On 23/09/2014 08:48, Jérémy wrote:

snip

To be fair (I was rather pulling Cab's leg), you've got to be in pretty
good shape for even the easy routes to be easy.

I always favoured the beer & tabs approach to training for the Alps.

I used to get the BMC bus from London to Chamonix and arrive at about
9am, put my tent up in the site opposite the hospital then jump in a
cable car up to Le Brevent for a walk along the ridge and down into the
valley to shake off the horrors of the bus journey.

The next day would usually see a group of us going up to the Midi then a
snow plod up Mont Blanc du Tacul before either setting up a bivi near
the old Cosmiques hut or begging our way into the Midi station to sleep
in one of the corridors then walk down the Vallee Blanche to Chamonix.

Once that was done I was normally acclimatised and ready for bigger
things and longer stays above the snow line. It's amazing how long you
can stay up there for when you're skint and don't want to be constantly
paying for telepheriques.