Dave Searle - DAVE SEARLE

Break A Leg.

17/12/201117/12/20114 Comments

Learning to take the Rough with the Smooth.

I have had a dream year out in Chamonix skiing and climbing with my friends, but like all good things they eventually come to an end, or so I’ve been told. I never really believed ‘them’, my youthful arrogance or general positive nature persuaded me that I would continue learning, getting stronger and climbing and skiing harder. I have not been injured for some three years now and to this date I have never sustained an injury from climbing. On Saturday the 10^th however I managed to ‘accomplish’ my first ‘Season Ender’ in a particularly unspectacular skiing crash at the Grand Montets ski area in Chamonix. I managed to break my leg hitting a rock whilst skiing some questionably worthwhile off-piste on my second run of the second day’s skiing this season. I have been informed that I take this years prize of “le premier genou de la saison ” I.e the first knee of the season. Here’s how it happened.

I have kept a kind of journal since the accident. I’m not looking for sympathy from posting it and yes I know people have had worse experiences but it has taken a lot of courage form me to post this here for the world to see. Here it is.

Last Few Weeks

22/11/201122/11/2011Leave a comment

P1060086 — The Wiseboyz, Knowing when to fail has been one of the hardest lessons I've learnt in the mountains.

Its been a reasonably hectic last few weeks for me without a lot of really interesting stuff to write about. I’m currently back in the UK for the next few week’s waiting for the snow to hit Scotland so I can do some winter climbing up there. Just coming out of the two day hangover which was Kendal mountain film festival which was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. Before that I spent one night in London where I went to see the new North face film about Gasherbrum 2 and had a catch up with some mates down there. Before I left for all this me and Ally Swinton had a go at the Desmasion/Gouseault on the North Face of the Grandes Jorasses which was cut short due to a combination of factors but mainly the lack of gaz and lots of spindrift which slowed us down in the first few hours on the face. Here’s some photo’s of what we we managed to do.

Gear reviews.

07/11/201107/11/2011Leave a comment

P1050772 — 6000er and G20 feeling the love of the mixed climbing on Pinocchio!!

Over the coming period I will be doing some gear reviews for Cold Thistle.
Its an internationally know blog run by a friend of mine, Dane Burns
Check out my rescent review of My Grivel G20’s and my Scarpa 6000’s.

Here my Grivel G20 review there:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/11/grivels-g20-monopoint.html

Here is my Scarpa 6000 review there:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/11/scarpa-6000-boot-review-by-dave-searle.html

Colton-Brooks, Les Droites.

02/10/201102/10/2011Leave a comment

With routes marked — Les Droites with Colton-Brooks marked.

With such a strong high pressure sat over the Alps at the moment it would be rude not to make the most of it. Especially as my driving work has all but stopped. We decided to head up to the Argentiere basin to check it out. We had our sights set on the Colton-Brooks on the north face Of the Droites. We had no idea what the conditions were like on the bottom half of the face as its impossible to see from the valley but we decided it was worth a punt!!

Here’s how it went…..

“Its going to be a long night dude!”

27/09/201127/09/2011Leave a comment

Sunset after the First day. 5 hours from any hut. Mont Blanc in the Background with Grande Pilier d'Angle on the left our Original finishing point.

…..That’s the words Ally said to me when we topped out on Pointe Walker at 5.45pm after climbing the Colton/ Macintyre (with Alexis Crux Variation).

Our plan was to traverse the Jorasses, after climbing the north face, to the Canzio Hut at the Col des Grandes Jorasses for the first day of our epic link. We wanted to traverse the Rochefort Arete to the Forche hut and finish up the Chechinel Nominee on the Grande Pilier d’Angle to Mont Blanc.

Little did we know just how long the first day was going to be……

The S**t Route and the Frendo Spur Solo

10/08/201110/08/2011Leave a comment

Yesterday (9/8/11) me and Wee Ally Swinton headed up to the Aiguille du Midi for some mixed climbing. We were feeling pretty lazy and couldn’t really be bothered to walk anywhere, so we abbed of the bridge to climb a route the has coined the name “The S**t Route.” The route follows a ice line which finishes at the end of the Arete des Cosmiques after 4 pitches of grade 4. We started up it and were pleasantly surprised to find good ice for the first two pitches, then it turned to s**t. Literally. Unfourtunaly this route is feed by the toilet above. Not very nice and I don’t have anything else to say on the matter. Here’s a video of Colin Haley climbing it in the winter made by my mate Bjarne Shalen of Endless Flow . Click here for the video.

Dave Searle and Ally Swinton in Eiger Shocker!

28/07/201116/11/2020Leave a comment

The funny thing about the Eiger is your perception of what it’s like is very different to how it actually is. I thought it was going to be in a mailstorm of falling rocks whilst pulling on loose holds with Clint Eastwood body belaying me up a ice field with a funny glint in his eye.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the nature of the climbing was very different to that of the Mont Blanc Massif which made it quite interesting and difficult in places. I was however disappointed by the lack of rock fall and gruff film stars.

Here’s how it went….Continue reading

Some good photos from past routes…….. and failures!

21/07/201121/07/2011Leave a comment

Me in awe — So thats it... Probably one of the most sort after north faces in the Mont Blanc massif (definatly most climbed). The mighty Tacul triangle. ooooorrrrffff

So to be good at anything in life you need practice. Thats the only reason one would climb on the triangle. For training. So thats what me and Gav and Josh did. We went for some practice warm up mixed climbing time. We did four routes in total and just as if we had been sport climbing i don’t really know the names of them, just the grade. It was fun here’s some photo’s.
Continue reading

New rainy day activity…. BLOGGIN.

21/07/201121/07/2011Leave a comment

Right, its wet as f**k here in Chamonix so I am relishing the opportunity to work on my drinking. Last night was fun but this morning as the hang over subsides I realize that in reality I am itching to get back in the hills soon, but the weather is really working against us all here. One thing for sure though, when I do get out hopefully later this week I will be updating this here blog with some pictures and maybe some wise words.

I am a Chamonix based climber enjoying all aspects of the sport, even sport climbing, but I really love getting out in the mountains for long days. In winter I have been skiing more and more and starting to tick off some big classic Chamonix lines such as Col des Courts, North face of the L’ Amone and the Y couloir on the Aiguille Argentiere, but still regularly get out winter/ice/mixed climbing. In the last few years the highlights have probably been Pinocchio on the east face of Tacul and the Carrington/Rouse on the N face of the Aig. Pellarans.
As I mentioned this summer is not going to plan due to weather but started off really well with a early season one day ascent of the classic ’38 route on the N face of the Eiger with Ally Swinton. Buzzing off that and last season’s highlights such as Colton/McIntyre on the N face of the Jorrasses and the Ginat on the N face of the Droites I am planning on ticking off as many big routes as I can with sights set on all the big classic North Faces, as well as harder modern test pieces like ‘Beyond the Good and the Evil’ on the Pellarins and the Dru Couloir (rematch pending!) to name a couple….

Right enough of this, gonna’ leave you with a couple of pictures but please check back for some updates soon!