne parle.
Dans ce tome, retrouvez toutes les informations concernant la Patagonie et la Terre de Feu.
À PROPOS DE L'AUTEUR
Instructeur de montagne professionnel, John Biggar grimpe re´gulie`rement dans les Andes depuis une quinzaine d'anne´es. Lorsqu'il n'est pas en Ame´rique du Sud, il vit a` Castle Douglas en E´cosse ou` il dirige ANDES, une agence de voyages spe´cialise´e en trekking, alpinisme et ski dans les Andes.
