Climbing in Europe, 2008

A Climbing Trip to Northern Italy & Southeastern France

Kurt Aronow, September, 2008

Dolomites, Northern Italy with Matthew Pierce
Chamonix, France & Aoste, Italy
Opierre, Southeastern France
Verdon Gorge, Southeastern France
Grenoble, France
Geneva & Heathrow

Thanks to Matthew for the traveling time & friendship.
Thanks to Gunter, Jacob, & Moritz for their generous help in planning the trip & the offer of hospitality in Germany.
Thanks to Tony, Steve, & Nick for three great days of climbing & wild camping in the Aoste valley.
Thanks to Signe & Yann for their generous hospitality.
Thanks to Alexis, Patrick, Thomas, and their friends for a great weekend of climbing in Opierre.
Thanks to Phillippe for three great climbing days in the Verdon Gorge.
Thanks to James & Leah for the day of climbing in the Verdon Gorge.
Thanks to all the cool people (including Sabrina & Jeanne) who picked me up hitch-hiking in France.
Thanks to Becca, Gina, Erin, & Hank for the support from home.

Contact Kurt Aronow for full versions of any photographs (e.g., ~5 megabytes) at: RinconKurt@yahoo.com
Revision Posted: January 7, 2009.
Photos & commentary copyright (c) Kurt Aronow. All rights reserved.

1. Günter, Moritz, Jacob, & Mattie at the bottom of a climb in Arco, Italy
Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008

2. Kurt leading near Arco
(Photo taken by Günter Schweisshelm)

3. Kurt hiking to the Tosi Hut, after the rain
(Photo taken by Matthew Pierce)

4. Mattie hiking to the Tosi Hut, after the rain
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

5. The Tosi Hut (on the right)
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

6. Mattie on a via ferrata, on the way to Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

7. Looking across while climbing the 'Satisfacion' route on Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

8. Looking across while climbing the 'Satisfacion' route on Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

9. Looking across while climbing the 'Satisfacion' route on Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

10. Looking across while climbing the 'Satisfacion' route on Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

11. Mattie climbing the 'Satisfacion' route on Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

12. Summit, Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

13. Mattie, on the summit of Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

14. Mattie, on the summit of Cima d' Ambiez
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

15. Kurt, on the summit of Cima d' Ambiez
(photo taken by Matthew Pierce)

16. Mattie, on a via ferrata bridge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

17. Kurt, on the summit of Campanola Basso, a 550m tower
(photo taken by Matthew Pierce)

18. Mattie, on the summit of Campanola Basso, a 550m tower
(photo taken by Matthew Pierce)

19. Looking back, at the Tosi Hut on the trail to Campanolo Basso
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

20. Near the Tosi Hut
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

21. Mattie, in a cable car, descending to Molveno
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

22. Kurt, in Molveno
(photo taken by Matthew Pierce)

23. Telefona de Roses near Cortina
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

24. Mattie leading a pitch on Telefona de Roses
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

25. Mattie nearby Telefona de Roses
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

26. A Chinese Woman near the Dibona hut (near Cortina)
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

27. Mattie, in front of the Dibona Hut
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

28. Cortina, sport-climbing area
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

29. Kurt, taking shelter from the rain in a Cortina sport-climbing area
(photo taken by Matthew Pierce)

30. Sculpter, in Cortina
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

31. Sculpter, with chainsaw in Cortina
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

32. Hostel, in Chamonix (the original Chamonix post office building)
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

33. Aoste, sport climbing cliff (near Italian side of Mont Blanc)
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

34. Aoste, sport climbing cliff (near Italian side of Mont Blanc)
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

35. Tony rappelling with Nick watching, near Aoste
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

36. Steve belaying, while Tony climbs a severely-overhanging roof
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

37. Steve belaying, while Tony climbs a severely-overhanging roof
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

38. Opierre from the Quiquillon cliff
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

39. Alexis sport climbing near Opierre
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

40. Kurt & Alexis swapping lies near Opierre
(Photo by Patrick Harvey-Collard)

41. Opierre, a 1500-year old village that just happens to have sport climbing nearby
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

42. Opierre, a 1500-year old village that just happens to have sport climbing nearby
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

43. Opierre, with Quiquillon cliff above
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

44. Quinquillon, one of the cliffs we climbed near Opierre
(Photo by Patrick Harvey-Collard)

45. Valley near Opierre
(Photo by Patrick Harvey-Collard)

46. Kurt, climbing in the Verdon Gorge
(Photo by Phillippe Royer)

47. Philippe, at the top of a climb in the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

48. Kurt, crossing the river in the Verdon Gorge
(Photo by Phillippe Royer)

49. Kurt, crossing the river in the Verdon Gorge
(Photo by Phillippe Royer)

50. Kurt, crossing the river in the Verdon Gorge
(Photo by Phillippe Royer)

51. Eva & Elaina, German medical students we cooked with in the municipal campground La Palud
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

52. Ibex, on the road near the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

53. Tunnel, on a trail through the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

54. Alcove, in the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

55. Cliff, in the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

56. Roof, in the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

57. Stairs from tunnel in the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

58. Boau Beni pools in the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

59. Boau Beni pools in the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

60. Trigance, a village I ran through (to get to a main highway) while hitch-hiking near the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

61. James & Leah, a British couple I climbed with in the Falaise L'Escales Sector of the Verdon Gorge
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

62. James, leading in the Falaise L'Escales Sector
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

63. Kurt, leading in the Falaise L'Escales Sector
(Photo by Leah)

64. Kurt, leading in the Falaise L'Escales Sector
(Photo by Leah)

65. Kurt, leading in the Falaise L'Escales Sector with James Belaying
(Photo by Leah)

66. Vulture, Above the Falaise L'Escales Sector
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

67. Vulture, Above the Falaise L'Escales Sector
(Photo by James Sample)

68. Cliffs, in the Falaise L'Escales Sector
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

69. Morning, near La Palud in the Verdon Gorge
(Photo by James Sample)

70. Sabrina, a woman who picked me up hitch-hiking near Gap, in southeastern France
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

71. Marikesh, the dog is visible in the front seat
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

72. Signe & Yann in front of their house in Grenoble
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

73. Near Venon, on a bicycle ride above Grenoble
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

74. Near Venon, on a bicycle ride above Grenoble
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

75. Super-Conductor, in museum display near CERN supercollider
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

76. Super-Conductor Tube, in museum display near CERN supercollider
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

77. Geneva, motorcycle parking
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

78. Geneva, outdoor chess
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

79. Geneva, jewelry shop
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

80. Geneva, fountain
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)

81. Professional dancers at a liquor shop in Heathrow Airport
(Copyright (c) Kurt Aronow, 2008)