Close-up on Dent Blanche from the Grand Mountet

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Close-up on Dent Blanche from the Grand Mountet

Close-up on Dent Blanche from the Grand Mountet

The northern flank of the Dent Blanche (4357m), with the Glacier du Grand Cornier. Let me add a rather amusing detail: the lower two thirds of the ridge in the foreground leading to the summit crest carry the name "Arête des Quatre Ânes", meaning "Ridge of the Four Donkeys". This technically extremely difficult ridge was used by the four-man climbing party that did the first ascent of Dent Blanche, and it is said that one of them, when the party had reached the summit and on one glance it became obvious that there would have been clearly more easy options than the one they had chosen, uttered exasperatedly: "We were four donkeys to have chosen this route!!"
EricChu
on Jul 18, 2011 7:42 am
Lat/Lon: 46.03562°N / 7.61370°E
Image ID: 729650

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hansw

hansw - Jul 18, 2011 8:21 am - Voted 10/10

Awesome picture ..

..of an awesome mountain.

I have been trying to find donkeys on the enlarged image. But no success – so far:)

/Hans

EricChu

EricChu - Jul 18, 2011 8:38 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Awesome picture ..

I don't think there have been any donkeys on it ever since 1862 - haha! ;-))

Thanks very much for your comment and vote, Hans! :-)

Cheers,

Eric

Tomek Lodowy

Tomek Lodowy - Jul 18, 2011 5:53 pm - Voted 10/10

perfect shot

amazing piece of rock, wonderful photoseries Eric, you must have spent some gorgeous time in Swiss Alps!

cheers

Tomek Lodowy

EricChu

EricChu - Jul 18, 2011 6:11 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: perfect shot

Thanks a lot, Tomek! Those two days I had high up above Zinal were indeed marvelous, and that area is truly unique! Maybe the area around the Monte Rosa hut is even more monumental, more expansive, but that area is seemed with cable-cars, ski-lifts, trains etc., while the Mountet-Durand-Cornier arena is absolutely intact! That makes quite a difference! This was certainly one of the most gripping and fulfilling places I've been to in a long time already!
Many cheers to you, Tomek,
Eric

markhallam

markhallam - Jul 25, 2011 2:18 pm - Voted 10/10

Great shot

Can't believe I stood on top of that in 1986. You have been very busy with that camera of yours of late - some beautiful results including this one.

EricChu

EricChu - Jul 25, 2011 7:09 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Great shot

Thanks very much for your comment, Mark - nice to hear from you again! You did Dent Blanche in 1986? By which route?
Yes, so far I had been using Canon PowerShot G10; this time to give the G12

EricChu

EricChu - Jul 25, 2011 7:12 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Great shot

...I had bought last January it's first really big chance...and the results have convinced me that it's a really good camera indeed!
Cheers,
Eric

markhallam

markhallam - Jul 26, 2011 1:13 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: Great shot

Hello again - climbed Dent Blanche via the South Ridge, normal route... the one that goes via the 'Grande Gendarme'. There were two of us, but climbing unroped - and we had the mountain completely to ourselves, on a perfect day weather-wise.

On Cameras: since I took the plunge and went digital I have been using a Nikon D40, but cannot claim your level of expertise... mostly let the camera do its own thing in 'instamatic' mode - and if I take any credit at all it is for willingness to get up very early in the morning in very photogenic places.

Good to hear from you again also
Cheers, Mark

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