The Two Heads Part II, Les Deux Tetes

Dear Steemers, 

The extensive introduction (Part I) was meant to bring you closer to the atmosphere our trip revolved around. You guys can climb [...], Pe’s sentence ringing in our ears made us say - Yes. A few months later…

Mid July, 2018 Montvernier, France 

Since our trip was set in stone, by booking the flights, B had been researching climbing crags in the local area. Thankfully to online activity of climbers you can find many crags, even hide ones, all bolted and ready to climb. That day we planned to attempt some routes at the crag named Les Deus  Tetes (The Two Heads), two rock formations located to the north of Les Arc 2000 (2000m). ClimbingAway and UKclimbing, online portals for climbers described difficulty of the routes as 5+ to 6c. Ideal grades for our first outdoor session.

After a late breakfast, accompanied by the view of Mont Blanc, we packed out gear, took one last look at our destination, which was visible from our terrace, and made a move. Among necessities, like climbing shoes and harness we had prepared:

- 30m (10mm) climbing rope

- 10 quick-draws

- 5, 0,6m slings

- 1, 2,4m sling

- 6m (8mm) accessory rope

- 10 carabineers 

Getting there 

The first leg the journey was by car to Bourg Saint Maurice and could have taken us less time if B was feeling more comfortable driving on the correct side of the road, but in the end it didn't take us longer then half an hour. In Bourg Saint Maurice we entered the funiculaire railway carriage and noticed that the floor was not level. Rather it was shaped like slices of cake arranged fat end to the thin end. I soon realized it was so that when the train was on the slope the floor was level for the passengers. The faniculaire took 10 minutes to reach its destination at Les Arv 1600 ski resort. With the sun rising, the journey offered spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and the sapphire blue waters of River Isere. 

Next was a short trip on the Cachette life chair, which gave us a first row seats of a downhill mountain competition running underneath our feet. For a moment we lost our minds in the dirt lifted by the competitors tires and stunning jumps on wooden ramps. 

Finally, there was a little hike to where we could access the crag.

Look up and plan first 

From the access point we were looking down at the Two Heads. The closest was an imposing slab shaped like a sharks fin, the taller of Les Deux Tetes. Initially we couldn't see any routes, but gradually the bolts revealed themselves. Like when you notice an ant on the first path an the more you look the more ants you can see.

To get to the other section of the crag we had to scramble down a boulder field. The second, rocky pillar, although not as tall as the first one it made a greater impression on us. As we had already made our way down to the smaller head, we decided to stay there and climb. The weather forecast for the day promised heavy rain late afternoon. This mean we only had 3 hour window of actual climbing time. 

Always wear a helmet 

Surprisingly, the first route we tried wasn't difficult and it did reward us with stunning view from the top. The rock was very friable, meaning that parts could be loose and crumbly. While climbing there is a chance of slightly altering the routes and this is more likely on the very friable rock. This can result in the route changing, making it easier to more difficult for a next climber. Those situations are unintentional, but they do happen. Sadly, it did happen to us couple of times. 

The first encounter with this aspect of climbing happened on the very first climb when right at the top I grabbed a slab of rock, which was making up a crack and it started to wobble. It was safer to not use it at all rather than causing B to have to hide from the falling rock that could easily kill him and potentially leaving me on he wall with the option of either down-climbing or falling with no protection. 

The other climb, much harder and time consuming, I found an amazing hold. Long story short, that hold didn't get me anywhere. I remained in the same spot with the only difference,  now the hold was loose in y hand. 

When climbing, sometimes we don't realize how much of the dirt and rocks we are knocking down. The belayer always knows. The felling of having something in your eye is almost second nature, plus the constant cracking noise of your helmet, when dirt falls on it.

Don't Panic

Ha! Easy to say. B has more sense than I do, which caused few minutes of persuasion from me to make him climb. General technicality when it comes to this sport is, you climb with your legs. That means you look down quite often to find position for your feet. Although the climbs we did were to higher than 10m, the drop below the belayer was, we estimate, another 50m. Both climber and belayer were facing the extreme possibility of falling over 60m down and landing on not so soft rocks should have something gone wrong. This aspect is one of the reasons why climbing belongs to extreme sports. However the risk can be minimized by checking what your partner is doing, staying focused and using common sense.

Constant communication

B! F...ing react! I shouted while being pulled on the ridge of the wall towards the quick-draw. It was our mutual mistake. B lost me from his site the moment I had climber over an overhang. That was the most challenging route of the day and it did force me to take my time while leading it. We had quickly realized that basic commands of take (to start taking the slack out of the rope, to minimize the distance a climber would fall), slack (to secure add more slack to the rope, so the climber has room to climb), and clipping & clipped while putting the rope through the quick-draws wasn't enough.

It's also good to know what other people see to have full picture of the struggle. Setting up the first anchor explains it well. The climber need a substantial amount of the slack to secure the rope at the top. Slack! went out in the air many times, with no effect. Until B shouted back You have plenty [...]! Turns out that somewhere, between me and B, the rope was dragging on the rock with so much friction it held me without B's corrections. A quick manual move released more than enough length to drop me down safely.

Be prepared

The main idea for the day was to climb both Heads. As it turned out, we soon realized we couldn't climb the taller on that day. The 30m rope wasn't enough to top out on any of the routes and we didn't want to leave any gear behind (know as Crag Candy or a Bail Biner). There was no need for sacrificing a carabineer or a quick-draw. We already were satisfied with our experience. Funny enough, we didn't even try to climb the other Head, as at one occasion while climbing the other crag B informed me that I have passed half rope mark. Communication! Rather a funny moment for a climber. You can go higher, but it get we trickier to come back. Luckily, I was about to come down when B informed me abut the rope, so it didn't make any difference. 

Another aspect would be to determine the purpose of your climb. If you climb to take nice pictures, be prepared for an uncomfortable climb cause by cameras you need to carry with you. If you are climbing just for sport, take everything that makes your climb safe. If you hesitate between these two, expect or a disappointing climb or an uncomfortable one.

Till this day B is laughing at my pointy peg...GoPro I mean, you filthy readers! Placed in my side pocked didn't make much of a difference, but the chest strap with a camera attached to was a very unpleasant experience.

After 2,5 hours (7 climbs - lead and top rope) we felt the first rain drops of rain. We glanced at each other smiley faces and without a word start packing the gear. We truly deserved to call it a day.

Sincere,

BliNniak (K)

We'd like to officially thank A & S for taking a good care of us. We are definitely coming back to your Ski Chalet.

Also, many thanks to other climbers and their devotion in that sport. You spend time and money, making it accessible for people like us. We are left with an amazing experience, beautiful images in our heads and stories to tell. Thank you!