Bracey Goes Big in the Alps

Mountain Guide, Chamonix resident and all round good guy Jon Bracey has just had one of his most productive weeks of his career, climbing 2 classic routes on the Grande Jorasses, including a first British repeat. Making the most of the conditions together with Neil Brodie, they made the first British repeat of the ´Whymper Spur Original´ aka Bonatti-Vaucher (1964, 1,100m, ED3/4, VI, A2+, 1964, 1,100m,). Later on in the week after a phone call taken half-way up a pitch on the Goulotte Allemande, he and Jonny Baird teamed up to climb the supremely classic Colton-Macintyre route (ED3, VI 6, A1, 90°, 1150m, 1976) also on the Grandes Jorasses.”Amazingly in the six days since I was last there, a huge crevasse has opened up at the foot of the face. Stood on the near side edge I shine my now very dim torch down to reveal a bottomless cavern. In front of me is a four foot gap to the overhanging ice wall on the farside. In a ´Vertical Limit´ stylee leap I swing both tools into ice and pull over. Phew!” You can read a full report of the 2 routes at DMM Climbing>>

Grandes Jorasses showing the line of the Bonatti-Vaucher route.
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