Here are a few photos of the ice climbing in the Haute Giffre / Grand Massif area (near Samoens, 1 hours drive from Geneva, approx 10 miles north of Chamonix). This is an unknown area to (nearly all!) British climbers, with a massive potential. It has a legendary reputation in France (for the climbs in the Cirque du Fer a Cheval in particular) and hundreds of awesome ice climbs (the local guide lists over 270 ice and mixed climbs). A lot of these were climbed only very recently so there is a lot of potential for exploration and new routes (the guide was 1st published 2007!).
To see a slideshow with more photos click on the title above - it shows climbs from the last 3 winters, i.e. 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08. The routes shown are all within our local area (near to Sixt Fer a Cheval and Samoens), and many are actually visible from the lounge window at Chalet Henriette (where the walk-in starts!) or were max. 10 mins drive away. Regards Nick
