To post here again - kudos for your 5th ascent, great effort! Very well written account of your trip. I like how you detail on many little things, projects one into the moments well. You should attach this TR at least to the Mt Blanc page!
Is your iPhone one with a hard drive? Conventional hard drives fail at these altitudes, I found mine to start jamming somewhere below 3,500m. They're usually rated by the manufacturers to 3,000m max.
Thanks very much for your comments. Being new to s/p, not sure how to attach the TR to the Mont Blanc page, but will hopefully be able to work out how... not least as I have another TR to add on Mont Blanc - dating back to 1984, when I first climbed it via the Brenva (giving away my advanced age here!).
On hard drives and iPods - no idea - and I shall be very disappointed if my iPod Touch (not iPhone) doesn't work above 3500m. Might mean yet another purchase before I go off to Aconcagua, as 3500m is not even as high as base camp... have you any suggestions? Do you know if any iPods are free of this problem - anyone? If there are no suggestions I shall track down local Apple store and ask.
Yes I meant iPod and not iPhone of course. The iPod touch has a flash drive built in and not a conventional hard drive (only the "iPod classic" as they call it now has one) so you're all good. I'd just make sure to keep it as warm as possible when temps are low (operational limit according to Apple's website is 0ºC), but other than that it should be fine. You could test its performance in cold temps if you take it to Scotland this winter. Battery performance is usually weak when it's cold.
FYI: http://www.humanedgetech.com/shop/product.php?productid=106
Phil, thanks so much for that information and the link. Relieved my Touch ought to be OK - Aconcagua scree slopes didn't bear thinking about without iPod power! And regarding cold, I had already resigned myself to having a sleeping bag packed with cameras, iPods and other lumpy items - and hopefully my outer clothing will be roomy enough to accomodate it all as well.
The Brenva TR is ready to go in - just got to load up a dozen photo's taken from a very vintage set of kodachrome slides first. Hope to do both in next day or two and will let you know. Cheers again, Mark
P.S. Did as you suggested and linked my original TR to Mont Blanc on the site. Must say SP is very user friendly!
I'm a newcomer to SP, so it is really nice to get such positive feedback. If you enjoyed the read, then you may enjoy another one I have ready to put in on Mont Blanc in next day or so. But apologies in advance for most of the photos with it, which although dramatic, are poorer resolution, being digitalised versions of aged kodachrome slides.
indeed, this TR of yours, especially since it recalls valuable memories of my own in both mountain groups. Thanks, also for posting the pics in full resolution.
As for bivvying on Gouter - I tried that also but was deterred from doing so by a large set of "camping interdit"-signs everywhere around and a Gendarmerie heli flying by again and again. So I ended up in the hut's dining room under one of the desks ...
Good luck for Aconcagua - and welcome on SP!
PS: the hut at Weissmies is Almageller hut.
PPS: I've downloaded the page to work through your English and profit for my own from the large variety of peculiar native expressions and words unknown to me.
I didn't know camping wasn't allowed on the Gouter. Have camped/bivvied there a couple of times - probably because I once also spent the night under a table in the hut! I have also camped on other parts of Mont Blanc. Perhaps next time I will dig a snow cave and hide - but I'm not sleeping in the hut!
Congratulations on your summit(s) and I wish you all the best on Aconcagua!! Oh, and I always take those little disposable hand/foot warmers...they've saved me a few times!
Well, it'd be hard not to recognise the flag of Tibet. As to the other flag, you can't be absolutely positive - there are a few other possibilities but personally, I tend to see a Polish flag. :)
Cheers,
Jacek (pronounced yatsek:))
phlipdascrip - Aug 9, 2010 10:09 pm - Voted 10/10
Great read, great effort!To post here again - kudos for your 5th ascent, great effort! Very well written account of your trip. I like how you detail on many little things, projects one into the moments well. You should attach this TR at least to the Mt Blanc page!
Is your iPhone one with a hard drive? Conventional hard drives fail at these altitudes, I found mine to start jamming somewhere below 3,500m. They're usually rated by the manufacturers to 3,000m max.
Cheers, Phil
markhallam - Aug 10, 2010 12:20 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great read, great effort!Hi Phil
Thanks very much for your comments. Being new to s/p, not sure how to attach the TR to the Mont Blanc page, but will hopefully be able to work out how... not least as I have another TR to add on Mont Blanc - dating back to 1984, when I first climbed it via the Brenva (giving away my advanced age here!).
On hard drives and iPods - no idea - and I shall be very disappointed if my iPod Touch (not iPhone) doesn't work above 3500m. Might mean yet another purchase before I go off to Aconcagua, as 3500m is not even as high as base camp... have you any suggestions? Do you know if any iPods are free of this problem - anyone? If there are no suggestions I shall track down local Apple store and ask.
Thanks again for your comments.
Cheers, Mark
phlipdascrip - Aug 10, 2010 5:46 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Great read, great effort!Yes I meant iPod and not iPhone of course. The iPod touch has a flash drive built in and not a conventional hard drive (only the "iPod classic" as they call it now has one) so you're all good. I'd just make sure to keep it as warm as possible when temps are low (operational limit according to Apple's website is 0ºC), but other than that it should be fine. You could test its performance in cold temps if you take it to Scotland this winter. Battery performance is usually weak when it's cold.
FYI: http://www.humanedgetech.com/shop/product.php?productid=106
Looking forward to your Brenva Spur TR!
Phil
markhallam - Aug 11, 2010 12:57 am - Hasn't voted
iPods etcPhil, thanks so much for that information and the link. Relieved my Touch ought to be OK - Aconcagua scree slopes didn't bear thinking about without iPod power! And regarding cold, I had already resigned myself to having a sleeping bag packed with cameras, iPods and other lumpy items - and hopefully my outer clothing will be roomy enough to accomodate it all as well.
The Brenva TR is ready to go in - just got to load up a dozen photo's taken from a very vintage set of kodachrome slides first. Hope to do both in next day or two and will let you know. Cheers again, Mark
P.S. Did as you suggested and linked my original TR to Mont Blanc on the site. Must say SP is very user friendly!
EricChu - Aug 12, 2010 6:54 am - Voted 10/10
This is a great trip report!And the photos you added are really awesome!
markhallam - Aug 12, 2010 12:38 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: This is a great trip report!Thanks very much Eric.
I'm a newcomer to SP, so it is really nice to get such positive feedback. If you enjoyed the read, then you may enjoy another one I have ready to put in on Mont Blanc in next day or so. But apologies in advance for most of the photos with it, which although dramatic, are poorer resolution, being digitalised versions of aged kodachrome slides.
Best wishes, Mark
reinhard2 - Aug 15, 2010 10:03 am - Voted 10/10
Very nice readingindeed, this TR of yours, especially since it recalls valuable memories of my own in both mountain groups. Thanks, also for posting the pics in full resolution.
As for bivvying on Gouter - I tried that also but was deterred from doing so by a large set of "camping interdit"-signs everywhere around and a Gendarmerie heli flying by again and again. So I ended up in the hut's dining room under one of the desks ...
Good luck for Aconcagua - and welcome on SP!
PS: the hut at Weissmies is Almageller hut.
PPS: I've downloaded the page to work through your English and profit for my own from the large variety of peculiar native expressions and words unknown to me.
markhallam - Aug 16, 2010 5:54 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Camping interdit on GouterThanks very much for your kind words Reinhard.
I didn't know camping wasn't allowed on the Gouter. Have camped/bivvied there a couple of times - probably because I once also spent the night under a table in the hut! I have also camped on other parts of Mont Blanc. Perhaps next time I will dig a snow cave and hide - but I'm not sleeping in the hut!
icypeak - Aug 15, 2010 1:15 pm - Voted 10/10
Super report!Congratulations on your summit(s) and I wish you all the best on Aconcagua!! Oh, and I always take those little disposable hand/foot warmers...they've saved me a few times!
markhallam - Aug 16, 2010 5:55 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Hand warmersThanks for the kind words - and also for the suggestion on the hand warmers. That is a great idea!
yatsek - Aug 16, 2010 4:00 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice readThanks. (BTW The flag looks familiar to me :))
markhallam - Aug 18, 2010 4:59 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice readThanks Yatsek - is it a Polish flag then? I wondered at the time...
yatsek - Aug 18, 2010 5:46 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Nice readWell, it'd be hard not to recognise the flag of Tibet. As to the other flag, you can't be absolutely positive - there are a few other possibilities but personally, I tend to see a Polish flag. :)
Cheers,
Jacek (pronounced yatsek:))